| Business Residency Permit Requirements | Citizens from all APEC economies (except Australia) who want to take up a temporary stay for business purposes in New Zealand must apply for a work visa. Visitors whose stay will be for no longer than three months in any one year and who will only be in New Zealand to discuss and negotiate business arrangements may enter as visitors (see New Zealand: Short Term Business Visit).
A work visa is an endorsement in your passport to allow you to enter or re-enter New Zealand. It shows you have permission to travel to New Zealand and may be granted a work permit when you arrive.
New Zealand has a range of specific policies in relation to residence for business persons which are not covered by these sections.
How to apply for a visa or permit for business visits, please see http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/invest/startingabusiness/canistartabusinessinnz/allaboutaisasandpermits/longtermbusinessvisaandpermit.htm
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| Categories of Permits | Work to residence policy facilitates the entry of people whose skills or talents are in demand and provides them with a pathway to residence.
General work policy facilitates the entry of people required on a temporary basis to fill shortages where New Zealanders are either not available or cannot be readily trained.
Other categories (work policy) policy facilitates the entry of applicants with specialist skills, ministers of religion, missionaries, members of religious orders, interpreters from Japan and crew of chartered foreign fishing vessels.
Specific purpose or event policy facilitates the entry of people whose skills, attributes or expertise are needed for a specific purpose or event likely to benefit New Zealand, where their employment in New Zealand does not put employment opportunities for New Zealanders at risk.
Students and trainees policy facilitates the entry of certain overseas students and trainees to gain practical work experience in New Zealand as part of ther studies. |
| Arrangements for Intra Company Transfers and Specicalists | Senior or specialist business persons on short term secondments who have a job offer either in a substantial New Zealand company or a New Zealand subsidiary of an overseas company, and people seconded to New Zealand to be the chief executive or senior staff member of a multinational company are able to apply under the specific purpose or event policy.
This policy covers such cases as the sending by an overseas company of a manager or specialist to its New Zealand subsidiary or the hiring by a New Zealand company of a foreign manager or specialist on contract. |
| Documentation Required | Completed work visa application form
2 passport sized photographs
Passport or equivalent travel document
Evidence that applicant is suitably qualified by training and experience
Evidence of sufficient funds for maintenance and accommodation or guarantee of maintenance and accommodation by the employer or sponsorship
Evidence of arrangements to leave New Zealand or guarantee of repatriation from the New Zealand employer
Job offer setting out conditions of employment (In some circumstances evidence will be required of the employer's attempts to recruit from within New Zealand.)
Note: other documentation may be required by the visa office ie medical certificates and police clearances depending on the length of your intended stay. |
| Method of Lodgement | The work visa application should be submitted to a New Zealand diplomatic mission or New Zealand Immigration Service office in the applicant's place of residence. It may be lodged personally, by an agent, or by post.
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| Processing Time | Most applications are processed within 20 working days however the actual processing time will vary depending on the application and the receiving office.
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| Length of Validity and Stay | Work visas are valid for up to 3 years. The visa may be for a single journey or a multiple entry visa which would allow more than one entry into New Zealand.
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| Application Fee | Visa fees vary from time to time as a result of Government regulations and exchange rate fluctuations. Applicants should check with their nearest New Zealand High Commission, Embassy or New Zealand Immigration Service branch, or on the NZIS website for the appropriate fee prior to lodging an application.
Similarly, banking arrangements differ from economy to economy. Applicants should check with the New Zealand High Commission, Embassy or NZIS branch, or on the NZIS website for the appropriate fee prior to lodging an application.
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| Extension | Work permits may be extended for up to 3 years at a time by applying to the New Zealand Immigration Service. The applicant need not depart New Zealand. Full documentation, as set out above, must accompany any application for an extension to a work permit.
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| Rules Relating to Accompanying Dependants | Dependent family members (children and partners) may apply to accompany the work visa applicant. They can apply for entry as visitors or as students if attending an educational institution. On application dependent children may be issued student permits and would be regarded as domestic students for fee purposes at primary and secondary schools for the period of their parent's work visa. Partner's of a work visa holder may be eligible for a special work visa or permit under the Family Stream work policy. If dependent children wish to work, they must qualify in their own right for a work permit. |
| Review/Appeal Procedures | There is no formal right of appeal of a temporary visa application decision.
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