Global Workforce Seasonal Visa

You can work for up to 9 months in New Zealand each year. After 9 months, you must spend at least 3 months outside New Zealand in any 12-month period. The time outside New Zealand does not need to be in 1 trip.

Your visa is valid for 3 years — this means you can work up to 3 seasons in New Zealand.

To apply for this visa, you must:

• have an offer of full-time work from an accredited employer to work in a job that is on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list, and meet the requirements if they are listed
• have worked at least 3 seasons in the same or similar job the last 6 years
• meet the requirements of your job's Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), or National Occupation List (NOL) skill level and qualifications
• have the skills and experience your employer requires
• be in good health
• have a good character
• have a genuine reason for coming to New Zealand.

New Zealand job offer

You must have an offer of full-time work from an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) accredited employer.

Your job offer must be:

• current at the time you apply for your visa
• for at least 30 hours of work a week
• for a job that is on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list
• for a job during, or close to an industry or sector seasonal peak
• for at least 1 season of employment — it does not need to cover the seasons for the second or third year of your visa
• from an employer who is an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) accredited employer and has an approved Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job check for your job
• paid at least the market rate for your job.

There are additional requirements your job offer will need to meet if you are a:

• Thoroughbred Yearling Preparer
• Flower Grower — tulip growers only.

Global Workforce Seasonal Visa jobs

Seasonal visa job durations and hiring months

What to include in your application

Your visa application must include:

• a copy of the employment agreement and job description
• a signed copy of the job offer.

What the employment agreement must include

The employment agreement must include:

• your employer's name, address and phone number
• your name and address
• your job title
• the address for your place of work
• the kind of work you will be doing and your responsibilities at work
• details of any necessary qualifications or experience of working in that type of job
• information about whether you need New Zealand registration to do the job
• what hours you will work and how long the job will be for
• how long you have to take up the job offer
• pay and job conditions that comply with New Zealand employment law.

What the employment agreement cannot include

The employment agreement cannot include:

• clauses that do not comply with employment law
• unlawful deductions
• a trial period
• unacceptable bonding clauses — these are provisions in an employment agreement that require you to repay money to your employer if you leave your job within a certain timeframe.

If you apply for a work visa or apply to vary the conditions of your work visa based on a new offer of employment, and the employment agreement does not meet these requirements the application may be declined.

Your employment agreement must be with an accredited employer who has a history of compliance with immigration and employment law.

Accredited employer list

Immigration stand-down list

Employers on stand-down — Employment New Zealand

Minimum skill requirements

You must show you meet the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job skill requirements.

You must have at least 3 seasons of experience in the same or similar job.

Job experience evidence

You must provide evidence that you have at least 3 seasons of experience in the same or similar job the last 6 years.

The evidence must be from someone other than yourself, and can include:

• letters of reference from a former employer
• certificates of employment
• pay slips
• tax certificates.

Providing a CV or resume is not sufficient.

Occupation skill levels and qualifications

From 3 November 2025, some occupations have been added to the National Occupation List (NOL) to ensure that occupations that are not in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) can be recognised at the higher skill level.

We use the ANZSCO, or, if your job is included, the NOL to check:

• the skill levels of jobs
• the qualifications and experience you need to work in those jobs.

There may be other skill and qualification requirements to meet depending on the ANZSCO level of your job.

You must show you have the skills, qualifications and experience to work in your job's ANZSCO occupation.

Find your job's skill level

Employer's requirements of skills and experience

You must show you have the job skills and experience your employer has asked for.

These requirements may include evidence of your:

• job experience
• skills
• qualifications.

If you are providing this evidence for other Global Workforce Seasonal Visa criteria, such evidence of work experience, you do not need to provide it again.

Health

To get a Global Workforce Seasonal Visa, you need to have good health.

You must provide a chest X-ray and a medical examination during your application if you have not supplied 1 in the last 2 years. To get a chest X-ray and medical certificate, you must visit a panel physician.

