Pacific Quotas Programme — Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category
Under the Pacific Quotas Programme employers can hire Pacific people who have been granted residence under the Samoan Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) visa schemes.
Submit EOI-
Valid for
1 year
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Cost
NZD $0
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Processing times
Within
6 weeks
With this programme you can:
- employ workers drawn from the ballot for permanent employment of business activity — you do not have to check if any New Zealanders are available to do the work first
- hire people within the annual quota from: Samoa 1,650, Fiji 250, Tonga 250, Kiribati 75 and Tuvalu 75.
Things to note:
- There is no requirement for a
- There is a minimum income threshold of NZD $53,515.28 a year for workers with dependent children.
- Minimum hours per week must be at least 30 hours.
- Applicants selected in ballot need to meet health and character requirements, English language requirements, and be aged between 18 and 45 years.
Overview
The options to hire workers from Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati or Tuvalu.
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1
Step 1: Apply to become a Pacific Quota Employer
To be able to hire staff using the Samoan Quota (SQ) or Pacific Access Category (PAC) you will need to meet criteria to demonstrate you are a good employer.
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2
Step 2: Hire workers from Samoa
If you want to hire someone from Samoa for a permanent, full-time job, you may be able to hire them under the Samoan Quota Resident Visa.
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3
Step 3: Hire workers from Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu or Tonga
If you want to hire someone from Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu or Tonga for a permanent, full-time job, you may be able to hire them under the Pacific Access Category Visa.
Hire workers from Samoa
If you want to hire someone from Samoa for a permanent, full-time job, you may be able to hire them under the Samoan Quota Resident Visa.
What an employer needs to do
Job offer
You must provide a written employment agreement, a cover letter and a job description which your candidate will need to support their application.
For us to grant your candidate a resident visa, they must provide a written employment agreement, which must:
- be for at least 30 hours a week and be ongoing for at least 12 months, with an option of more work after that
- include a full job description, terms and conditions for the job, and your contact details
- pay at least NZD $53,515.28 a year before tax if they have dependent children
- pay no less than the
if they do not have dependent children - comply with New Zealand employment law.
You also need to provide a job description and a covering letter.
Minimum employment rights — Employment New Zealand
Writing a job description — Employment New Zealand
Employment agreement builder — Business.govt.nz
Note
- You do not have to check if there are any New Zealanders available to do the work before you offer the job.
- If your candidate’s partner also has a job offer, the minimum income requirement can be shared between them, as long as one partner has a full-time job.
What happens next
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1
Step 1: Contact us for support to recruit
We provide a service that matches employers with workers from Samoa. If you contact us, we put you in touch with one of our Pacific Relationship Managers who can help.
-
2
Step 2: Provide a job offer
To bring someone to New Zealand under this category, you will first have to provide a job offer. Your candidate will need to provide this to support their resident visa application.
-
3
Step 3: Candidate applies for a resident visa
Your candidate will need to apply for a visa so they can come to New Zealand to work for you.
For us to grant your candidate a resident visa, they must send us all the information we ask for, including a copy of an employment agreement.
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4
Step 4: Wait for a decision
We make a decision about your candidate’s application as soon as we can. Your candidate must be granted a visa before they can start working for you.
Once their visa is granted, they have 3 months to arrive in New Zealand.
Prepare for when your workers from overseas arrive
Get organised before your new employee arrives in New Zealand. Put together information to help them settle into your workplace and life in New Zealand.From the first contact with your new employee to the time they arrive in New Zealand, be positive but realistic. Do not promise anything that you or New Zealand cannot deliver. You will only set migrants up for disappointment if life in New Zealand is not what they expected.
You can help your new migrant workers to prepare for work and life in a new country through giving them the information they need.
Some information is best provided before they leave and some when they arrive.
Much of this preparation will only need to be done once. If you hire migrant workers in the future, you will be very well prepared.
Where to start
If you are unsure of what things to consider, our checklist will prompt you with ways you can help your migrant employee. It includes things to do before they arrive, upon their arrival and during their first days at work.
Prepare information for your new staff
It pays to prepare some tailored content for your new migrant staff. If you don’t already have it, you may want to create:
- an orientation programme to introduce your workplace
- a welcome kit with local information about the region, accommodation and transport information.
You could also prepare existing staff for your new migrant employee by announcing their upcoming arrival on your website or staff communication channels, for example, noticeboards.
Use our resources to help your new staff
Send your new staff links to our tools and online resources to help your them plan their move before they leave their home country.
