Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme and Agreement to Recruit process

How to apply for RSE status and an ATR

1. 1

   Step 1: Understand the RSE scheme

   If you are an employer with a or business, the RSE scheme allows you to employ citizens of .

   You can do this when:

   • your need for workers cannot be met by the New Zealand workforce, and
   • you have made reasonable attempts to train and recruit New Zealand citizens and residence class visa holders.

   The government sets the total number of RSE workers who can work under the RSE scheme. It is called the cap number, and is the total amount of RSE workers that can come to New Zealand over a season. An RSE season starts from 1 July and ends 30 June the following year.

   When you get RSE status, Immigration New Zealand gives you a worker allocation number that tells you how many people you can hire and bring into New Zealand on a RSE limited visa each season. You need this to apply for your ATR.

   RSE scheme purpose

   The RSE scheme:

   • promotes best practice in the horticulture and viticulture industries
   • supports economic growth and productivity of the industry as a whole
   • ensures the employment conditions of both New Zealand and non-New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holder workers are protected and supported
   • encourages economic development, regional integration and good governance within the Pacific by giving citizens of eligible Pacific countries preferential RSE Scheme access
   • ensures workers recruited into the RSE Scheme are paid fairly and benefit financially from their time in New Zealand
   • ensures outcomes that promote the integrity, credibility and reputation of the New Zealand immigration and employment relations systems.
2. 2

   Step 2: Check you meet the RSE scheme criteria

   As an RSE scheme employer, any RSE workers you employ must only:

   • work in your horticulture or viticulture business
   • plant, maintain, harvest and pack crops
   • be from eligible Pacific countries.

   Note

   Usually, you can only recruit workers from eligible Pacific countries. You can only recruit from other countries, using your RSE allocation, if you can show us you:

   • have or had pre-established relationships with workers of other nationalities before the RSE scheme started in 2007
   • have made reasonable attempts to recruit from eligible Pacific countries, but were unsuccessful, or
   • have good reasons for why you cannot recruit from eligible Pacific countries.
3. 3

   Step 3: Apply for RSE status

   To be in the RSE scheme and recruit horticulture or viticulture workers, you need to apply, or reapply, for RSE status.

   To apply, you need to:

   • check you meet requirements
   • gather your evidence
   • complete the application form.

   Applying and reapplying for Recognised Seasonal Employer status: process steps

   Guide to Becoming a Recognised Seasonal Employer (INZ 1145)

   pdf,  

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4. 4

   Step 4: Apply for an Agreement to Recruit (ATR)

   When you have RSE status, you must apply for an ATR before you can start to recruit and hire RSE workers.

   To apply you need to:

   • check you meet requirements
   • check your RSE allocation, and the RSE calendar
   • gather your documents
   • complete the application form.

   Applying for an Agreement to Recruit: process steps

5. 5

   Step 5: Recruit and hire RSE workers

   If we approve your ATR, you can start the overseas recruitment and hiring process.

   You will need to:

   • contact your RSE engagement partner
   • support your RSE worker's visa application
   • make sure your worker support package is ready.

   Recruiting and hiring Recognised Seasonal Employer workers: process steps

   Recognised Seasonal Employer Limited Visa

   If an RSE worker already in New Zealand needs to change visa conditions

   RSE workers already in New Zealand may need to change their visa's work conditions. These conditions are the worker's employer, location (region) and employment dates.

   Before their work conditions can change, we need both:

   • a new ATR application from the current employer, or the new employer if the worker is transferring to them, and
   • a new application for an RSE Limited Visa from the worker — the new ATR must be approved first.

   The ATR can be emailed to us: RSEunit@mbie.govt.nz

   The onshore RSE Limited Visa application can only be sent to us by mail or courier.

   Changing visa work conditions for an RSE worker in New Zealand: process steps