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Entertainment Promoters Approval

Entertainment Promoters Approval

We work with entertainment promoters to simplify the visa application process. Performers and direct support staff of short-term live entertainment acts promoted by an ‘approved promoter’ can enter New Zealand as visitors.

Valid for

4 years

Cost

NZD $0

Processing times

80% within

Less than 1 week

With this approval you can

Employ overseas performers and immediate support staff to perform and work here on a visitor visa without having to apply for a work visa. They will still need to meet all the requirements of a visitor visa.

Things to note

You will need to provide evidence the promoter has been established for at least 3 years.
You will need to show that you have promoted international acts in New Zealand in the past 3 years.
You will need to have a history of compliance with immigration requirements.

Entertainment Promoters Approval

Overview

Apply for approval

Support an entertainment act

Reapply for approval

Apply for approval

To become an ‘approved’ entertainment promoter, promoters must submit a proposal demonstrating that they meet the following requirements.

View All Evidence

Written proposal

Provide a proposal and brief biography about yourself or the organisation as a promoter

Your proposal should include the following evidence:

proposal letter
brief biography about yourself and your organisation as a music promoter
list of all company or business names that you trade under (if applicable)
registration documentation (company/charitable trust etc) showing establishment of at least 3 years.

Established promoter

Provide evidence the promoter has been established for at least 3 years

An example of evidence could be company office registration documentation.

Credible records

Provide evidence of promoting international performers in New Zealand in the past 3 years

Examples can include:

event brochures
advertising
press cuttings
list of invited international performers and acts over previous 3 years.

How to apply and costs

The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for the approval, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete proposal.

1

Submit proposal

Your written proposal should be scanned and emailed to us.

Email us

Immigration costs

Application cost – There is no application cost for this employer option.

2

Wait for a decision

When we assess your proposal we look at all the information you have provided from the criteria above.

We may ask you for more information, if It is needed to make a decision about your proposal.

If granted, approval will be valid for 4 years. INZ will revoke approval where it considers that promoter’s conduct has created an unacceptable risk to the integrity of New Zealand's immigration or employment laws or policies.

Timeframes - Processing

80% within Less than 1 week

80% of applications are currently completed within this time.

3

Support a visitor visa application

Once you have been granted approval you need to support your performers and immediate support staff visa applications by providing applicants with a letter of support.

We process their visa applications as soon as we can.

4

Performers & immediate support staff apply for visitor visas

Your performer and immediate support staff will need to complete a ‘Visitor Visa’ application unless they are from a visa waiver country in which case they may be granted a visitor visa and entry permission on arrival.

Visa waiver countries and territories

Visitor Visa Guide - A guide to applying for a visitor visa (INZ 1018) PDF 579KB
Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

Support an entertainment act

Once we have given you approval, you can support the visitor visa applications of your performers and immediate support staff. Staff will need to apply for a Short-term Entertainment Act Visitor visa.

What an employer needs to do

You must be an INZ 'approved' promoter

To become approved, the promoter must submit a proposal to INZ. If granted, approval will be valid for 4 years. See the criteria and approval process.

Warning

INZ will revoke approval where it considers that promoters or organisers’ conduct has created an unacceptable risk to the integrity of New Zealand's immigration or employment laws or policies.

Letter of invitation or support

You must provide applicants with a letter containing relevant information.

The letter must include:

details of the performers and crew (full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and role)
date and venue of the performance
arrival and departure dates (if known)
any costs which are being covered by the promoter.

A copy of this letter should also be scanned and emailed to us at:

festivalsandpromoters@mbie.govt.nz

Note

We recommend that you send us your support letter to us one month prior to the performance.

Sponsorship

You may need to provide sponsorship for applicants.

Applicants under this visa must either have sufficient funds to support themselves while in New Zealand or have an acceptable sponsor. Sufficient funds are considered to be NZD $1000 per month or NZD $400 per month if accommodation is paid for.

If you sponsor an applicants you will need to complete a sponsorship form and provide evidence that show you are an acceptable sponsor.

Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

Acceptable sponsor

What happens next

Provide a letter of invitation or support

You will need to provide applicants with a copy of the letter confirming your status as an approved promoter and a letter of invitation or support to provide with their application.

Performers and immediate support crew apply for visitor visa

Your performers and their immediate support crew will need to apply for a visitor visa unless they are from a visa waiver country in which case they may be granted a visitor visa and entry permission on arrival in New Zealand.

If they are from Visa waiver countries and territories, they will need to show a copy of the letter confirming your status as an approved promoter and a letter of invitation or support from you confirming their performance. They must also meet standard entry requirements.

We recommend they apply online.

Short-term Entertainment Act Visitor visa

Visa waiver countries and territories

Visitor Visa Guide - A guide to applying for a visitor visa (INZ 1018) PDF 579KB

Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

Wait for a decision

We make a decision about your candidate’s visa application as soon as we can. Find out how long these visas usually take to decide, in our Fees & decision times tool.

Fees & decision times

Act can perform

As soon as your visa applicants have been given a Short-term Entertainment Act Visitor Visa, they can undertake their performance.

Reapply for approval

Approval may be renewed, upon request, where Immigration New Zealand is satisfied that the festival organiser still meets the requirements for approval set out below.

What you need to do

Provide a cover letter

Provide a cover letter requesting for your approval status to be renewed.

Your cover letter should include:

a list of all the international performers you have promoted in New Zealand since your previous proposal
a list of all company or business names traded under (if applicable since your previous proposal)
evidence you intend to bring in at least 10 international performers and immediate support staff.

How to reapply

Follow these steps to reapply for approval.

1

Submit proposal

Your cover letter should be scanned and emailed to us.

Email us

Immigration costs

Application cost – There is no application cost for this employer option.

2

Wait for a decision

When we assess your request We look at all the information you have provided from the criteria above.

We may ask you for more information, if It is needed to make a decision about your request.

If granted, approval will be valid for another 4 years. INZ will revoke a promoter's approval where it considers that promoters conduct has created an unacceptable risk to the integrity of New Zealand's immigration or employment laws or policies.

Timeframes - Processing

80% within Less than 1 week

80% of applications are currently completed within this time.

3

Continue to support applications

Once you have been granted renewed you can continue to support your performers and their immediate support crew as you have done previously.

We process their visa applications as soon as we can.

Valid for

Cost

Processing times

Entertainment Promoters Approval

Overview

Apply for approval

Support an entertainment act

Reapply for approval

Apply for approval

View All Evidence

Written proposal

Established promoter

Credible records

How to apply and costs

1 Submit proposal

Immigration costs

2 Wait for a decision

Timeframes - Processing

3 Support a visitor visa application

4 Performers & immediate support staff apply for visitor visas

Support an entertainment act

What an employer needs to do

You must be an INZ 'approved' promoter

Letter of invitation or support

Sponsorship

What happens next

Provide a letter of invitation or support

Performers and immediate support crew apply for visitor visa

Wait for a decision

Act can perform

Reapply for approval

What you need to do

Provide a cover letter

How to reapply

1 Submit proposal

Immigration costs

2 Wait for a decision

Timeframes - Processing

3 Continue to support applications

1

Submit proposal

2

Wait for a decision

3

Support a visitor visa application

4

Performers & immediate support staff apply for visitor visas

1

Submit proposal

2

Wait for a decision

3

Continue to support applications