Work Exchange Scheme Work Visa

Apply for this visa to work in New Zealand as part of an approved work exchange scheme.

Apply online
  • Length of stay

    Up to

    12 months

  • Cost

    From

    NZD $1455

  • Processing time

    80% within

    2 weeks

  • Quota

    Each year

    1,000

To apply you must:

  • be accepted into an approved work exchange scheme
  • stay in accommodation provided by your work exchange scheme organiser
  • have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
  • have medical and dental insurance for the length of your exchange
  • meet the other requirements of this visa.

This visa lets you:

  • work in New Zealand as part of an approved work exchange scheme
  • stay for up to 12 months, unless your work exchange scheme has a special arrangement with us
  • study for up to 3 months
  • travel in and out of New Zealand. 

You cannot include a partner or dependent children in your visa application.

Your partner and children can apply for visas based on their relationship to you, if your work exchange scheme allows partners and children to come with you.

Find and choose a visa

Apply online

Who can apply

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity:

  • 2 acceptable photos of your head and shoulders
  • your passport or

You may provide your original passport, or a certified copy when you submit your application. If you provide a certified copy we may request your original passport to complete your application.

Note

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

Citizens of China applying from China

Also provide your:

  • Hukou (household registration book)
  • Chinese identity card.

If you submit a paper application form in China, you must also complete a supplementary form.

Applicants from Hong Kong or Macao applying within Hong Kong or Macao

Also provide a copy of your identity card.

If you are submitting a paper application form, you must provide a supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students.

Health

You must be in good health.

We may ask you to have a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

If you are staying less than:

  • 6 months you do not normally need a chest X-ray. 
  • 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate. 

When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest x-ray or medical examination.

Applicants from China, Hong Kong or Macao applying within China, Hong Kong or Macao

You must provide a chest X-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you have provided one to us previously, if:

  • you have spent 6 months in a row in China since the last X-ray certificate was issued, and
  • you are now coming to New Zealand for more than 6 months.

Character

You must be of good character.

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us Police Certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa.

When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we consider all the information:

  • you provide to support your application
  • we have about your personal circumstances, and
  • you provided in any previous applications.

Acceptance to an approved work exchange scheme

You must be accepted into an approved work exchange scheme.

You must provide evidence that you have been accepted into an approved work exchange scheme. For example, a letter from the scheme organiser. 

Medical and dental insurance

You must have medical and dental insurance for the length of your exchange.

You must provide proof you are insured, for example:

  • a copy of your insurance certificate
  • an approval letter from your insurance company.

Note

We may ask to see your evidence when you arrive in New Zealand

Onward travel

You must have made arrangements to leave New Zealand.

Evidence can include:

  • a travel ticket out of New Zealand
  • a guarantee from your work exchange scheme's New Zealand guarantor that even if you do not complete the exchange, you will have a travel ticket out of New Zealand at the end of your stay.

How to pay and submit

When you arrive

Entry permission

You must apply for permission to enter New Zealand. You do this by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) form.

You can start your digital declaration any time, but the earliest you can submit it is 24 hours before starting your travel to New Zealand.

A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

Alert

You can be refused entry permission if you:

  • do not meet our character requirements
  • have had a change in circumstances since we issued your visa
  • refuse to let us take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan.

While you are in New Zealand

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa. Your visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.

Travel

After you arrive, you can travel in and out of New Zealand as many times as you like before your visa expires.

Work

You can only do work arranged by the work exchange scheme that you have been accepted into.

Study

You can study for up to 3 months.

Medical and dental insurance

You must maintain medical and dental insurance cover for the length of your work exchange.

Note

We may ask to see evidence you are insured when you arrive in New Zealand.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Note

Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.