If you are contracted to work as a crew member on a chartered foreign fishing vessel fishing in New Zealand waters, you may be eligible for a work visa.

Your New Zealand agent or employer must first show us that there are not enough suitably qualified or experienced New Zealand workers available and gain our approval in principle to recruit crew from overseas.

Requirements your employer must meet

We will only grant an approval in principle if the New Zealand Charter Partner is a signatory to the Code of Practice on Foreign Fishing Crew.

 

Your employer will have to prove that there are no (or not enough) New Zealand citizens or residents who are suitably qualified or can be trained to do the job.

 

They will have to show that they have genuinely searched for suitably qualified and trained New Zealand workers. To prove this, we will need to see:

• how often and widely the employer has advertised the position in New Zealand
• that the terms and conditions – such as hours and salary – match those for the New Zealand job market
• that the specifications or requirements in the job description match the job and really are needed to do the job. We may not give approval if, for example, a job specification states the worker must speak a foreign language or be of a particular ethnic background when this is not really necessary to do the job.

We also need to be satisfied the job offer is genuine, and that the employer meets and will continue to meet New Zealand immigration and employment laws.

 

If approved, your employer will have to provide us with work visa applications for each individual crew member whose employment has been approved in principle.  We will then advise the employer whether we will grant a work visa to each crew member.

Requirements you must meet 

After your employer has an approval in principle, you must:

• meet our health and character requirements
• have an acceptable employment agreement to work on a vessel in New Zealand (the employment agreement must meet the standard New Zealand principles listed in the Code of Practice on Foreign Fishing Crew), and
• be suitably qualified and experienced for the work
• have a written guarantee from your employer’s agent in New Zealand that they will cover your accommodation, living expenses and the cost of your ravel back to your home country once you have completed your contract. 

Apply

If your employer has gained approval in principle to employ you, they should complete an application for a work visa on your behalf before you arrive in New Zealand. If approved, your work visa will allow you to work on a specified vessel for the duration of your contract up to a maximum of two years. 

Once your application has been approved

If your work visa application is approved, once you start your employment in New Zealand you have certain rights and your employer has obligations that they must meet. Further information can be obtained about this in the Code of Practice on Foreign Fishing Crew.

Employer and New Zealand Charter Partner information

If you are a New Zealand or foreign charter partner requiring foreign fishing crew further employer-specific information is available on our Employer hub.