All the latest visa and immigration news from New Zealand.
Immigration News: May 2022

On 11 May 2022, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced New Zealand would reopen to all tourists and visa holders at 11:59 pm on 31 July 2022. That is two months sooner than initially planned!
The announcement also included details of the New Zealand Government’s “rebalanced immigration system” to address the country’s immediate skill shortages and speed up the economic recovery from COVID-19.
1. New Zealand fully reopens on 1 August!
New Zealand closed its borders to the world in 2020 and started to gradually reopen to different visa and visitor categories earlier this year.
On the 1st of August or 11:59 pm on 31 July, New Zealand is finally reopening completely for all visitors and visa holders!
Prime Minister Ardern rightly said that this announcement is welcome news for families, businesses and New Zealand’s migrant communities.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash added that bringing the final border opening date forward allows New Zealand to fully reconnect to the world in time for the country’s traditional peak visitor season.
“Our wider tourism sector is on the way to recovery. We will be fully open to the world in mid-winter, traditionally our quietest period for visitors. Bringing forward the date allows prospective travellers to apply for visitor visas well ahead of time before taking the next step to book a flight or a cruise for future travel,” Minister Nash said.
2. Change ahead for international students once New Zealand reopens
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the full reopening of the border is a significant milestone for the educational sector, which can now start to rebuild sustainably. The focus was on volume in the past, but that will change with the focus shifting to value.
To facilitate this shift, Immigration New Zealand will implement these changes:
- Students in non-degree level courses will not get post-study work rights except where they are studying and working in specified shortages and skilled occupations.
- For degree-level and other eligible international students, the length of time they can work after their students will mirror the time they study in New Zealand. Masters and PhD students will retain the right to work in New Zealand for up to three years after their studies.
- Students will also not be able to apply for a second post-study visa in New Zealand.
3. Simplified immigration processes and a new occupation list to benefit skilled migrants and employers
The New Zealand Government has announced a “rebalanced immigration system” that’ll incentivise and attract highly-skilled migrants and simplify immigration processes for businesses.
The cornerstone of this rebalanced immigration is the new Green List that features 85 hard-to-fill roles in construction, engineering, trades, healthcare and tech.
The other key component is the new Accredited Employer Work Visa that comes into effect on 4 July 2022.
“Through the Accredited Employer Work Visa, employers won’t need to provide as much information, can use their own recruitment processes to prove no New Zealanders are available for work, and Immigration New Zealand will endeavour to have these visas processed within 30 days once an employer is accredited,” Prime Minister Ardern said.
One of the critical requirements of the Accredited Employer Work Visa will be that the visa applicant earns at least the median wage. The current median wage is NZD27.76 an hour, and it’s updated once a year.
The wage requirement does affect some industries more than others, but the New Zealand Government is working closely with those sectors to assist with the transition.
Individual workers are also affected, but Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi announced that the Government would extend the visas of around 20,000 visa holders already in the country to ensure skilled workers stay in New Zealand. This extension will be specifically for visa holders with visas expiring before 2023. They’ll either get a six-month extension or a new two-year visa with open work conditions.
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- Published in Latest posts, News, Work Visas for New Zealand, Working in New Zealand
New Zealand is opening sooner to Australians and travellers from visa-waiver countries!

On 16 March, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand is bringing forward the date for opening the borders to Australians and arrivals from visa-waiver countries.
This announcement comes after New Zealand also brought forward the date for allowing New Zealanders and other eligible travellers through the country’s borders.
Australians welcome from 12 April, and borders are opening to visa-waiver travellers from 1 May
In New Zealand’s original 5-stage border reopening plan, its borders would’ve opened to Australians and travellers from visa-waiver countries in July.
Now the borders will open to these groups of people two months earlier than planned!
Australians can once again travel to New Zealand from Tuesday, 12 April at 11.59pm, while vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries are welcome from Sunday, 1 May at 11.59pm.
“Reopening in time for the upcoming Australian school holidays will help spur our economic recovery in the short term and is good news for the winter ski season,” said Prime Minister Ardern.
She added, “In a world still battling COVID-19, travellers will be discerning about where they go in the short term. Our strong health response, including the lowest death rate in the OECD over the past two years and our high rates of vaccination, alongside our reputation as a beautiful place to visit, will be an asset in this market. I am proud that New Zealand is a country which is able to provide a safe place for tourists to return to due to our strong health response to COVID-19.”
