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New temporary visa option for some seasonal workers
A new subcategory of the Specific Purpose Work Visa has been announced to help employers in industries with seasonal peaks.
The Government has announced a new subcategory of the Specific Purpose Work Visa to provide some short-term relief to employers in industries with upcoming seasonal peaks.
This is an interim, time-limited, streamlined pathway and is more in line with the length of seasonal work.
To be eligible, the seasonal work must be directly impacted by changes in weather, such as harvesting, ski instructing, or tree planting. The role must also start on or before 31 May 2025, and be for no longer than 9 months. Horticulture, viticulture, and fishing crew work covered by other visas is excluded.
Applications from migrants must be received on or before 31 March 2025.
As an employer you will need to:
- hold employer accreditation
- pay at least NZD$29.66 per hour for a minimum of 30 hours per week.
- advertise the role beforehand, and provide evidence of this to the migrant to include in their application.
Hiring migrants for 2024/25 seasonal peaks
How we define a specific purpose or event
We are considering the need for a longer-term visa option for seasonal workers as part of the ongoing review of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and will undertake targeted consultation shortly as part of this work.