The information given here is correct to the best of our knowledge, but it is given for guidance only (December, 2005). For full information, please contact Immigration New Zealand on www.immigration.govt.nz

What are visas and permits?

A visa is permission to travel to a country; a permit is permission to be in a country. For example, you may get a work visa to come to New Zealand. When you arrive at the Airport, you then receive a work permit. For every visa, there is a corresponding permit.

Different types of visa / permits

The most likely ways in which you will come to New Zealand are with one of these visas/permits:

• Working holiday. A working holiday visa allows people from certain countries to come to New Zealand to spend up to one year travelling, studying – and working. For more information, please see below.

• Work. To apply for a work permit, you normally need a job offer. If the job is in an area where there are recognised skill shortages, you have quite a good chance of getting a permit. Sometimes employers have to show that they have tried to find local people to do the job, but have not been able to do so. Contact ARC New Zealand or look at www.immigration.govt.nz for information about areas with skill shortages.

• Visitor. People from many countries can travel to New Zealand without a visa, and they can then usually spend 3 months here as a visitor or tourist. It is also possible to study for up to 3 months with a visitor permit. People from other countries need to get a visitor visa first. You are not allowed to work with a visitor permit.

• Student. A student permit is for a period of study in New Zealand. You are not allowed to work with a student permit.

You can apply to change in New Zealand from one kind of permit to another, and you do not have to leave the country to do this. Therefore, you can apply to change from a working holiday, visitor or student permit to a work permit if you qualify (see “work” above). However, in most cases you cannot apply for a working holiday permit in New Zealand.

Countries with working holiday agreements with New Zealand

Many people joining the ARC Programme come to New Zealand with a working holiday permit.These are some of the countries with working holiday agreements with New Zealand. We are also listing the number of people who are allowed to come to New Zealand on this scheme every year:

(There are also working holiday agreements with a number of English-speaking countries.)

Rules for all countries:

1. Your age must be 18 to 30.
2. You must be a citizen of a country which is part of the scheme (not just living there now).
3. You are allowed to take one course of study for up to three months.
4. You can do any kind of work.
5. You may work full-time or part-time, and for as long as you like during your year in New Zealand.
6. You need to bring with you a minimum of NZ$4,200 to support yourself here. You do not have to spend this money, and you can take out as much money as you wish.
7. You must have a return ticket to your country or enough extra money to buy a return ticket when you are here.
8. You must have health insurance for the whole of your stay in New Zealand.

Rules for most countries:

1. You are allowed to work for up to three months in any one job (except for: Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden - you can stay as long as you like in any one job).
2. You do not usually need to have a medical examination (except for: Argentina, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Uruguay – you need to have a chest x-ray, and to include the results with your visa application). You may also need to have an x-ray if you have spent some time living in certain countries.
3. You usually have to be living in the country of which you are a citizen (except for the Netherlands – you may already be in New Zealand when you apply). This rule may change, as applications may be done on line in the future.
4. For many countries, the rules state that your main aim in coming to New Zealand should be travel; however, you will also see that the New Zealand Immigration Service is looking for working holiday people to work in areas where there are not enough people already in New Zealand. You will probably not be asked why you wish to come to New Zealand, but if you are, just say that you are coming to travel and to do some work along the way.