Immigration to New Zealand

New Zealand employers may request an Approval in Principle from the New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) in order to employ temporary foreign worker(s) as long as they are able to establish that there are no New Zealanders suitably qualified by training or experience available to perform the particular job.

If the applicant you wish to employ is overseas, an Approval in Principle must be requested from the NZIS branch responsible for processing applications from your geographical area in New Zealand.

Once you have provided the appropriate details to the applicant(s) you wish to employ, he/she will need to apply for a Work Visa. WORKPERMIT.COM will complete and submit the application for the employee along with the relevant documentation to the appropriate NZIS branch responsible for processing applications. Once a Work Visa is granted, the employee may apply for a further Work Permit on arrival in New Zealand. The employee will be asked to provide a written offer of employment which outlines job title, description of duties, qualification/ experience required, length of employment, salary and an Approval in Principle letter from the NZIS along with other evidence of his/her qualifications and experience. More information on this can be found under part C of this document as well as in the WORKPERMIT.COM guide entitled "Documents and data to be submitted by an overseas employee in order to obtain a work visa and/or work permit".

B. What documents do I need to submit to obtain this Approval in Principle?

Please refer to the list entitled "Documents and data to be submitted by a New Zealand employer in order to obtain an Approval in Principle to employ a temporary foreign worker", compiled by WORKPERMIT.COM, for relevant information on what needs to be provided to the NZIS to obtain this approval.

Once the Approval in Principle is granted, you should provide relevant details to your preferred applicant so that he/she is able to lodge his/her application to work in New Zealand.

C. Who is EXEMPT from an Approval in Principle?

Among other categories (i.e. domestic staff of diplomatic and consular personnel, Japanese interpreters, medical and dental personnel for New Zealand hospitals, etc.), Senior executive staff of multinational companies are exempt from obtaining an Approval in Principle and no check needs to be made to see if suitable New Zealanders are available.

D. What documents does my employee need to submit to obtain permission to work legally in New Zealand?

Employees may apply for a work visa or permit if they hold an offer of employment from a New Zealand company for which they are suitably qualified by training and experience and there are no suitable New Zealanders available.

Employees need to initially apply for a work visa in order to obtain an endorsement in their passport, which allows them to enter or re-enter New Zealand. This endorsement would also show that they have permission to travel to New Zealand and MAY be granted a work permit when they arrive in the country.

Employees must apply for a work permit upon arrival in New Zealand, which allows one to legally work in the country. This passport endorsement states the expiration date and conditions of the work permit, which may include the type of employment, employer’s name and location in New Zealand in which they are permitted to work.

Please refer to the document entitled "Documents and data to be submitted by an overseas employee in order to obtain a work visa and/or work permit" for relevant information on what WORKPERMIT.COM requires from the employee in order to submit the application New Zealand High Commission in London.

E. How long may this employee work for me?

Once an applicant is granted a work permit, this is valid for work in New Zealand for a period of up to three years. Further work permits may be granted for the period for which further employment is offered, up to a maximum three years each time. For each period of employment the applicant must meet the relevant work policy requirements, which includes a further labor market test on the part of the employer.