W2.5 Work visa/permit streams

1. There are four streams within work visa and work permit policy:
   1. The skilled stream;
   2. The family stream;
   3. The international/humanitarian stream; and
   4. The special work policies stream.

W2.5.1 Skilled stream

1. The Skilled stream consists of four broad policies under which New Zealand facilitates the entry of skilled people:
   1. Work to residence (see WR);
   2. Essential skills (see WK); and
   3. Specific purpose or event (see WS); and
   4. Students/trainees (see WE)
2. The 'work to residence' policy facilitates the entry of people whose skills are in demand and provides them with a pathway to residence.
3. The 'essential skills' work policy facilitates the entry of people required on a temporary basis to fill shortages where New Zealand citizens or residents are not available for the work offered.
4. The 'specific purpose or event' policy facilitates the entry of people who have demonstrated skills, expertise or attributes that are likely to benefit New Zealand, where there is no risk of negative impact on opportunities for New Zealand citizens or residents.
5. The 'students and trainees' policy facilitates the entry of students and trainees to gain practical work experience or to train as part of their studies.

W2.5.5 Family stream

1. The Family stream (see WF) policies enable the following people to undertake temporary employment in New Zealand:
   1. the spouses, intended spouses, de facto partners of New Zealand citizens or residents, and spouses and de facto partners of Long Term Business Visa/Permit holders, whose ultimate intention is likely to be to apply for residence; and
   2. the spouses and de facto partners of holders of work visas and permits.

W2.5.10 International/Humanitarian stream

1. The International and Humanitarian stream consists of:
   1. working holiday schemes to allow people from other countries to be granted permission to work on a reciprocal basis; and;
   2. provisions to enable New Zealand to meet its humanitarian and international obligations.

W2.5.15 Special work policies stream

1. The special work policies stream consists of:
   1. horticulture and viticulture seasonal work policy;
   2. crew of chartered fishing vessels policy;
   3. ministers of religion, missionaries, and members of religious orders policy.
2. the 'horticulture and viticulture seasonal work' policy facilitates the entry of seasonal workers to support the horticulture and viticulture industries (see WH).
3. The 'crew of chartered fishing vessels' policy provides for the grant of work visas and permits to foreign crew on foreign chartered fishing vessels (see WJ).
4. The 'ministers of religion, missionaries, and members of religious orders' policy allows for the grant of work visas and permits for both short-term and long-term engagements to Ministers of religion, missionaries and members of religious orders who belong to religious denominations or groups specifically recognised under immigration policy (see WM).

Effective 28/07/2008