This page contains branch-specific information, and answers frequently-asked questions, for Filipino nationals and other nationals residing in the Philippines, wishing to work in New Zealand.
(Excluding partnership-based applications.)
See our forms and guides.
See our work visa checklist PDF [61KB].
The lodgement procedure is detailed below and on our work visa checklist PDF [61KB].
You will be notified within 48 hours via an automatic email of acknowledgement of your application. Subsequently you will be notified within 10 working days of lodgement via email by your case officer.
We expect your application to be completed within 15 working days. If there are issues with your health or there are delays with respect to the verification of your documents, processing may take more time.
Priority processing is given to applications which contain valid Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) evidence of support at the time of lodgement, or those with ‘shortage list’ job offers, or those lodged as part of a New Zealand employer’s ‘Approval in Principle’ obtained from New Zealand.
A number of things can slow down the processing of your application. If there are significant findings in your medical certificate, a medical referral may be required. In such cases, your medical certificate will be sent to the medical assessor in New Zealand and this process can take up to eight weeks.
We must verify the information that you provide as part of your application. Sometimes, verifications depend on the responsiveness of external parties.
For roles listed as Level 4 or 5 on ANZSCO, we are required to conduct a labour market check to determine if there are New Zealand residents or citizens available to take up the job being offered to you. Such a check can take two to three weeks to complete. Therefore, we strongly advise employers to engage with Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) before attempting to recruit an overseas worker. It would benefit you greatly to present at lodgement documentary evidence from WINZ confirming that no New Zealand workers are available to fill the position being offered to you.
For applications under Essential Skills (ANZSCO Level 4 and 5 role), providing a job offer no more than two months old, proof of your employer’s attempts to hire New Zealand workers, evidence of WINZ support, clear evidence of your qualification(s)/work experience and complete medical certificates (including any additional tests/reports suggested by the panel doctor) helps reduce the time it takes to process your application.
Submitting an application with all the required documents noted in the checklists will be in your best interest. If we have everything we need to make a decision, we will be able to process your application in a very efficient manner.
We recommend you also include a photocopy of all your original supporting documents as well. We will return the original documents once we have reached a decision on your application.
Yes. Ideally you should submit your passport at lodgement however if it’s not readily available, we require a copy of the biodata page at lodgement. You also must indicate in your cover letter why you cannot submit your passport. You will need to provide your original passport once your application has been approved so it can be endorsed with a visa.
Some good examples are: employment certificates, employment contracts, payslips, Social Security System (SSS) records, PhilHealth records and income tax returns (with receipts). For people who have worked overseas, it would be helpful if you also presented your work visa and POEA Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)/e-Receipt. We require official translations of any documents not in English.
No. If INZ determines that you have paid unofficial fees, to a Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) agent or to a licensed immigration adviser or recruitment firm or New Zealand employer in order to secure your job offer, the application may be declined. New Zealand law prohibits the payment of money in order to obtain a job offer (refer to Immigration Instructions W2.10.10).
Acceptable official fees are Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) placement fees, and licensed immigration adviser fees. You should ensure that that all payments you make for your work visa are officially receipted and that they comply with New Zealand and Philippine labour, employment and immigration laws.
The Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is an extensive list of jobs and their descriptions. The ANZSCO shows the indicative skill level required for each occupation and notes what type of qualification and/or work experience is required by each job.
In assessing a work visa application under the Essential Skills Category, immigration officers use the ANZSCO as a benchmark to determine whether or not you are suitably qualified by training and experience to take up the job being offered to you. In addition to any specific requirements from your employer, you must have the qualification and/or work experience the ANZSCO requires for your occupation.
If your occupation is on the Immediate Skills Shortage List (ISSL) or the Long Term Skills Shortage List (LTSSL), you must meet the requirements specified for that occupation by the relevant shortage list. Otherwise, a labour market test may be required. In that event, you will need to provide evidence of your employer’s genuine attempts to recruit workers within New Zealand (eg copies of advertisements, employer’s receipts for paid advertising, WINZ support).
Before looking to recruit overseas, we urge New Zealand employers seeking to fill a vacancy to engage with Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) and obtain documented confirmation from WINZ that there are no New Zealand workers available to undertake the job. This is particularly important for occupations classified as skill level 4 or 5 on the ANZSCO. For these types of jobs, INZ must conduct a labour market check in cases where the applicant/employer is unable to provide evidence of WINZ support. This may take two to three weeks, and the results are likely to have a notable impact on the eventual application decision.
If you have active or old healed TB, your medical certificates are likely to be referred to a medical assessor. Applicants with a history of TB should provide all documentation (X-ray films/plates/scans) to show recent and past history of diagnosis and treatment. X-ray films/plates/scans should have corresponding reports attached. We also strongly recommend that the results of three sputum cultures be attached to your medical certificate as they will be required by the medical assessor.
These highlight the processing pathway a work visa application often takes, and how you can seek to ensure a positive outcome for your application by meeting the requirements in the work visa checklists.
Please refer to the Work Visa Guide for Dairy Farm Workers DOC [53KB] and also to the work visa flowcharts above regarding the processing steps that are undertaken.
Yes. Some occupations require New Zealand registration by law. If you do not hold the relevant New Zealand registration, you cannot be considered suitably qualified for the job being offered to you.
www.kiwicareers.govt.nz is a good place to start.
No, but you can search for vacancies listed with Work and Income New Zealand. Other useful sites for job seekers are Seek or New Zealand Now.
