Work Visa New Zealand from Indonesia

New Zealand offers work visa options for people who have a job offer, want to undertake seasonal work or may qualify for a pathway to residence through eligible employment.

The visa you need will depend on your job, employer, skills and intended length of stay. Work visa conditions can also limit the employer, role, or location where you may work.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is a key route for overseas workers with a full-time job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. The role must also meet Immigration New Zealand’s job-check requirements.

Some care workforce roles may be eligible for a residence pathway after you have completed 24 months of qualifying work in New Zealand. The Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa is a resident visa, not a temporary work visa.

For short-term seasonal employment, the Recognised Seasonal Employer Limited Visa allows eligible workers to work in New Zealand’s horticulture and viticulture industries. You must have a job offer from a Recognised Seasonal Employer before applying.

Each visa has its own eligibility criteria and document requirements. Some routes require a job offer before you apply, while other immigration pathways may have different entry requirements.

If you plan to work in New Zealand, understanding the requirements for the relevant visa can help you prepare an application that reflects your circumstances. Our immigration lawyers can provide professional advice on your options and assist with your application.

Page Contents

• Visas That Allow You to Work in New Zealand
• List of New Zealand Work Visas for Indonesians
• Accredited Employer Work Visa
• Specific Purpose Work Visa
• Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
• Talent Work Visa
• Straight to Residence Visa
• Indonesia Special Work Visa
• What Are the Common Reasons for the Visa Denial in New Zealand for Indonesian Citizens?
• How Can Total Law Help You
• Frequently Asked Questions

Indonesian citizens may be able to apply for different New Zealand work visas, depending on their job offer, skills, intended activities and personal circumstances.

The following are some work visa options that may be relevant:

• Accredited Employer Work Visa
• Specific Purpose Work Visa
• Indonesia Special Work Visa
• Global Workforce Seasonal Visa

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is available to applicants who have a job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. Visa length and conditions depend on factors such as the role, skill level, pay and date of application.

The Specific Purpose Work Visa may be suitable if you need to work in New Zealand for a defined purpose or event, such as contract services or certain seasonal work.

The Indonesia Special Work Visa is only for Indonesian citizens who live permanently in Indonesia and have a qualifying full-time job offer as a trained chef, Halal slaughterer or Bahasa teacher’s aide.

The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa may also be relevant for eligible seasonal workers. Indonesian citizens applying for this visa must provide additional identity documentation, including a Kartu Keluarga.

New Zealand Residence Pathways for Skilled Workers

Some Indonesian citizens may qualify for a resident visa that allows them to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely.

• Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
• Straight to Residence Visa

The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is for people with skills New Zealand needs who meet the requirements of an eligible pathway. Applicants will often need a skilled job or job offer from an accredited employer, alongside other requirements relating to pay, health, character and English language ability.

The Straight to Residence Visa is for people with an eligible Tier 1 Green List job or job offer from an accredited employer.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) allows you to work in New Zealand for an accredited employer that has offered you a full-time role.

To qualify, your job offer must:

• Be from an employer accredited to hire migrants under the AEWV
• Relate to a role covered by an approved job check
• Provide at least 30 hours of guaranteed work each week

You must submit an AEWV application after receiving a full-time job offer. Supporting evidence may include your employment agreement, job description, and job offer information.

You must also meet the skill, work-experience or qualification requirements for the role. These requirements may depend on the occupation, the approved job check, the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations or the National Occupation List, and any registration rules that apply to the job.

In some cases, an employer must advertise the role and show that suitable New Zealand citizens or residents are not available. This requirement does not apply to every AEWV role.

The length of an AEWV depends on factors such as the role, its skill level, your pay and the date on which you apply. Some AEWV holders can remain in New Zealand for up to 5 years, while others have a shorter maximum continuous stay.

Your visa conditions may also allow you to study for up to three months in any 12-month period. Check the visa conditions issued with your AEWV before starting a course.

The Specific Purpose Work Visa allows you to work in New Zealand for a defined purpose or event. Your proposed work must be temporary and linked to an identified activity, engagement or project.

You may be eligible if you are coming to New Zealand as:

• A senior or specialist businessperson on a short-term secondment
• An eligible businessperson undertaking approved business activities or an investor applicant in a qualifying category
• A referee or judge for a sports event, show, display or exhibition
• An installer or servicer of specialised machinery or equipment
• A person undertaking another approved, time-bound, specific purpose or event

To apply, you must meet the eligibility requirements for your relevant purpose or event. Depending on the category, you may need to provide evidence of your skills, qualifications, or experience, as well as documents confirming your work, contract, employer, host organisation, or event.

You must also show that your stay is temporary and that you will leave New Zealand when your visa expires if you do not obtain another visa.

The duration of a Specific Purpose Work Visa depends on the activity you will undertake. For example, a senior or specialist businessperson on a short-term secondment can stay for up to 12 months.