New Zealand’s also welcoming temporary visa holders and international students from 12 April
As per New Zealand’s original 5-stage plan, its borders will reopen to current offshore temporary visa holders and international students on 12 April:
- Temporary work and student visa holders who still meet their visa requirements — this includes people currently outside New Zealand and those who leave and want to return
- Up to 5000 international students to study in semester 2
The rest of the border reopening plan also remains as is
Immigration New Zealand has announced no other changes to date. That means the following:
- From July: New Zealand’s borders will open to Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders.
- From October: The border reopens, and standard visa processing resumes for all categories, including visitor and student visas, unless the visa is closed or paused.
Stay up to date with immigration news from New Zealand
Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to stay informed about immigration changes. We post news as soon as it happens.
- Published in Latest posts, News
Two big border announcements from the New Zealand government!
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins made two big announcements on 28 February 2022.
The first announcement was that New Zealand is removing self-isolation requirements for vaccinated travellers. The other announcement was that New Zealand is bringing forward stage two of the border reopening plan.
All self-isolation requirements removed from 2 March for fully vaccinated travellers
The New Zealand government has decided to drop the requirement for self-isolation for fully vaccinated travellers upon arrival in New Zealand after consultation with the Strategic COVID-19 Public Health Advisory Group and the Director General of Health.
This decision means that all New Zealanders coming home and tourists entering the country will be able to step off the plan and enter the community immediately, and it takes effect on Wednesday, 2 March.
Travellers must still have a negative pre-departure PCR test, though, and undertake two rapid antigen tests on arrival and also at day 5 or 6. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will have to report it and isolate for the same period as a community case (at least 10 days).
“Caution has served us well during the past two years and as we continue to move through the Omicron outbreak and peak, we will continue to remove restrictions when advised it is safe to do so – as we always said we would,” Minister Hipkins said.
New Zealand is bringing forward stage two of the border reopening plan
New Zealand released a 5-stage border reopening plan on 3 February 2022.
The first stage of the plan kicked off on 27 February. The second stage, that’ll allow travel to New Zealand from anywhere in the world for fully vaccinated New Zealanders and eligible travellers, was scheduled for 13 March.
The New Zealand government has now confirmed that it’ll bring forward the second stage to Friday, 4 March.
“We are able to take these decisions because we have a highly vaccinated population and good public health restrictions through the COVID-19 Protection Framework in place,” Minister Hipkins said.
Minister Hipkins also said that the New Zealand government will review the timings of the remaining stages of the border reopening plan in the coming weeks. That could mean that we could see New Zealand’s borders reopen fully much sooner than October.
Be the first to know about more positive changes to border restrictions
The two changes the New Zealand government made in February has been welcome news. Especially after almost no movement on COVID-19 regulations and border restrictions after two years!
You can rest assured that we’ll keep you informed of any changes that happens in the future. Hopefully it won’t be too long until we can do so either. Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to ensure that you stay in the loop.
- Published in Latest posts, News
New Zealand announces new 5-stage reopening of its borders
Immigration New Zealand had a plan to start reopening its borders in January. Unfortunately, a new COVID variant started spreading around the world in December.
New Zealand quickly decided to push back the start of its border plan to the end of February.
Today we’re happy to report that New Zealand is not delaying the reopening of its borders any further! The first stage of New Zealand’s new 5-staged plan kicks off at the end of this month.
Stage 1 – New Zealanders and eligible travellers in Australia, 27 February 2022
During the first stage, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other travellers eligible under current border settings can enter New Zealand from Australia and self-isolate upon arrival.
Unvaccinated travellers, and those who do not meet New Zealand’s vaccination criteria but are eligible to enter New Zealand will continue to enter managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ).
Stage 2 – New Zealanders and eligible travellers around the world, 13 March 2022
During the second stage of the border reopening, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other travellers eligible under current border settings will be allowed to travel to New Zealand.
The border will also reopen to skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage. At the moment, these workers must demonstrate that their skills aren’t readily obtained in New Zealand. New Zealand will remove this requirement from the 13th of March.
Furthermore, New Zealand will reopen its Working Holiday Scheme.
Stage 3 – Temporary visa holders and international students, 12 April 2022
In this stage, New Zealand’s borders will reopen to current offshore temporary visa holders who are fully vaccinated and still able to meet their visa requirements.
