Work in New Zealand

Visas, Work hours and Types of Jobs

Important Information: It is the responsibility of those who have the intention of working in New Zealand to make sure that you fulfill the legal requirements for working in the country. The information given on our website should only be used as a general reference guide and you must verify the full official requirements for working at the NZ Immigration Department (or New Zealand Embassy) corresponding to your country.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WORK VISA.... DO NOT WORK ILLEGALLY!
(It is highly likely you will be caught)

Types of Work Visas in New Zealand

There are two main divisions when applying for a work visa in New Zealand. Are you going to…

• Work in New Zealand temporarily OR
• Work and eventually live in New Zealand permanently.

Working temporarily in New Zealand

There are two main types of visa were you can work temporarily in New Zealand.

The Working Holiday Visa – if you are aged between and 18 and 30 and your country has an agreement with New Zealand for this scheme. See more information here: Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand (coming soon)
Temporary Work Visa - for people who:

• have a job offer from a New Zealand employer
• are skilled in occupations that are in demand
• are coming here for a particular purpose or event (concert, sport etc)
• want to gain work experience after studying a degree in New Zealand
• are students who want to work part-time (and already have a Student Visa)
• want to join a partner here and work.

Working and living in New Zealand permanently

If your intention is to eventually live in New Zealand, your visa application will be based on your occupation or skills and will be one of the following two visas:
Skilled Migrant Visa – for people who have the skills, qualifications and experience that New Zealand needs (and where there is a shortage of people with those skills)
Work to Residence Visa – for people who:

• Are qualified in occupations that are in demand in New Zealand, OR
• Have a job offer from an accredited employer on the official Immigration New Zealand List OR
• Have exceptional talent in sports or the arts.

If you would like more detailed information about work visa options, then visit the official site: www.immigration.govt.nz/work

Types of jobs offered in New Zealand

There are many types of jobs on offer in New Zealand. However the most important thing you will need to have when applying for a job is a good level of English. Without English how are you going to survive the initial interview? The employer will be looking at your level of English even more if you have contact with clients or customers. The better your English, the more opportunities you will have to get a job and not only that, it can even help you get a better job. You can see a list of jobs currently being offered on the following page: Job offers in New Zealand (coming soon)

Work Hours in New Zealand

Full-time work: Most companies hire staff on a full-time basis that corresponds to 40 hours per work. In general work is from 9am to 5pm though there is sometimes the possibility to work from 7am to 4pm (to avoid the rush-hour traffic jams). Each company has its own opening hours and work times so it is something to clarify in the initial job interview.

Part-time work: This type of work is around 20 to 25 hours a week, many times with a fixed schedule. Some companies prefer to hire a person on a part-time basis first to see how they fit in with the company before the person is offered a full-time position.

Seasonal Work: This work is as the name states, seasonal or temporary work. Most seasonal work is related to tourism (mainly during high season), working on farms and fruit picking and packing. This type of job is typical of someone on the Working Holiday Visa since they travel to different regions (following the fruit picking seasons) and earn income while they are there. Seasonal workers working in the fruit-picking sector often work long hours due to how quickly the fruit needs to be picked, packed and sold. When in comes to packing fruit (putting fruit in their boxes ready for export or sale), you can find night shifts (working at night).

Working Holiday Visa

New Zealand also has agreements with many countries that allow them to visit New Zealand on vacation for year with the possibility to work at the same time. This programme is called the Working Holiday Scheme.
Some of the countries that have this Working Holiday agreement are:
Argentina - Austria - Belgium - Brazil - Canada - Chile - China - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Germany - Hong Kong - Ireland - Israel - Italy - Japan - Korea - Latvia - Malaysia - Malta - Mexico - Netherlands - Norway - Peru - Poland - Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - Taiwan - Thailand - Turkey - United Kingdom - United States - Uruguay – Vietnam

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