An installer or servicer of specialised machinery or equipment can stay for up to three months. Referees and judges can remain in their roles for up to 6 months.

You cannot extend a New Zealand temporary visa. If you need to remain in New Zealand after your visa expires, you must apply for another temporary visa before its expiry date.

A further Specific Purpose Work Visa may be available only where necessary to complete the original approved purpose or event.

The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is a residence pathway for people who have skilled employment or a skilled job offer in New Zealand and meet the requirements of the Skilled Migrant Category.

If your application is approved, you can live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. You may also include your partner and eligible dependent children in your residence application, subject to Immigration New Zealand’s family eligibility requirements.

To apply, you must:

• Be 55 or younger when you apply
• Meet the English-language requirement
• Meet health and character requirements
• Be working in, or have a job offer for, skilled employment with an accredited New Zealand employer
• Meet the relevant job, pay, qualification, registration or work-experience requirements for your Skilled Migrant Category pathway

The Skilled Migrant Category includes different pathways. Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify through your qualification, occupational registration, income or eligible skilled work experience in New Zealand.

Applicants using the points-based pathway must claim six skilled resident points. A recognised qualification is one way to claim points, but a bachelor’s degree is not a requirement for every applicant.

The pay requirement also depends on your pathway and occupation. For example, Immigration New Zealand publishes an SMC threshold of NZD $35.00 per hour for ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 jobs.

Roles at ANZSCO skill levels 4 and 5, and unlisted jobs, may require pay of at least NZD $52.50 per hour. Applicants claiming points through income must meet a higher threshold of NZD $105.00 per hour.

Before applying for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, you must submit an expression of interest. If Immigration New Zealand accepts your expression of interest, it may invite you to apply for residence. An invitation to apply does not guarantee approval of the residence application.

The Talent (Arts, Culture and Sports) Work Visa allows people with exceptional talent in art, culture or sport to work in New Zealand for up to 30 months. It can also provide a pathway to residence for eligible applicants.

To apply, you must:

• Be aged 55 or younger
• Have exceptional talent in a declared field of art, culture or sport
• Have an international reputation and be prominent in your declared field
• Be supported by a New Zealand organisation of national repute in that field
• Have an acceptable sponsor who can meet Immigration New Zealand’s sponsorship requirements
• Meet health, character and bona fide requirements

Your sponsor must be able to provide accommodation and financial support in line with Immigration New Zealand’s sponsorship rules.

The supporting New Zealand organisation must also show that your presence is expected to enhance New Zealand’s participation or achievements in your declared field.

The visa allows you to stay in New Zealand for up to 30 months. If you are outside New Zealand when your visa is granted, you must make your first entry within three months, and the 30-month period starts from your first arrival.

After holding this visa, you may be able to apply for a resident visa if you have been actively engaged in your declared field for at least 24 months and meet the other residence requirements.

If your resident visa application is approved, you can live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. You may also include your eligible partner and dependent children in your residence application, subject to the relevant family eligibility requirements.

The Indonesia Special Work Visa allows eligible Indonesian citizens to work in New Zealand as a trained chef, Halal slaughterer or a Bahasa teacher’s aide. You must live permanently in Indonesia when you apply.

If your application is approved, you can stay in New Zealand for up to three years.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be an Indonesian citizen who lives permanently in Indonesia
• Have a genuine full-time job offer as a trained chef, Halal slaughterer or Bahasa teacher’s aide
• Meet the skills, qualifications or work-experience requirements for the relevant role
• Meet Immigration New Zealand’s health, character and bona fide requirements

This visa has occupation-specific limits on the number of workers who can hold it at any given time.

If you’re interested in the Indonesia Special Work Visa, an immigration lawyer can help you determine if there are available quotas. Call 0333 305 9375 to speak to one of our lawyers.

Immigration New Zealand may decline a visa application if an applicant does not meet the requirements of the relevant visa category or does not provide adequate supporting evidence.

Common reasons include:

• Providing false or misleading information, or withholding relevant information, in a visa application or expression of interest
• Providing forged, fraudulent or altered identity documents or other official documents
• Not being able to show that the purpose of the visit is lawful and genuine
• Not meeting the health or character requirements
• Not having enough money to support yourself during your stay, where this is required
• Not meeting the job, employer, pay, skills, qualifications, work experience, or occupational registration requirements for the visa route

A visa holder can also be refused entry permission on arrival in New Zealand. A valid visa permits you to travel to New Zealand, but you must still apply for entry permission at the border. Immigration officers may ask you to show that you can meet the conditions of your visa.

For example, entry permission may be refused if you cannot provide evidence that you have enough money for your stay, arrangements to leave New Zealand at the end of your authorised period or a lawful and genuine reason for travelling to New Zealand.

Providing inaccurate information can affect future New Zealand visa applications. Immigration New Zealand may consider previous false, misleading or withheld information when assessing whether an applicant meets character requirements.