You may wish to consider applying for a Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) Approval in Principle, if you need to supplement your New Zealand workforce with overseas workers to manage seasonal labour demands. If we approve your application, you can employ the number of overseas workers detailed in your Approval in Principle. To be able to work for you, workers must already be in New Zealand and have an SSE Work Visa.
up to 6 months
The process for becoming a Supplementary Seasonal Employer.
Horticulture and viticulture industry employers can apply for a Supplementary Seasonal Employer Approval in Principle, which if granted will allow them to employ overseas workers who are already in New Zealand to plant, maintain, harvest or packing crops.
To continue to be able to employ overseas workers, employers must continue to meet the requirements of their Supplementary Seasonal Employment Approval in Principle.
To be granted an Approval in Principle, you must show us you meet all of the following criteria.
You must provide documents that show that:
We’ll consult with the Ministry of Social Development when we assess the availability of New Zealanders to do the work.
You must provide a sample of the employment agreement you’ll offer to overseas workers, which must:
When you complete your application, we may ask you:
We may need to confirm information with other government agencies.
The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for the approval in principle, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.
To apply, you will need to complete a ‘Supplementary Seasonal Employment Approval in Principle Application’ and send it to us with your evidence and application fee.
Application cost – You must be a New Zealand employer in New Zealand to apply.
When we assess your application, we may consult with the Ministry of Social Development and other government agencies.
We may ask you for extra information if It is needed to make a decision about your application.
If we approve your application, your accreditation will be valid for a set period of time, which We explain to you in a letter or email.
80% of applications are currently completed within this time.
Once we approve your application, you can go ahead and offer the jobs detailed in your Approval in Principle (AIP) to overseas workers. You can recruit workers until your AIP expires, or you have hired the number of workers the AIP allows. You can only employ workers who are already in New Zealand and have a Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) Work Visa. You can support your workers’ visa applications by providing them with a job offer.
Payment methods
Credit Card
You can pay with Visa or MasterCard. We take payment when we receive your application. You must have enough funds available on the day we receive your application or it may be returned to you.
Postal address
Immigration New Zealand
P O Box 50728
Porirua 5240
New Zealand
Courier address
Immigration New Zealand
P O Box 50728
Porirua 5240
New Zealand
Hours
Phone enquiries
Monday to Friday
08:00 to 22:00
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Telephone
Other notes
Applications made in New Zealand
For applications made in New Zealand, there is no courier fee to be paid for applications or documents to be returned.
It is important that you continue to meet the requirements of your approval in principle. Find out what you need to do to maintain your approval.
Contact us first if you’ve previously received approval in principle to recruit overseas workers.
The purpose of getting approved in principle is to supplement your New Zealand workforce, not replace it.
Recruiting overseas workers can help you through the peak seasons, when there aren’t enough New Zealanders available to meet labour demands. You have to make genuine attempts to recruit New Zealanders before you offer a job to overseas workers in New Zealand. You’ll need to show us that you’ve continued to work with Work and Income to do this, before you apply for a new Approval in Principle.
You must meet minimum rights and obligations under both employment and immigration law. As an employer of migrant workers, it’s your responsibility to meet these requirements. Both the Labour Inspectorate and INZ take breaches of the law and migrant exploitation very seriously. We will investigate any breaches of the law.
To make sure you’re complying, you must at least:
Follow these steps to reapply.
If you have previously received approval in principle to recruit overseas workers you may not need to reapply. Contact us first before you reapply.
Application cost – You must be a New Zealand employer in New Zealand to apply.
80% of applications are currently completed within this time.
Payment methods
Credit Card
You can pay with Visa or MasterCard. We take payment when we receive your application. You must have enough funds available on the day we receive your application or it may be returned to you.
Postal address
Immigration New Zealand
P O Box 50728
Porirua 5240
New Zealand
Courier address
Immigration New Zealand
P O Box 50728
Porirua 5240
New Zealand
Hours
Phone enquiries
Monday to Friday
08:00 to 22:00
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Telephone
Other notes
Applications made in New Zealand
For applications made in New Zealand, there is no courier fee to be paid for applications or documents to be returned.