New Zealand Visas

New Zealand Visas, Work Permits and Migration

With an attractive balance of labor costs and work quality, advantageous business incentives, competitive tax system, and investment-friendly economic policies, New Zealand is a formidable international expansion option that is ripe with opportunity for foreign companies and entrepreneurs.

New Zealand visa and permit regulations require expert guidance as they vary according to the zones foreign nationals reside in – Australia, Asia, The European Union, and other outside zones are all affected by these regulations.

Companies entering New Zealand’s market will find processing work permits and visas a major issue. Acquiring these documents, as well as implementing your employees in a new territory (both foreign and domestic) require an in-house specialist department – and every new country comes with its own demands.

Few companies, however, have the resources or the time. But at Bradford Jacobs, as a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) with years of experience in Employer of Record (EOR) services, we have plenty of both. We are experts in New Zealand recruitment and payroll and can ensure an employee’s swift implementation in New Zealand with the correct visa and permit documentation.

What Types of Work Visas, and Permits for New Zealand are there?

For a foreign national to enter New Zealand in order to work, there are a number of visas one can apply for:

• Working Holiday Visa – allows people from many countries to work in New Zealand for up to a year, or up to 23 months for people from the UK and Canada. Best for those who would like a temporary stay in the country.
• Essential Skills Visa – allows people to move to New Zealand temporarily to work for a specific employer and is best for those who have been offered full-time work and might want to move to New Zealand. This visa is also tied to a specific job.
• Work to Residence Visa – a work visa that also serves as a pathway to residence after this visa has been held for over 24 months and is best for those who have been offered full-time work and wish to settle in New Zealand. It is tied to a specific job in an area of skilled shortage, or with an accredited employer.
• Skilled Migrant Visa – is both a work and residence visa for those who wish to migrate to New Zealand, and have been offered a job with the skills, qualifications and experience needed but that have not been found locally.
• Investor Visa – For those who wish to invest into the New Zealand lifestyle and must invest a minimum of NZ$ 3 million to be eligible, as well as meet other criteria, and is valid indefinitely once approved.
• Entrepreneur Visa – For those who wish to establish a business in New Zealand, which is valid for 3 years.
• NZeTA – Some visitors may travel to New Zealand without a visa or if they are from a country that does not require a visa with an NZeTA. It allows an individual to travel to New Zealand for many visits within two years.