Specific Purpose or Event Work Visa — Support a candidate's visa application
If you want to bring someone for a limited time for a specific purpose or event. The person you engage or employ will need to have skills and expertise that will benefit New Zealand.
What an employer needs to do
Job offer
You must provide a job offer, letter of invitation or schedule of events.
Your offer, letter or schedule must:
- set out the length of time your candidate will need to be in New Zealand for the specific purpose or event
- describe the specific purpose or event your candidate will need to be in New Zealand for.
Include your guarantee that you will cover the cost of your candidate’s return home, if they are unable to.
You can apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa if you have been offered a role that relates to
In addition to this, the role you have been offered must also: You also must have at least 4 months' work experience in a role with the same tasks or responsibilities as the one you have been offered. Your employer must: You can apply if you are a senior or specialist business person on a short-term secondment who has a job offer with a substantial New Zealand company or a New Zealand subsidiary of an overseas company. You must provide Employer Supplementary Form (INZ 1113) PDF 487KB In addition you must also provide evidence you have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand. You can apply if you are a business person being transferred from one part of a multinational company to another in New Zealand as an executive or senior manager, or specialist personnel. You must provide: evidence of a job offer terms of the secondment, including duration evidence you are an
In addition you must also provide evidence you have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand. You can apply if you are a business person wanting to do business activities in New Zealand who has genuine
You must provide evidence of: You can apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa if you are a contractual services supplier or independent professional from the United Kingdom. If you are a contractual services supplier, you must have: If you are an independent professional, you must have: For the question ‘What type of specific purpose or event are you coming to New Zealand for?’ select the option ‘People wishing to undertake business activities in New Zealand for a period exceeding three months in one year’. In the 'Evidence required for your Specific Purpose or Event Work Visa' field, upload evidence of: You can apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa if you are a contractual services supplier or independent professional from the European Union. You must have: For the question 'What type of specific purpose or event are you coming to New Zealand for?’ select the option ‘People wishing to undertake business activities in New Zealand for a period exceeding three months in one year’. In the 'Evidence required for your Specific Purpose or Event Work Visa' field, upload evidence of: You can apply if you are a principal applicant investigating investment opportunities and making direct investments in New Zealand. You must have received approval in principal under one of these visa categories: You do not need to provide any additional evidence. You can apply if you are a principal applicant for residence under the Entrepreneur Residence Visa who currently holds a valid visa granted under the Entrepreneur Work Visa or Long Term Business Visa instructions. You must provide evidence you have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand. You do not need to provide any additional evidence. You can apply if you are coming to New Zealand to referee or judge sports events, shows, displays or exhibitions. You must provide an invitation or schedule of events showing how long you will be in New Zealand. In addition you must also provide evidence you have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand. You can apply if you are coming to New Zealand as a dance and music examiner from a recognised international teaching institution. You must provide an invitation or schedule of events that sets out how long you will be in New Zealand. In addition you must also provide evidence you have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand. You can apply if you are coming to New Zealand to install or service specialised machinery or equipment supplied by an overseas company — if installing or servicing the equipment in New Zealand is a condition of purchase. You must provide a copy of the purchase order which shows this condition. In addition you must also provide evidence you have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand. You can apply if you are a sports player or professional sports coach taking up a paid position in a New Zealand sports club. You must provide: You can apply for an Entertainers Work Visa if you are coming to New Zealand to work on public or private performances, films or video production as an: You can apply if you are a Philippines nurse coming to New Zealand to get occupational registration. You must provide: You can apply if you are a critical worker who has a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (CPVV). To apply you must be a critical health worker or other critical worker and: Wage rate requirements for visas You must not be a deep sea or deep-water fishing crew member, or a seafarer. When you apply for your Specific Purpose Work Visa you need to provide a letter from your employer saying you are: When you apply online, select “Specific Purpose or Event” from the options and “other” for the type of Specific Purpose. If your Specific Purpose Work Visa is granted you: You can apply if you need to come to New Zealand for any other specific purpose or event you have demonstrated the skills, expertise or attributes for: You must provide: Employer Supplementary Form (INZ 1113) PDF 487KB In addition you must also provide evidence you have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand. How long you can stay in New Zealand on a Specific Purpose Work Visa depends on the event or specific purpose you need to complete. If you already have a Specific Purpose Work Visa, you may be able to apply for another one in some situations.
How we define a specific purpose or event
You must be coming to New Zealand for an acceptable specific purpose or event to apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa.
How to apply
How to apply
How long you can stay
Applying for another Specific Purpose Work Visa
Employer Supplementary Form
You may need to provide an ‘Employer Supplementary Form’.
If you will be providing paid employment, you must complete an ‘Employer Supplementary Form’.
This will apply if you are offering:
- a job in a substantial New Zealand company or a New Zealand subsidiary of an overseas company to a senior or specialist business person
- a job to a dance or music examiner
- paid employment in a New Zealand sports club to a sports player or professional coach
- a job offer with a District Health Board to a Philippines nurse.
You will need to give your completed form to your candidate, who will need to include it with their work visa application.
Tip
You do not have to provide an Employer Supplementary Form for dance or music examiners whom you have provided a written invitation to.
What happens next
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Step 1: Provide a job offer
To bring someone to New Zealand under this visa, you will first have to provide a job offer. Your candidate will need to provide this to support their visa application.
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Step 2: Candidate applies for a work visa
For your candidate to be able to work for you, they will first need to apply for a work visa.
If they will be working in paid employment, their application will need to include an ‘Employer Supplementary Form’ completed by you.
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Step 3: Wait for a decision
We make a decision about your candidate’s application as soon as we can. You can view our historic visa timeframes below.
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Step 4: Employee starts work
Before your employee can start working for you, you must check they have the right visa and can work for you.
Check if someone can legally work for you
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.