Do not book your appointment until you have started your application and we have asked you to provide a chest X-ray and medical certificate.

How to get an X-ray or medical examination

The panel physician will submit your health examination results to us. You can request a copy of your chest X-ray and medical certificate as confirmation that you have completed the health requirements.

Who needs an X-ray or medical examination

Why you may need to provide evidence you are in good health

Evidence of a chest X-ray or medical examination must be less than 3 months old when we receive it.

After you submit your application, we will check any medical information you have submitted and contact you if we need new medical information.

Character

You must provide police certificates as proof of your good character.

You must be aged 17 or older, and your police certificate must be less than 6 months old.

If you have a criminal conviction, or are a security risk to New Zealand, we might not give you a visa.

Character requirements for New Zealand visa s 

Police certificates must be from:

• countries you are a citizen of, and
• countries you have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

You do not need to provide police certificates if you provided them with an earlier visa application and they were issued in the last 24 months.

If we ask for a new police certificate when processing your application, you will need to send us a new one.

Police certificates

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa.

When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we will consider all the information that:

• you provide to support your application
• we have about your personal circumstances
• you have previously given to us.

Genuine intentions to visit or work in New Zealand

When you apply, you will need to provide:

• a signed copy of a New Zealand job offer covering the first season
• copy of the employment agreement and job description
• a scan of your passport or certificate of identity
• 1 acceptable photo
• evidence of job experience, skills and qualifications
• police certificates, if required
• a chest X-ray certificate, if required
• a medical certificate, if required
• translated versions of all your documents if they are not in English.

Acceptable photos for a visa or NZeTA

Providing your passport for an online application

Your passport or certificate of identity must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand.

After you apply

After you apply, we may contact you and ask for:

• your original passport or certificate of identity
• evidence of a medical examination or chest X-ray
• police certificates as proof of your good character

When you arrive

Be prepared to show evidence of your job offer when you arrive in New Zealand, in case you are asked for it.

Your visa is valid from:

• the date you enter New Zealand, if you are outside New Zealand, or
• the date you get your visa, if you are already in New Zealand.

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Entry permission

You must apply for permission to enter New Zealand. You do this by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) form.

You can start your digital declaration any time, but the earliest you can submit it is 24 hours before starting your travel to New Zealand.

A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

Your visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.

Travel

If you are travelling in and out of New Zealand, your visa must have a valid so you can return to New Zealand.

Check or change your work visa conditions

Work

Your employer must offer you at least 30 of hours of work a week.

You may work only in the job, for the employer and in the location stated on your visa. If these conditions change, you must apply for a Job Change to vary the conditions on your visa. 

You can only apply for a Job Change for a job that is on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa list. If you want to change to a job that is not on the Peak Seasonal Visa list, you must apply for a different work visa.

Apply for a Job Change or a variation of conditions if you have a work visa

To be accredited, your employer has committed to:

• giving you specific work-related settlement information and support
• not passing on their accreditation, recruitment or operational costs to you, and
• complying with New Zealand employment and immigration laws.

What your employer must do when they hire you on an AEWV, GWSV and PSV

Your employer must also continue to pay you the amount that you were offered in your job offer, throughout your employment. This amount will be listed in your visa conditions.

Working in your second and third seasons

You can return to New Zealand to work for a second or third season. You must work for the employer, occupation and location that is stated in your visa. You must also be paid at least the pay level stated on your visa.

If you want to work for a different employer or in a different role, you must apply for a Job Change.

Study

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

If you want to study longer than 3 months, you can apply for a variation of conditions to your work visa.

Apply for a Job Change or a variation of conditions if you have a work visa

When your visa ends, you can apply for another Global Workforce Seasonal Visa. 

If you want to stay longer than a Global Workforce Seasonal Visa allows, you may be able to apply for another visa. Use our 'Find and choose a visa' tool to explore your options.

Find and choose a visa

You must leave New Zealand when your visa expires.