NZ Ready planning tool
Moving to a new country can be a daunting task for your new employee. The best way to help your new employee with their move is to guide them to NZ Ready, Immigration New Zealand’s free online planning tool. This tool asks a series of questions that will help them to create a comprehensive personalised to do list to follow.
Get ready for New Zealand — NZ Ready
Cost of living calculator
What it costs to live in New Zealand may be quite different from a migrant's home country. This tool helps migrants to understand the cost of living in various parts of New Zealand.
Think beyond the workplace
Provide information about life in New Zealand during the recruitment process. Your new employee needs to know what to expect in relation to:
- basics of life in New Zealand such as housing and healthcare
- schooling and employment opportunities for their partner and children
- community support available.
A happy, settled family makes for a happy and productive employee who is more likely to remain loyal to you.
Hire workers from Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu or Tonga
If you want to hire someone from Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu or Tonga for a permanent, full-time job, you may be able to hire them under the Pacific Access Category Visa.
What an employer needs to do
Job offer
You must provide a written employment agreement, a cover letter and a job description which your candidate will need to support their application.
For us to grant your candidate a resident visa, they must provide a written employment agreement, which must:
- be for at least 30 hours a week and be ongoing for at least 12 months, with an option of more work after that
- include a full job description, terms and conditions for the job, and your contact details
- pay at least NZD $53,515.28 a year before tax if they have dependent children
- pay no less than the
if they do not have dependent children - comply with New Zealand employment law.
You also need to provide a job description and a covering letter.
Minimum employment rights — Employment New Zealand
Writing a job description — Employment New Zealand
Employment agreement builder — Business.govt.nz
Note
- You do not have to check if there are any New Zealanders available to do the work before you offer the job.
- If your candidate’s partner also has a job offer, the minimum income requirement can be shared between them, as long as one partner has a full-time job.
What happens next
-
1
Step 1: Contact us for support to recruit
We provide a service that matches employers with workers from the Pacific. If you contact us, we put you in touch with one of our Pacific Relationship Managers who can help.
-
2
Step 2: Provide a job offer
To bring someone to New Zealand under this category, you will first have to provide a job offer. Your candidate will need to provide this to support their resident visa application.
-
3
Step 3: Candidate applies for a resident visa
Your candidate will need to apply for a visa so they can come to New Zealand to work for you.
For us to grant your candidate a resident visa, they must send us all the information we ask for, including a copy of an employment agreement.
-
4
Step 4: Wait for a decision
We make a decision about your candidate’s application as soon as we can. Your candidate must be granted a visa before they can start working for you.
Once their visa is granted, they have 3 months to arrive in New Zealand.
Prepare for when your workers from overseas arrive
Get organised before your new employee arrives in New Zealand. Put together information to help them settle into your workplace and life in New Zealand.From the first contact with your new employee to the time they arrive in New Zealand, be positive but realistic. Do not promise anything that you or New Zealand cannot deliver. You will only set migrants up for disappointment if life in New Zealand is not what they expected.
You can help your new migrant workers to prepare for work and life in a new country through giving them the information they need.
Some information is best provided before they leave and some when they arrive.
Much of this preparation will only need to be done once. If you hire migrant workers in the future, you will be very well prepared.
Where to start
If you are unsure of what things to consider, our checklist will prompt you with ways you can help your migrant employee. It includes things to do before they arrive, upon their arrival and during their first days at work.
Prepare information for your new staff
It pays to prepare some tailored content for your new migrant staff. If you don’t already have it, you may want to create:
- an orientation programme to introduce your workplace
- a welcome kit with local information about the region, accommodation and transport information.
You could also prepare existing staff for your new migrant employee by announcing their upcoming arrival on your website or staff communication channels, for example, noticeboards.
Use our resources to help your new staff
Send your new staff links to our tools and online resources to help your them plan their move before they leave their home country.
NZ Ready planning tool
Moving to a new country can be a daunting task for your new employee. The best way to help your new employee with their move is to guide them to NZ Ready, Immigration New Zealand’s free online planning tool. This tool asks a series of questions that will help them to create a comprehensive personalised to do list to follow.
Get ready for New Zealand — NZ Ready
Cost of living calculator
What it costs to live in New Zealand may be quite different from a migrant's home country. This tool helps migrants to understand the cost of living in various parts of New Zealand.
Think beyond the workplace
Provide information about life in New Zealand during the recruitment process. Your new employee needs to know what to expect in relation to:
- basics of life in New Zealand such as housing and healthcare
- schooling and employment opportunities for their partner and children
- community support available.
A happy, settled family makes for a happy and productive employee who is more likely to remain loyal to you.