Supplementary Seasonal Employment Work Visa

Visa details

You can apply for this visa if you are already in New Zealand on a student or visitor visa and want to do seasonal work in the horticulture or viticulture industry.

Length of stay

6 months

Age range

18 and over

Quota
Each year

Each season

Cost
From
NZD $700
Processing time
is a
priority
With this visa you can
Things to note
  • You can apply for this visa if you currently hold a visitor or student visa. 
  • You cannot include a partner or dependent children in your visa application.

Who can apply

The criteria and evidence below will provide you with the information you need to provide to meet the requirements of this visa.

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

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

  2. 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

  3. If you are submitting a paper application form, you must provide a supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students.

    Supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students (INZ 1220) PDF 240KB

  4. Also provide your:

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

  5. Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

Character

You must be of good character

You may need to provide police certificates as proof of your good character.

If you are aged 17 or older and plan to stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months (including any time you have already spent in New Zealand), you must provide police certificates from:

  • any country you are a citizen of
  • any country you have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

You do not need to provide police certificates if:

  • you have provided them to us with an earlier visa application, and
  • they were issued in the previous 24 months.

Good character

How to get a police certificate

Age

You must be 18 or over

We will use the documents you provide as proof of your identity to confirm your age.

Location

You must be already in New Zealand

We will check our records for evidence you are already in New Zealand.

Current student, visitor or work visa

You must hold a current Student or Visitor visa – or, if you apply on or before 31 December 2022, a Work visa

We will check our records for evidence of your current visa. 

People who hold a Work visa are not eligible for this visa if they apply after 31 December 2022.

Seasonal work

You must genuinely intend to do seasonal work for an eligible employer

For applications made on or before 31 December 2022, you must include evidence of a job offer from an eligible employer.

Evidence that you intend to work for an eligible employer can include:

  • documents that show you’ve booked travel to or accommodation in a region where SSE-approved employers are located
  • documents that describe the seasonal work  that may be available for you to do in the horticulture or viticulture industries, like information about SSE-approved employers, crops and regions, or a harvest trail plan
  • records showing you’ve contacted a Seasonal Labour Co-ordinator 
  • records showing you’ve contacted an SSE-approved employer.
Tips

  1. Seasonal work can include planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing crops.

  2. SSE approved employers have Immigration New Zealands approval to employ overseas workers to do seasonal work when there are not enough New Zealanders do the work.

    Supplementary Seasonal Employers list

  3. Until 31 December 2022, eligible employers also include:

    • a Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE), and
    • any employer in a role, region and during a period of time that's specified by the Ministry of Social Development (and published on the Work and Income website)

    Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) List

    Supplementary Seasonal Employer (SSE) visa list | Work and Income website

Onward travel

You must have a ticket to leave New Zealand or enough money to buy one – unless your application is made on or before 31 December 2022

Evidence can include:

  • your travel ticket
  • proof you have enough money to buy a return ticket to your home country, eg bank or credit card statements.

No previous SSE (or TRSE) work visa

You must not have been granted an SSE (or TRSE) work visa before — unless you applied on or before 31 December 2022

For applications lodged after 31 December 2022, we will check our records to make sure we have not already granted you a Transitioning to Recognised Seasonal Employer or Supplementary Seasonal Employment Work Visa.

Tips

  1. We no longer grant TRSE visas, they’ve been replaced by the Seasonal Supplementary Employment (SSE) Work 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

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.

Study

You can do any study or training that’s authorised by your SSE approved employer as part of your employment.

You can do other study as long as you won’t be studying for more than 3 months in any 12-month period.

Onward travel

You must have the means to leave New Zealand at all times during your stay.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes

  • Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.