The borders will also reopen to up to 5,000 fully vaccinated international students. Furthermore, New Zealand will implement additional and expanded class exceptions for critical workers earning below 1.5 times the median wage.
Stage 4 – Borders open to travellers from Australia and visa waiver countries, July 2022
New Zealand will reopen to fully vaccinated visitors from Australia and visa waiver countries from July, allowing family members of more onshore temporary migrants to visit New Zealand.
At this point, New Zealand will also phase out the border exception pathway for critical workers because of the opening of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) category. The AEWV will be limited mainly to roles with pay above the median wage.
Stage 5 – Borders fully reopen, and most visa categories reopen, October 2022
Immigration New Zealand will resume the processing of most visa categories, including visitor and student visas, from October.
Self-isolation requirements
Self-isolation is only available for fully vaccinated travellers who are eligible to enter New Zealand.
Travellers will self-isolate for 10 days. If New Zealand’s self-isolation period changes, such as a drop to 7 days, the self-isolation period for travellers will also change.
Travellers will also get three rapid antigen tests at the airport – one for use on day 0/1, and one for use on day 5/6, with one extra for backup.
Anyone who tests positive will need to take a PCR test at a Community Testing Centre or GP.
Comment from Immigration New Zealand
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi released a joint statement detailing New Zealand’s border reopening.
“This is a very carefully developed plan that replaces MIQ for the vast majority of travellers while ensuring we maintain ongoing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community from recent arrivals,” Minister Hipkins said.
He added that the plan “…has built-in protections to help manage risks such as future variants. A phased approach to reopening reduces the risk of a surge of cases while prioritising the return of New Zealanders and the much-needed entry of skilled workers. Having MIQ for every traveller was a temporary setting for when none of us had protection. New Zealanders need to reconnect with one another. Families and friends need to reunite. Our businesses need skills to grow. Exporters need to travel to make new connections.”
Keep up with the reopening stages
Our team will post reminders about the stages of the border reopening on social media. If you’d like to stay up to date, follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
- Published in Latest posts, New Zealand Immigration Advice, News
New Zealand announces phased plan to reopen borders to travellers
After being unable to see each other in person for nearly two years, New Zealanders and their family overseas finally have a date for when the country’s borders will start to reopen.
The government’s phased plan was announced in a statement by the Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins on 24 November:
Step 1: Fully vaccinated Kiwis and other eligible international travellers – Travel to New Zealand from Australia
The first phase of the border reopening kicks off on Sunday, 16 January 2022.
During this phase, fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under New Zealand’s current border settings will be able to travel to New Zealand from Australia. The requirement is that travellers must have been in Australia or New Zealand 14 days before travelling.
Step 2: Fully vaccinated Kiwis and other eligible international travellers – Travel to New Zealand from all other countries
From 13 February 2022, fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and residence-class visa holders and other travellers eligible under New Zealand’s current border settings will be able to travel to New Zealand from all other countries except Very High-Risk countries.
Step 3: All fully vaccinated international travellers – Travel to New Zealand
All fully vaccinated international travellers will be able to travel to NZ from 30 April 2022 onwards, with the re-opening staged over time.
This phase of the plan is what New Zealanders and their families are looking forward to most!
“A phased approach is the safest approach”
“Closing our border was one of the first steps we took to keep our country safe from COVID-19 and it’ll be the last thing we open up, following our transition into the traffic light protection framework system and lifting of the Auckland boundary.”, Minister Hipkins said in his statement.
He continued, saying, “We always said we’d open in a controlled way, and this started with halving the time spent in MIQ to seven days.[…]In the end, we’ve done what we’ve always done, and that is to follow expert advice – which continues to show us the border is our biggest risk for new cases.”
“A phased approach to reconnecting with the world is the safest approach to ensure risk is carefully managed. This reduces any potential impacts on vulnerable communities and the New Zealand health system.” Minister Hipkins concluded.
MIQ requirements for travellers
Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and travellers no longer have to spend time in Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) from the 16th of January 2022.
That doesn’t mean New Zealand is going to take any chances with its citizens’ safety. Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and travellers not required to go into MIQ will still need:
- a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test,
- proof of full vaccination,
- a passenger declaration about travel history,
- a day 0/1 test on arrival, and
- spend seven days in self-isolation and
- a final negative COVID-19 test before entering the community
Travellers who aren’t fully vaccinated, but still permitted to enter New Zealand under the current border setting, will continue to enter MIQ upon arrival for seven days, followed by three days of home isolation. This requirement will also apply to travellers from Very High-Risk countries.
