Trafficking Victim Work Visa

You can apply for this visa if you are in New Zealand and are certified by the Police as a victim of people trafficking. This visa can help you leave an exploitative situation and get new work.

Length of stay

12 months

Cost

NZD $0

Processing time
is a
high priority
With this visa you can
  • Work in almost any job for any employer in New Zealand.
  • Study if it is required by your employer as part of your employment.
  • Apply for the Trafficking Victim Resident Visa.
Things to note
  • You must be in New Zealand.
  • You must have made a people trafficking report and after the report was assessed by New Zealand Police you were certified as a victim of people trafficking.
    Report people trafficking
  • You do not have to pay fees to apply for this visa.
  • This visa cannot be applied for online.

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

Tips

If your passport or certificate of identity is unavailable, you may provide the original or certified copy of your birth certificate or another identity document.

We may ask you to have a chest x-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

If you are staying less than:

  • 6 months you do not normally need a chest x-ray. 
  • 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate. 

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest x-ray or medical examination.

Acceptable standard of health criteria for visa approvals

Please only provide medical certificates if requested

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.

If police certificates are not available from your home country, you must provide a separate statutory declaration in both English and your own language (if it is not English). These must:

  • detail your attempts to obtain a police certificate
  • say whether you and any accompanying family members have been found guilty of offences against the law of your home country
  • be supported by any other information confirming your character.

When we decide if your intentions are genuine (bona fide), 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 will use our records to check you are still here.

You must have made a people trafficking report, and after the report was assessed by New Zealand Police you were certified as a victim of people trafficking.

Report people trafficking

We will check that you are certified as a victim of people trafficking. You must provide evidence of certification when you apply.

We will check you meet these criteria:

  • Police or Immigration New Zealand require you to remain in New Zealand, and
  • You have not obstructed a Police or Immigration New Zealand investigation, and
  • We consider that your personal circumstances justify granting you this visa again.

You do not need to provide evidence when you apply.

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.

4
You can apply for a resident visa

If you hold a trafficking victim work, student or visitor visa you may be eligible for a resident visa.

Trafficking Victim Resident Visa

How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

How to apply

Postal address

Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 76895
Manukau City
Auckland 2241
New Zealand

Courier address

Immigration NZ
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand

Conditions

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

Travel

If travelling in and out of New Zealand, a valid multiple entry travel condition is needed to return to New Zealand.

Changing the conditions of a visitor visa

Notes

If applying from inside New Zealand, we will normally give multiple entry travel conditions when we grant a visa.

If there are no multiple entry travel conditions and you leave New Zealand the visa will expire.

The travel conditions will be listed on the visa label or in a visa letter.

Work

You can work in any employment you like, as long as:

  • the work you do is legal
  • you do not provide commercial sexual services
  • you do not invest or operate in a business that provides commercial sexual services
  • you have any occupational registration that is needed to do that work in New Zealand.

Occupational registration

Study

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

Notes

You may be able to do other study if it’s required by your employer as part of your employment.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes

If you want to stay longer, you can apply for another visa.

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

You can be granted a further Trafficking Victim Work Visa if:

  • Police or Immigration New Zealand require you to remain in New Zealand, and
  • you have not obstructed a Police or Immigration New Zealand investigation, and
  • we consider that your personal circumstances justify granting you this visa again.