Work and employment

To apply for a Post-study work visa, you must have a New Zealand qualification. Find out which qualifications are acceptable.

Labour hire companies that support migrants who want to work in the Canterbury construction sector must be accredited.

Work exchange schemes are reciprocal agreements that let you experience work, education and culture in New Zealand.

If you already have a Post Study Work Visa or we accepted your application for one before 26 November 2018, find out how to apply for a new one or work for other employers.

A list of occupations that are considered skilled work under the China Skilled Workers Instructions. You'll need an offer of work in one of these occupations to apply for a China Skilled Workers Visa.

Employers recruiting foreign crew to work on a fishing vessel must provide employment that meets certain conditions.

Specific responsibilities and obligations apply to employers who want to employ workers to work as crew on a fishing vessel.

Entertainment industry employers who want to hire overseas workers must explain why New Zealanders cannot do the work and provide evidence to support this.

If you offer a job in the New Zealand entertainment industry to an overseas worker, we may consult with a New Zealand entertainment industry body to check they support that person's work visa application.

Information that New Zealand employers who want to employ crew to work on fishing vessels in New Zealand need to provide to crew before their first voyage to New Zealand.

Check if your occupation is on the list and find your occupation code.

How long you can stay in New Zealand depends on how long you need to be here to complete your specific purpose or event.

How long you can spend in New Zealand on an Essential Skills Work Visa depends on your situation.

You can get a Post-study work visa for 1, 2 or 3 years depending on your qualifications, where you studied and if you are working towards occupational registration.

A list of all the occupations you'll need New Zealand registration to work in.

If you are working towards registration with an authority on this list, you can apply for a further 1-year Post-study work visa to complete your registration.

These tables list the skill-bands and visa durations for Essential Skills applications submitted between 28 August 2017 and 14 January 2018, or on or after 15 January and 27 August 2018.

A list of occupations considered special work under the Republic of Korea Special Work Instructions. You'll need a job offer in one of these occupations to apply for a Republic of Korea Special Work Visa.

Find out how we categorise the employment of people applying for Essential Skills Work Visas into different skill-bands. You’ll also find information about how we calculate remuneration or pay-rates when determining the skill-band, and answers to common questions about skill-bands and remuneration.

Requirements for employment to be considered skilled under the Skilled Migrant Category.

Work experience that is recognised in one of two ways.

You must be coming to New Zealand for an acceptable specific purpose or event to apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa.

Standard principles apply to employment agreements provided by overseas employers who employ crew to work on fishing vessels in New Zealand waters.

List of employers who have already gained SSE approval in principle and have agreed to make their contact details public.

People who have Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Limited Visas can choose to give their employer permission to deduct money from their pay to cover costs like food and accommodation.