Follow us on social media for reminders as the border reopens
Eager to reunite with your family in New Zealand? Follow us on either Facebook or LinkedIn where we’ll post reminders about the phases of the border reopening. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any immigration assistance.
- Published in Latest posts, New Zealand Immigration Advice, News
Full vaccination required for non-citizens arriving in New Zealand from November
New Zealand announced that non-citizens arriving in the country from 1 November must be fully vaccinated.
Immigration New Zealand is putting this measure in place to further reduce the possibility of the COVID virus getting through New Zealand’s border.
Who’s affected by this new requirement?
You’ll have to be fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand if:
- you’re 17 or older,
- travelling by air,
- and not a New Zealand citizen.
Some exceptions do apply.
How do you prove your vaccination status?
You’ll have to declare your vaccination status when registering with the Managed Isolation Allocation system. You’ll also have to present proof of vaccination or a relevant exemption to your airline and to Customs officers once you land in New Zealand.
Are all vaccines acceptable?
The COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group has recommended that a full course of any of the 22 COVID-19 vaccines approved by a government or approval authority will be accepted at this stage.
You would’ve had to get the last dose of your vaccine at least 14 days before your arrival in New Zealand.
Would you still have to isolate once you’ve arrived in New Zealand?
Yes, you’ll still have complete 14 days in Managed Isolation and Quarantine. You’ll also still have to present evidence of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your first scheduled international flight. The latter won’t, however, apply to you if you’re from an exempt country.
A word of caution!
If you’re subject to this new requirement and you fail to present proof of vaccination, you may be subject to an infringement notice under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Act 2020, which under a Bill currently before the House would carry a maximum fine of NZD4,000.
Please also see this article for the latest information about border restrictions for New Zealanders.
- Published in News
New Zealand to start easing border restrictions
More than a year after first closing its borders, New Zealand has finally announced that it would start easing border restrictions.
The first stage starts on 14 November. The second stage kicks off in the first quarter of 2022.
The easing of the restrictions will still apply to all but New Zealand citizens and residents, though, with only a few exceptions.
Don’t be discouraged by this! The fact that New Zealand is making these changes is a positive sign and a step in the right direction.
Stage 1: Shorter stays in managed isolation quarantine facilities
From 14 November, the managed isolation quarantine (MIQ) period for international arrivals into New Zealand will reduce from 14 days to 7 days, followed by isolation at home for around three days.
The Minister for COVID-19 response, Chris Hipkins, said, “MIQ has served us well. Over 183,000 New Zealanders have returned home through MIQ since border restrictions were put in place last year, stopping cases at the border and allowing us to live life free of restrictions for the better part of 18 months.”
He added, “When MIQ was introduced, we didn’t have the vaccine, so every arrival posed a high level of risk. With most people returning now fully vaccinated, the risk profile of international arrivals has changed, so it’s time to start changing our MIQ settings.”
Rigorous COVID testing in MIQ and while in at-home isolation
All international arrivals will get tested for COVID on day 0/1, day 3, and day 6/7 of their stay in MIQ.
On day 7, people will get a rapid antigen test and undergo health checks before leaving MIQ to isolate further at home.
The final test, a PCR test, happens on day nine. and people will have to stay at home until the test results come back.
Stage 2: Home isolation for vaccinated overseas arrivals in the first quarter of 2022
In the first quarter of 2022, New Zealand will start allowing fully vaccinated international arrivals to self-isolate at home instead of in MIQ.
Minister Hipkins said, “…our priority at this stage is to safely transition to the traffic light system first and bed that in before adding the additional risk of international arrivals immediately before entering the community. When the COVID-19 Protection Framework is bedded in, 90 per cent of eligible New Zealanders will be fully vaccinated, so we will have a higher level of confidence than we do right now of allowing international arrivals to go straight into the community.”
More details to follow in November
New Zealand will start updating fees, exemption, and exception frameworks and isolate at-home guidelines at the start of November. Keep an eye on https://covid19.govt.nz/ for all the details.
- Published in Latest posts, News
NEW 2021 Resident Visa announced!
On 30 September 2021, New Zealand’s Minister of Immigration, Kris Faafoi, announced the 2021 Resident Visa!
This 2021 Resident visa is a one-off, simplified pathway to residence for around 165,000 migrants currently in New Zealand. Some people arriving in New Zealand between 30 September 2021 and 31 July 2022 on long-term critical purpose visas may also be eligible for this new visa.
