Two new work visas to support sectors like agriculture, forestry, and tourism will be open for applications in December, the New Zealand Government has announced.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announced on Q+A a three-year Global Workforce Seasonal Visa for the likes of rural contractors, winemaking staff, and chairlift operators.
Stanford said this visa aimed to attract specialised and highly-skilled workers.
“The opportunity that I have in immigration are those short-term levers to help improve the economy,” the minister said.
People with the visa would be able to enter New Zealand as many times as they like within the three-year period.
Global Workforce Seasonal Visa holders would need to spend at least three months out of every 12 overseas before returning to New Zealand.
Stanford also unveiled the Peak Seasonal Visa for short-term agricultural and aquaculture workers. The visa would allow people to stay for up to seven months.
Eligible roles include meat and seafood processing, calf-rearing, and wool handling. These visa holders must have one season of previous relevant experience. People will also need to leave New Zealand for at least four months before the visa can be renewed.
Stanford said businesses had been asking for easier ways to “surge capacity” during busy times of the year. She said this second visa was aimed at lower-skilled workers, so that they can fill jobs during times of low unemployment or when businesses can’t find locals.
Employers need to advertise these roles locally first, before finding overseas talent through the Peak Seasonal Visa, she said.
The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa is exempt from this requirement, and holders of that visa are also eligible for publicly funded healthcare.
Health insurance is required for workers planning to be in New Zealand for more than three months under the Peak Seasonal Visa.
Applications for both visas open on December 8 this year. The new visas will replace the interim Specific Purpose Work Visa, which was introduced last year to meet workforce demands. This visa allowed people to stay in the country for up to nine months.
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
