Applying for a Work Visa for New Zealand

The New Zealand government has agreements with approximately 20 countries to allow working visas for students. Here are the requirements and guidelines for U.S. citizens.

United States of America Working Holiday Scheme

Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 who have not previously come to New Zealand on a WHS may be eligible to come to New Zealand to work and holiday for up to 12 months on the US WHS. Online application service is available.

However, before you think about applying, please read the following important information.

To be eligible you must have a passport from the United States of America that's valid for at least three months after your planned departure from New Zealand, be at least 18 and not more than 30 years old , not bring children with you, hold a return ticket (or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket), have a minimum of NZ$4,200 available funds to meet your living costs while you're in New Zealand, meet health and character requirements, hold medical and comprehensive hospitalization insurance for the length of your stay, not have been approved a visa permit under a Working Holiday Scheme before, and , if you are already in New Zealand you also need to hold a valid temporary permit.

Health requirements

You will need to meet New Zealand health requirements which are especially concerned about active pulmonary tuberculosis. A chest X-ray and medical certificate will be needed.

Important note for online applicants: Our Working Holiday Schemes Online system will tell you whether you need to send us a completed Medical and/or X-ray Certificate, and, if so, how to do it, when you submit your online application. This is based on the maximum length of stay that you are allowed under your country's Working Holiday Scheme (not your intended stay), along with your responses to our health requirements questions.

Character requirements

To grant you a New Zealand visa or permit the New Zealand government needs to be assured that you and any family included in your application are of good character. They make this requirement to protect the well being and security of New Zealanders.

Under section 7(1) of the Immigration Act you will not be granted a visa or permit if:
• you have been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 5 years or more (this applies even if any of your offences have later been taken off the record)

• in the past 10 years you were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 12 months or more

• currently, you have a removal order from New Zealand in force against you

• you have been deported from any country, including New Zealand

• you have been involved in terrorist activities, or belonged to or supported any organization involved in terrorist activities

• it is believed you are likely to commit - or to assist others to commit - criminal or drug offences, or an act of terrorism, in New Zealand

• it is believed you are likely - due to any international circumstances - to be a danger to New Zealand's security or public order

• it is believed you are associated with an organization or group that has criminal objectives or is engaged in criminal activities and for that - or any other reason - you're considered to be a threat to the public interest or public order of New Zealand.
New Zealand carries out character checks on everyone 17 years or over included in residence applications or applying for temporary entry for 24 months or longer. They may also undertake a character check on anyone else that we consider may not meet our character requirements.

Providing evidence of good character

If you are coming to New Zealand for 24 months or longer you'll have to provide police certificates as evidence of your good character. The certificate must be from your country of citizenship. If for some reason you can't get a certificate of character from a police department, contact Immigration New Zealand.

When you are in New Zealand, you must not take up permanent employment unless you apply for and are granted an ordinary Work Permit while you are there. You can enroll in one training or study course of up to three months duration while visiting.
Applications under this Working Holiday Scheme can be made online at http://www.immigration.govt.nz.

Anyone can apply for a temporary Work Permit if you:

have an offer of a job from a New Zealand employer

are skilled in an occupation that's in demand New Zealand

want to work in New Zealand temporarily for a particular purpose or event such as a tournament, a show or for certain professional reasons

are a student or trainee wanting to gain work experience in New Zealand

are a student who is eligible to work in New Zealand after completing your studies

are planning to work temporarily while joining your partner in New Zealand.

You don't need a visa or permit if you're a New Zealand citizen or you hold a New Zealand Residence Permit; you're an Australian citizen, or Australian resident who holds a current permanent Australian Resident Return Visa.

And you may not need a Work Visa or Permit if your employment in New Zealand involves work for:

official trade missions recognized by the New Zealand government
overseas governments
visits for business negotiations
short-term sales trips.

You can undertake work such as this while in New Zealand on a Visitor's Visa or permit.

What is required? - Temporary workers
If you have the skills needed by New Zealand employers, particularly those skills that employers are unable to find in New Zealand, we'd be pleased to see your application for a Work Visa.

You may be eligible to work temporarily in New Zealand to take up a job offer in an occupation in which New Zealand has a recognized shortage of qualified workers. Check with Immigration New Zealand for the list of Immediate Skill Shortage.

You may still be eligible for a temporary Work Visa or Permit even if your occupation is not on the Immediate Skill Shortage List. You need to have a job offer from a New Zealand employer who has our approval to recruit overseas workers
or
have a job offer from a New Zealand employer who can prove there are no suitable New Zealand workers available for the job
or
be coming to New Zealand for a specific purpose or event - where your skills, attributes and expertise will benefit New Zealand.

You may also be eligible for a Work Visa or Permit if you're coming to New Zealand:

to gain practical work experience - to further or complete study or training you're undertaking to work after you have completed your studies as a holder of a Student Permit to join your partner who is the holder of a student visa/permit and is studying towards a postgraduate qualification, or a qualification listed on the Long Term Skill Shortage List
to join your partner who is the holder of a NZAID-supported student permit
to join your partner who is a New Zealand citizen or resident or the holder of a Work Visa/Permit.

And New Zealand grants temporary work permits for people who have highly specialized skills, are here for religious missions or ministry, interpreters from Japan, and crew members of foreign fishing vessels.

New Zealand regards employment as being work you undertake for gain or reward. That is, money or anything that can be valued in terms of money, such as food, clothing, accommodation and transport.

New Zealand considers you to be working in New Zealand if you're working anywhere within New Zealand's economic zone or territorial waters.

Often you can apply for further work permits - so long as you are still lawfully in New Zealand and can meet the Work Permit policy requirements at that time. If you're granted a Work Permit you need to meet certain conditions during your stay:

the work you do must meet any conditions specified in your permit
you must keep within New Zealand's laws
you must only stay in New Zealand for the time allowed by your permit, unless you're granted another permit.

If you break any of these conditions we may require you to leave the country immediately.