China Skilled Workers Visa

Visa details

Apply for this visa if you have a job offer for a role listed under the China Skilled Worker Instructions. You must be a citizen of the People’s Republic of China.

Length of stay
Up to

3 years

Quota
Each year

1000 citizens

Cost
From
NZD $700
Processing time
90% within
35 weekdays
With this visa you can
Things to note
  • At any one time, a total of 1000 citizens of the People’s Republic of China can work in New Zealand under the China Skilled Workers Instructions, with up to 100 places available for each occupation.
  • The length of your stay will depend on the length of your job offer.
  • If you’re granted a visa for less than 3 years, you can apply for another visa for the balance of the time while you're in New Zealand. You’ll need to continue to meet all of the criteria to be granted another visa.
  • You can't include your 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

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

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.

Tips

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

If you are a citizen of China and you submit a paper application form in China, you must also complete a supplementary form.

Supplementary form for Chinese citizens (INZ 1027) PDF 338KB

Also provide your:

  • Hukou (household registration book)
  • Chinese identity card.

Health

You must be in good health

You must have a chest x-ray and a medical examination as proof of your good health.

Getting an x-ray or medical examination

Tips

You must provide a chest x-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you've provided one to us previously, if:

  • you have spent 6 consecutive months in China since the last x-ray certificate was issued, and
  • you are now coming to NZ for more than 6 months.

Character

You must be of good character

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.

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa

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

Citizenship

You must be a citizen of the People’s Republic of China

You must provide a valid People’s Republic of China passport.

Tips

Also provide your:

  • Hukou (household registration book)
  • Chinese identity card.

Location

When you apply, you must be either living in China or lawfully in New Zealand

If you are living in China, you must provide documents that prove where you are living now. Examples include:

  • current utility bills
  • recent pay slips.

If you are in New Zealand, we will check our records to make sure you are in New Zealand lawfully.

Tips

It’s OK to apply while in New Zealand, if you’re here either:

  • on a visitor visa, which you were granted to arrange New Zealand registration for your occupation
  • on a work or student visa.

New Zealand job offer

You must have been offered a job in a ‘skilled work’ occupation

You must provide a copy of your employment agreement, which must detail:

  • the occupation that you’ll be working in that’s considered skilled work under the China Skilled Workers Instructions
  • your employer’s name and contact details
  • your working hours, which must be full-time
  • the length of your contract
  • details of any qualifications or experience you’ll need to do the work.

China skilled work occupations
Employment agreements and rights

Tips

For more information about skilled work under the China Skilled Workers Instructions, read:
Guide to Special China Temporary Class Visas (INZ 1157) PDF 249KB

Qualifications

You must be qualified to do the work you’ve been offered

The evidence you must provide depends on the skilled work you’ll be doing in New Zealand.

Qualifications for China Skilled Work occupations

Tips

Any qualifications you have must be comparable to New Zealand qualifications.

Occupational registration

You may need New Zealand registration

You must provide us with a certified copy of your New Zealand registration if you’ll be working in one of the following occupations:

  • auditor
  • early childhood teacher
  • electrician
  • medical diagnostic radiographer or medical radiation therapist
  • plumber
  • registered Nurse
  • veterinarian

Occupational registration

Tips

If you need New Zealand registration to work in your occupation in New Zealand, you must come to New Zealand to start the registration process. You may apply for a visitor visa so you can do this. Before we can grant a visitor visa, we’ll need written confirmation from a New Zealand registration body that you’re eligible for registration.

Once you have New Zealand registration, you can apply for a China Skilled Workers visa.

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

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How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

Notes

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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 paper arrival card or a digital traveller declaration. If you are completing a paper arrival card you will be given this on the way to New Zealand.

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.

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.

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.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes

If you wish, you can apply for another China Skilled Workers visa after your visa expires. You’ll need to been outside of New Zealand for 3 years before you can apply.