More about the 2021 Resident Visa
The 2021 Resident Visa provides a residency pathway for up to 165,000 migrants, including more than 5,000 health and aged care workers, about 9,000 primary industry workers, and more than 800 teachers.
The 2021 Resident Visa will be available to most holders of work-related visas – including Essential Skills, Work to Residence, and Post Study Work Visas – and their immediate family members.
“We are providing a way forward for our migrant families who have been long disrupted by COVID-19 while ensuring businesses have the certainty they need to plan into the future and continue driving the economic recovery,” Minister Faafoi said.
Applications for the 2021 Resident Visa will open in two phases. The first phase will start on 1 December 2021 for some eligible applicants. The second phase will kick off on 1 March 2022 for the remaining eligible applicants. The deadline for all applications is 31 July 2022.
Strict eligibility criteria
To be eligible to apply for a 2021 Resident visa, you must have met the criteria on 29 September 2021. These criteria state that you must:
- have been in New Zealand on 29 September 2021, and
- be on an eligible visa or have applied for an eligible visa on or before 29 September 2021 that is later granted.
You must also meet one of these three criteria:
- You have lived in New Zealand for three or more years, which means you must have:
- arrived in New Zealand on or before 29 September 2018, and
- have spent a minimum of 821 days in New Zealand between 29 September 2018 and 29 September 2021.
- You earn at or above the median wage (NZD27 per hour)
- You work in a job on a scarce list, which includes:
- Jobs on the Long Term Skill Shortage List
- Jobs requiring occupational registration in the health or education sector
- Personal carer and other critical health workers
- Specified primary sector jobs
The New Zealand government may still consider you eligible to apply for the 2021 Resident Visa if you meet the criteria but you are in Australia and have been unable to return to New Zealand by 29 September 2021.
You must hold one of these 15 eligible visas
As stated above, you must hold an eligible visa on the 29th of September. The eligible visas are as follows:
- Post Study Work Visa
- Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa
- Essential Skills Work Visa
- Religious Worker Work Visa
- Talent (Arts, Culture, Sports) Work Visa
- Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
- Silver Fern Practical Experience Work Visa
- Trafficking Victim Work Visa
- Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa
- Skilled Migration Category Job Search Work Visa
- Victims of Family Violence Work Visa
- South Island Contribution Work Visa
- Work Visa granted under section 61, provided you held another eligible visa type within six months before being granted a Section 61 visa
- Some Critical Purpose Visitor Visas:
- Critical health workers for longer-term roles (6 months or longer)
- Other critical workers for long term roles (more than 6 months)
Unfortunately, short-term visa holders are not eligible. These visa holders include visitors, students, working holiday makers, and seasonal workers like those on the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme or those who enter as short-term critical workers.
The application process will have two phases
The 2021 Resident visa will be open for applications in two phases, with the first group of people able to apply from 1 December 2021.
From 1 December 2021 you can apply if:
- You have already applied for residence under the Skilled Migrant and Residence from Work categories before 29 September 2021, or
- You have submitted a Skilled Migrant Category Expression of Interest, and have included your dependent child in the Expression of Interest aged 17 years or older on 29 September 2021.
From 1 March 2022, all other eligible applicants can apply, including all others who have submitted a Skilled Migrant Category Expression of Interest.
Immigration New Zealand will contact visa holders who are eligible to apply from 1 December by the end of October with more information about the application process.
What are your options if you don’t meet the criteria for the 2021 Resident Visa?
The New Zealand government has advised anyone in New Zealand who does not meet the criteria of the 2021 Resident Visa to look at what other resident pathways or temporary visa options may be available to them.
Please feel free to contact us in the event that you need assistance with extending your stay in New Zealand. Our advisors are registered and licensed to provide advice on all residency options for New Zealand.
- Published in Latest posts, News, Working in New Zealand
The Pearson PTE Academic English test is changing

Pearson PTE has announced three changes to their PTE Academic English test. The English language test provider says its making the changes to ensure that the PTE Academic the most convenient, stress-free English test available.
In our opinion, the planned changes coming into effect on the 16th of November are certainly positive.
You can read more about the changes below:
1. A shorter test
The PTE Academic is reducing in length from three hours to a more convenient two hours.
The format of the test is not changing!
