WI21 India Iconic Work Instructions

1. These instructions allow a limited number of citizens of the Republic of India who are qualified in certain occupations, and who hold a full-time New Zealand job offer from an accredited employer in that occupation, to be granted a work visa and entry permission.
2. To be considered under these instructions the applicant must be one of the following:
   1. a yoga instructor who has a recognised Yoga qualification of at least a bachelor’s degree in yoga from an institution recognised by the Indian Federal Government; or
   2. an Indian chef who has a tertiary level qualification in Indian cuisine obtained after at least two years of successful study at an institution recognised by the Indian Federal Government, and at least two years of relevant work experience completed post qualification; or
   3. a music teacher who has a bachelor’s degree or equivalent three-year tertiary qualification in music, and has at least two years’ relevant work experience as a music teacher; or
   4. an Ayush practitioner in the fields of Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa or Homeopathy, who has a bachelor’s degree in Indian Traditional Medicine or Ayush Systems of Medicine recognised by the Indian Ministry of Ayush, which required at least three years of successful study from an institution recognised by the Indian Federal Government, and who has at least four years of professional experience working as a recognised practitioner of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, or Homeopathy.
3. As evidence of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent three-year tertiary qualification in music as required by WI21(b)(iii), applicants must provide their qualification certificate and if the qualification is from outside New Zealand, an International Qualifications Assessment (IQA) from the NZQA.
4. At any one time, the number of Indian nationals holding a visa granted for any occupation under these instructions must not exceed the following:
   1. 100 yoga instructors;
   2. 250 Indian chefs;
   3. 50 music teachers; and
   4. 200 Ayush practitioners.
5. To be granted a work visa under these instructions, applicants must:
   1. provide a completed work visa application form, fee and immigration levy; and
   2. have a full-time New Zealand job offer from an accredited employer (see WA2) at the time the application is made and decided, in one of the occupations listed above, which meets the requirements set out in W2.10.10; and
   3. meet the specific qualifications and/or experience requirement for their occupation, as detailed in WI21(b) above; and
   4. meet the English language requirements, as detailed in WI21.1 below; and
   5. meet health and character requirements set out in A4 and A5; and
   6. meet the requirements for bona fide applicants set out in E5.
6. For the avoidance of doubt, under these instructions, an applicant is not considered to have a job offer from an accredited employer if the employer’s accreditation is suspended, expired or revoked at the time the application is made, and an immigration officer may decline the application on the basis that the applicant does not have a job offer from an accredited employer.
7. Where the employer offering the job has its accreditation suspended after an application is made under these instructions, and the applicant otherwise meets requirements, an immigration officer must postpone making a decision on the application until the suspension is lifted, or until such time as the applicant provides evidence of a full-time New Zealand job offer from another accredited employer.
8. A labour market test is not required.
9. An applicant for an initial work visa under these instructions must be outside New Zealand at the time their application is lodged.

   Note: An initial work visa refers to the first visa that counts towards the maximum three years (WI21(j)(ii)) that can be granted under these instructions.

10. Successful applicants who apply offshore will be granted a work visa and entry permission with the following conditions:
    1. first entry to New Zealand must be made within six months; and
    2. the work visa will be valid for multiple entries to New Zealand for the period for which the employment is offered, up to a maximum of three years.
11. If the initial visa is valid for less than three years, further visas may be granted for the balance of the three-year period, provided the applicant still meets all the requirements of these instructions.
12. India Iconic Work Visas will be subject to conditions that the holder:
    1. may only work in a specified occupation; and
    2. may only work for a specified employer; and
    3. must be employed full time (as defined at W2.2.10).
13. An applicant is not eligible for a further visa under these instructions if they have not spent at least three years outside of New Zealand following completion of a three-year period on a visa granted under these instructions or under the India Skilled Work instructions (WI22).

Note 1: These instructions reflect New Zealand's international trade commitments (see E9).
Note 2: For avoidance of doubt, where anyone applies to vary the conditions of a visa granted under these instructions, their offer of employment must meet the requirements at WI21(e)(ii) through (vi) and not result in oversubscription to the number of places available for that occupation as outlined at WI21(d).

WI21.1 English Language requirements

1. To be granted a visa to work in an occupation specified under these instructions an applicant must have acceptable English language test results, set out at WI21.1(b) below, which are no more than two years old at the time the application is lodged, obtained by sitting the test in person at a test centre (tests taken remotely outside of a test centre, including ‘at home’ tests, are not acceptable).
2. The table below sets out the acceptable English language test results for applicants applying for a work visa under these instructions:

Effective 20/10/2026