Indonesia Special Work Visa

Apply for this visa if you are a citizen of Indonesia and you have a job offer as a trained chef, Halal slaughterer or Bahasa teacher’s aide.

Length of stay
Up to

3 years

Quota
Each year

Depends on occupation

Cost
From
NZD $700
Processing time
80% within
5 weeks
With this visa you can
  • Come to New Zealand to work as an Indonesian chef, Halal slaughterer or Bahasa teachers' aide.
  • If you are offered more work, apply for an extension to stay in New Zealand for another year, allowing a total stay of up to 4 years.
  • Study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.
Things to note
  • At any one time, under the Indonesia Special Work Instructions, New Zealand can have 100 Indonesian chefs, 20 Halal slaughterers, 20 Bahasa teachers’ aides.
  • The length of your stay will depend on the length of your job offer.
  • If you are granted a visa for less than 3 years, you can apply for another visa for the balance of the time while in New Zealand as long you continue to meet all of the visa criteria.
  • You cannot include a partner or dependent children in your visa application, but they can apply for visas based on their relationship to you.

    Explore family visa options

What you need to apply

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

View All Evidence

You must provide proof of your identity:

Acceptable photos

You may provide your original passport, or a certified copy when you submit your application. If you provide a certified copy we may request your original passport to complete your application.

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

Good character for temporary visas

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

Providing police certificates

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us Police Certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

Tips

If you provide a police certificate that is not in English, you must provide an English translation.

This includes police certificates that record no convictions.

When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we consider all the information:

  • you provide to support your application
  • we have about your personal circumstances, and
  • you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

We use the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) to assess if your job offer meets the appropriate skill level for us to grant you a visa under the Indonesia Special Work Category.

If you’re a chef, your job offer must be assessed as ANZSCO Skill Level 3.

If you’re a Halal slaughterer or a Bahasa teacher’s’ aide, your job offer must be assessed as ANZSCO Skill Level 4.

If we’re not sure about the skill level of the work you’ve been offered, we may contact you or your employer for more information.

Tips

For more information about the ANZSCO skill level for your occupation, visit:
Australian Bureau of Statistics

You must provide a valid Indonesia passport.

Tips

You must also provide your Kartu Keluarga.

Any documents that prove you are living in Indonesia now. Examples include:

  • current utility bills
  • recent pay slips.
Tips

If you’re already in New Zealand on an Indonesia Special Work Category Visa and you’re applying for an extension, it’s OK for you to apply while in New Zealand.

You must provide a copy of your employment agreement for full-time work, which must include:

  • a description of your job as an Indonesian chef, Halal slaughterer or Bahasa teacher’s aide
  • your employer’s name and contact details
  • details of the wages or salary your employer guarantees to pay
  • your working hours
  • the length of your contract.

Any documents that prove you live in Indonesia permanently. Examples include:

  • letters sent to your home address
  • tax records
  • references from your employer.

Your evidence may include:

  • a copy of your qualification
  • a letter from your previous employer(s) explaining the work you’ve done for them.
Tips

ANZSCO sets out the qualifications and/or work experience that are relevant for your occupation.

For more information about the work experience and/or qualifications you’ll need, visit:
Australian Bureau of Statistics

Process and costs

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

Notes

We cannot display any process or costs information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

Notes

We cannot display any receiving centre or payment method information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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Conditions

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Entry permission

You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing a digital New Zealand traveller declaration (NZTD), or an NZTD paper declaration.

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

Notes

You can be refused entry permission if:

  • you don’t meet our character requirements
  • your circumstances have changed since you were granted a visa
  • you refuse to let us to take your photo, or provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan, if we ask you for them.

Travel

You have to come to New Zealand within 6 months of the date your visa is granted.

After you arrive in New Zealand, you can come and go from New Zealand as many times as you like before your visa expires.

Work

You may work only in the specific occupation, for the employer and in the location specified on your visa.

Study

You can study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

You can also do any training required by your employer as part of your employment.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes

If you’ve been in New Zealand for 3 years on an Indonesia Special Work Category Visa and you’re offered more special work, you can apply to extend your stay for another year.

If you’ve already been in New Zealand for 4 years on an Indonesia Special Work Category Visa, you can only apply for another Indonesia Special Work Category Visa after you’ve been outside of New Zealand for 3 years.