Work Exchange Scheme
You can consider applying for Work Exchange Scheme approval if you wish to arrange short-term work opportunities in New Zealand and overseas as part of a reciprocal arrangement. People from overseas who have been accepted into an approved Work Exchange Scheme can work for up to 12 months in New Zealand. If your scheme allows it, they can apply to bring partners and dependent children with them too.
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Valid for
12 months
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Cost
NZD $0
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Processing times
80% within
2 weeks
With this scheme you can:
- employ or arrange the employment of overseas workers for up to 12 months
- arrange work opportunities for New Zealanders in other countries
- have the opportunity to improve international goodwill and cultural understanding between participating countries.
Things to note:
- The New Zealand guarantor is responsible for arranging suitable accommodation and a job for the people taking part in the scheme — they have to do this before they arrive in New Zealand.
- The New Zealand guarantor must make sure the people taking part in the scheme can cover living costs, like food, clothing and healthcare.
Overview
The process to apply for Work Exchange Scheme approval.
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Step 1: Establish a Work Exchange Scheme
Before we can approve a Work Exchange Scheme, you need to send us a proposal explaining its set up.
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Step 2: Support a work visa application
Once we have approved your Work Exchange Scheme, you can support the work visa applications of the people you have accepted into your scheme.
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Step 3: Maintain your Work Exchange Scheme approval
To maintain your Work Exchange Scheme approval, you have to request reapproval every year.
Establish a Work Exchange Scheme
To set up a Work Exchange Scheme, you must provide a proposal to Immigration New Zealand. Your proposal will need to include all of the information detailed below.
Organisers and scheme guarantors
Your proposal must include information about the organisers and scheme guarantors.
Your proposal must include the names of:
- the organiser
- the New Zealand guarantor
- the overseas guarantor.
Your proposal must also include a written guarantee from the New Zealand guarantor agreeing to accept all of the following obligations:
- help to choose the New Zealanders who will take part in the scheme
- report the number of people who take part in the scheme over the next 24 months to Immigration New Zealand
- agree to be the point of contact for any communication between the scheme organisers, the people taking part in the scheme, and Immigration New Zealand
- arrange suitable accommodation for people taking part in the scheme before they arrive in New Zealand
- make sure people taking part in the scheme have the means to cover living costs, like food, health and clothing
- arrange jobs for people taking part in the scheme before they arrive in New Zealand.
Note
Work Exchange Schemes must have a New Zealand and overseas guarantor. Guarantors:
- are responsible for the welfare of the people who take part in the scheme
- can be a person or organisation
- if the scheme has been organised in New Zealand, are usually the organisers.
Participating countries
Your proposal must include information about participating countries.
You must:
- list the countries the people taking part in the scheme will come from
- confirm the participating countries are willing to grant New Zealanders reciprocal permission to take part in the scheme.
Note
Schemes must be reciprocal between New Zealand and other countries and offer equal opportunity for each country to take part.
Eligible participants
Your proposal must include information about eligible participants.
You must explain:
- the criteria a person will need to meet to take part in the scheme, like being in a certain age group, from a particular country, or able to work in a specific occupation
- whether you will allow people taking part in the scheme to bring their partner and children with them.
Accommodation
Your proposal must include information about accommodation.
You must provide information about where people taking part in the scheme will stay while in New Zealand.
Note
If people taking part in the scheme are allowed to bring their partners and children, the accommodation must be suitable for them too.
Employment and maintenance
Your proposal must include information about employment and maintenance.
You must explain how the people taking part in the scheme will support themselves while in New Zealand, including:
- the employment you will be offering, including a sample employment agreement
- how you intend to pay the people who will be taking part in the scheme for their work
- whether the people taking part in the scheme will need to cover any part of their own, and their partner’s and children’s living costs.
Note
Employment agreements must comply with New Zealand immigration and employment law.
Medical insurance
Your proposal must include information about medical insurance.
People who take part in work exchange schemes must have medical and dental insurance while they are in New Zealand. If they choose to bring their partner or children with them, they will need medical and dental insurance too.
Your proposal must include detailed information about the medical and dental insurance they will be covered by.
Length of the exchange
Your proposal must include information about the length of the exchange.
You must explain how much time people will be able to spend on your exchange.
If the time can vary, you must explain the minimum and maximum times that you will offer.
Note
People accepted into approved work exchange schemes can stay in New Zealand for up to 12 months.
Expected annual numbers
Your proposal must include information about expected annual numbers.
You must tell us how many places you would like your exchange scheme to have.
Note
New Zealanders and people from other countries should take part in equal numbers.
Travel arrangements
Your proposal must include information about travel arrangements.
You must explain how people taking part in the scheme will travel to and from New Zealand. If they choose to bring their partner or children with them, you will need to explain their travel to arrangements too.
If participants will not have return travel tickets when they apply for their visas, we will need a written guarantee from the New Zealand guarantor that they will have travel tickets at the end of their stay.
Note
Guarantees must cover any partners and children, and apply even if participants do not complete the exchange.
Selection of participants
Your proposal must include information about selection of participants.
You must explain how you will choose who takes part in the scheme.
If there is an application form for your scheme, include a copy with your proposal.
Other information
Your proposal may include other information.
If you wish, you can include extra information about your exchange scheme.
How to apply
The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for the scheme, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete proposal.
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Step 1: Send us a proposal about your Work Exchange Scheme
You must send us a proposal that includes all the information detailed in the criteria for this scheme.
Once you have completed your proposal, you must send it to us for approval:
Work Exchange Scheme Approval
Operations Support, Visa Services
Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 1473
Wellington 6140
New Zealand -
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Step 2: Wait for a decision about your proposal
When we assess your proposal, we look at all the information you have provided from the criteria above.
We may ask you for more information, if it is needed to make a decision about your Work Exchange Scheme.