You’ll still get tested on the same English skills, and you’ll still get asked the same types of questions. Pearson PTE will also continue to use the same scoring scale. You’ll just have fewer questions to answer.
Why is Pearson PTE changing the test length?
Pearson PTE wants to make their PTE Academic the most convenient choice for test-takers. Through extensive testing, Pearson PTE found that reducing the number of questions could improve the efficiency of PTE Academic with no impact on test scores or quality.
2. Enhanced score report feedback
You’ll get a new personalized “skills profile” alongside your PTE Academic score report with additional feedback on your performance. This feedback will also include suggestions for how to improve.
3. At-home English tests
PTE Academic will offer an Online test option that you can do at home. However, PTE Academic Online is unfortunately not recognised for visa and immigration purposes.
When would you take an English test?
English tests assess your English language skills for some New Zealand visas. Where the test applies, Immigration New Zealand requires you to attain a satisfactory score to prove that your English skills meet their requirements.
How do I prepare for an English test?
There are four ways in which you can ensure you do your best in an English test:
- Understand the test format
- You’ll get tested on your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills.
- Practice with sample tests
- You’ll be able to familiarise yourself with the test format, experience the types of tasks you’ll have to do, test yourself under timed conditions, and review your answers and compare them with model answers.
- Work with an English language teacher
- English language teachers will introduce you to the test format, take you through sample tests, give feedback, and focus on your developmental areas.
- Know what to expect on test day
- Find out how long your test will be and what you’ll need to take with you to the testing centre.
You can read more about these strategies on our blog.
Stay up to date with immigration news from New Zealand
Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to stay informed about immigration changes. We post news as soon as it happens.
- Published in Latest posts, New Zealand Immigration Advice, News
#COVID19: New Zealand creates further border exceptions for more occupations
The New Zealand government has created several border exceptions in the past couple of months to allow skilled workers into the country.
The latest border exceptions are for six occupations ranging from horticultural mobile plant operators to sheep shearers.
Agricultural and Horticultural mobile plant operators
For the 2021/22 season, up to 125 agricultural and horticultural mobile plant operators can be nominated for assessment by New Zealand employers.
To be eligible for nomination, overseas workers must:
- have at least three seasons’ experience as agricultural or horticultural mobile plant operators,
- have the relevant vehicle licensing qualifications,
- work under an approved contract agreement in a fulltime role with specified rural contract operators, and
- earn at or above the median wage per year.
Mixed and large animal veterinarians
Up to 30 veterinarians may enter New Zealand to work under the border exception created for this occupation. Vets must hold the qualifications and experience necessary for licensing and registration with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand to qualify for this border exception.
Shearers
Up to 40 foreign shearers contracted by or through a New Zealand Shearers Contractor’s Association (NZSCA) employer and with more than two years’ experience will be able to travel to New Zealand to support the upcoming main shear season.
Deepwater fishing crew
The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) can nominate up to 615 deepwater fishing crew. To be eligible for a 12-month visa as a border exception, the crew must be paid at least the minimum wage plus NZ$4 per hour.
What other occupations have border exceptions?
New Zealand has also created border exceptions for teachers, healthcare workers, dairy farm workers and general practice veterinarians:
Teachers
Immigration New Zealand announced in July that it is going to create a border exception for 300 qualified teachers from overseas. The Ministry of Education will invite applications for these teachers from September.
Read more about the border exception for teachers on our blog.
Healthcare workers
New Zealand welcomes healthcare workers into the country to help in the fight against COVID-19. The border exception applies to:
- Registered health practitioners, including nurses, doctors and paramedics – this includes those working in hospitals, practices, and aged care facilities
- Internationally-qualified nurses, who still have to register in New Zealand
- Workers that operate and maintain medical equipment
You can find a complete list of occupations on Immigration New Zealand’s website under the Critical Health Workers heading.
Dairy farm managers and assistants
Up to 150 dairy farm managers and 50 dairy farm assistants will be able to travel to New Zealand to support the upcoming calving season.
You can read more about this exception on our blog.
General practice veterinarians
Up to 50 veterinarians will be able to enter and work in New Zealand. Click here to find out more about this exception.
Want to know when New Zealand creates more border exceptions?
While we can’t guarantee that New Zealand will create more border exceptions, we can promise that we’ll let you know if and when it happens. The easiest way to catch updates is to follow us on either Facebook or LinkedIn. We share news on our social media channels as soon it’s announced.
- Published in Latest posts, News, Working in New Zealand