Thai Chefs Work Visa

Visa details

You can apply for this visa if you are a citizen of Thailand, have an offer of full-time work as a Thai chef, and the necessary qualifications and experience to do that work.

Length of stay
Up to

3 years

Cost
From
NZD $700
Processing time
90% within
49 days
With this visa you can
  • Work in New Zealand as a Thai chef for up to 3 years.
  • Apply for an extension to allow you to stay 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
  • The time you can stay in New Zealand will depend on the length of your job offer.
  • If you’ve already spent 4 years working in New Zealand on a Thai Chefs Work Visa, you can apply for another one after you’ve spent 3 years outside of New Zealand.
  • You can't 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

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.

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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.

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

Citizenship

You must be a citizen of the country this visa is for

You must provide a valid passport from your country of citizenship.

New Zealand job offer

You must have an offer of full-time work as a Thai Chef

You must provide a copy of an employment agreement, which must include:

  • your employer’s name and contact details
  • your job description
  • your working hours and rate of pay
  • the length of your job offer.
Tips

  1. Your job offer may be for up to 3 years. The time you can stay in New Zealand will depend on the length of your job offer.

Qualifications and work experience

You must have the necessary qualifications and work experience to work as a Thai Chef

You must provide evidence you have completed one of the following options:

  • Thailand National Skills Standard Thai Cooking Certificate 1 and 5 years of practical work experience
  • Thailand National Skills Standard Thai Cooking Certificate 2 and 4 years of practical work experience
  • Thailand National Skills Standard Thai Cooking Certificate 3 and 3 years of practical work experience.

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

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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 an arrival card, which you are given on the way to New Zealand.

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 can only work as a Thai Chef for the specific employer and in the specific location stated on your visa label.

Notes

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.

Travel

After you arrive, you can travel in and out of 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 want to stay in New Zealand longer, you must apply for and be granted a different visa.