If we approve your proposal, your scheme approval will be valid for 12 months.
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Step 3: People accepted into your scheme apply for work visas
The people you accept into your Work Exchange Scheme must apply for a work visa before they can come to New Zealand. To do this, they will need to complete a ‘Work Visa Application’ and provide evidence they have:
- been accepted into an approved Work Exchange Scheme
- medical and dental insurance
- arranged to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay, which can include travel tickets, or a written guarantee from the New Zealand guarantor.
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Step 4: Wait for a decision on visas
Once we grant the work visas, the people taking part in the scheme can travel to New Zealand to begin their exchange.
Support a work visa application
Once we have approved your Work Exchange Scheme, you can support the Work Exchange Work Visa applications of the people you have accepted into your scheme.
Acceptance to an approved Work Exchange Scheme
The person applying for a visa must have been accepted into an approved Work Exchange Scheme.
A letter from you confirming they have been accepted into your approved Work Exchange Scheme.
Travel arrangements
The person taking part in the scheme must have arranged to leave New Zealand at the end of their exchange.
When applying for a work visa, people must provide evidence they have either:
- a ticket out of New Zealand
- a guarantee from your Work Exchange Scheme’s New Zealand guarantor that even if they do not complete the exchange, they will have a travel ticket out of New Zealand at the end of their stay.
Process steps
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Step 1: Candidate applies for a visa
The people you accept into your Work Exchange Scheme must apply for a work visa before they can come to New Zealand. To do this, they will need to complete a ‘Work Visa Application’ and provide evidence they have:
- been accepted into an approved Work Exchange Scheme
- medical and dental insurance
- arranged to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay, which can include travel tickets, or a written guarantee from the New Zealand guarantor.
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Step 2: Wait for a decision
We make a decision about your candidate’s application as soon as we can.
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Step 3: Employee starts work
As soon as your candidate has been granted a visa, they can come to New Zealand and start work.
Prepare for when your workers from overseas arrive
Get organised before your new employee arrives in New Zealand. Put together information to help them settle into your workplace and life in New Zealand.From the first contact with your new employee to the time they arrive in New Zealand, be positive but realistic. Do not promise anything that you or New Zealand cannot deliver. You will only set migrants up for disappointment if life in New Zealand is not what they expected.
You can help your new migrant workers to prepare for work and life in a new country through giving them the information they need.
Some information is best provided before they leave and some when they arrive.
Much of this preparation will only need to be done once. If you hire migrant workers in the future, you will be very well prepared.
Where to start
If you are unsure of what things to consider, our checklist will prompt you with ways you can help your migrant employee. It includes things to do before they arrive, upon their arrival and during their first days at work.
Prepare information for your new staff
It pays to prepare some tailored content for your new migrant staff. If you don’t already have it, you may want to create:
- an orientation programme to introduce your workplace
- a welcome kit with local information about the region, accommodation and transport information.
You could also prepare existing staff for your new migrant employee by announcing their upcoming arrival on your website or staff communication channels, for example, noticeboards.
Use our resources to help your new staff
Send your new staff links to our tools and online resources to help your them plan their move before they leave their home country.
NZ Ready planning tool
Moving to a new country can be a daunting task for your new employee. The best way to help your new employee with their move is to guide them to NZ Ready, Immigration New Zealand’s free online planning tool. This tool asks a series of questions that will help them to create a comprehensive personalised to do list to follow.
Get ready for New Zealand — NZ Ready
Cost of living calculator
What it costs to live in New Zealand may be quite different from a migrant's home country. This tool helps migrants to understand the cost of living in various parts of New Zealand.
Think beyond the workplace
Provide information about life in New Zealand during the recruitment process. Your new employee needs to know what to expect in relation to:
- basics of life in New Zealand such as housing and healthcare
- schooling and employment opportunities for their partner and children
- community support available.
A happy, settled family makes for a happy and productive employee who is more likely to remain loyal to you.
Maintain your Work Exchange Scheme approval
If you want your Work Exchange Scheme to continue, you will need to request reapproval yearly. You will need to confirm that the information from your initial proposal is still correct and include information about the number of people who have taken part in the scheme in the last 12 to 24 months.
What you need to do
For your Work Exchange Scheme to continue, you must request reapproval yearly.
You must provide a written statement confirming that all the information from your first proposal is still correct, including information about:
- organisers and scheme guarantors
- participating countries
- eligible participants
- accommodation
- employment and maintenance
- medical insurance
- length of the exchange
- expected annual numbers
- travel arrangements
- selection of participants
- other information.
If anything has changed, you will need to include information about the changes with your request.
You will also need to provide information about the number of people who have taken part in the scheme in the last 12 to 24 months.
Note
- Work Exchange Schemes are approved for 12 months.
- It is a good idea to request reapproval at least 3 months before the previous approval expires.
- There is no fee for reapproving a Work Exchange Scheme.
Reapproval steps
Steps to request reapproval.
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Step 1: Send us your written statement
You send us your written statement confirming all information is still correct.
Work Exchange Scheme Approval
Operations Support, Visa Services
Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 1473
Wellington 6140
New Zealand -
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Step 2: We assess your statement
When we assess your statement, we look at all the information you have provided from the criteria above.
We may ask you for more information, if it is needed to make a decision about your Work Exchange Scheme.
If we approve your proposal, your scheme approval will be valid for 12 months.
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Step 3: Continue to accept people into your scheme
The people you accept into your Work Exchange Scheme must apply for a work visa before they can come to New Zealand. To do this, they will need to complete a ‘Work Visa Application’ and provide evidence they have:
- been accepted into an approved work exchange scheme
- medical and dental insurance
- arranged to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay, which can include travel tickets, or a written guarantee from the New Zealand guarantor.