Work visas

If you are planning to work in New Zealand, you will usually need a visa to be able to do so legally. After the post pandemic period where especially work visas were assessed lightly, recently any visas that are work related are getting treated very toughly. In the past getting a work visa is only as difficult as meeting the criteria for the visa, which could have been easy or difficult depending on the factors involved. However the current situation means that if the application is lacking in any small detail it is much more likely to be declined. 

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

This is the category for most work visa applications now. The AEWV has replaced Essential skills and work to residence work visas. Please see our AEWV page for more information.

Other work visa types

There are other types of visas which allow you to legally work in NZ as well. They all have different requirements and different future pathways. The type of visa which is right for you will depend on these requirements and your goals for the future.

Skilled Migrant category

This is a residence class visa, but it can also be a way to work in New Zealand if you meet the requirements. There are some advantages over an essential skills visa, firstly that it is easier to meet the labour market test and secondly if successful you will not need to renew the visa to keep working in NZ. The threshold is higher though and this often makes it more difficult to succeed. More information about this visa can be found on our residence visa page

Working holiday visas

Many countries have working holiday visa arrangements with New Zealand. these visas all have different conditions depending on your country of citizenship, but in general you will need to be under a certain age (usually at least under 30) and you will be able to legally work and study for a fixed period of time, sometimes up to 1 year. This visa can be a very good stepping stone to another type of work visa

Partnership work visas

If you have a Kiwi partner who is willing and eligible to support you then this can be a good pathway. There is no requirements for skills or work experience, but the requirements to prove your relationship is genuine and long term can be difficult for some people. Any partnership visa brings the challenge of showing that you meet the requirements, but a partnership work visa's supporting documentation threshold is usually a little lower than a partnership residence visa at least.

Entrepreneur Work visas

This is for self employment in a buiness you set up in New Zealand yourself. If you have sufficient business experience and start up funds, this may be a viable category for you. It is acknowledged to be a difficult pathway, but there is no reason it should be diffcult if you meet the criteria and approach it properly. In the past this category was used as a last ditch strategy for migrants who did not meet any other category, which is why it is seen as problematic. Recently things have settled down and there is no reson why a well set up and managed application won't go well.