New Zealand is consistently named as one of the best places in the world to work and live. To work in New Zealand, an individual requires being a citizen or current permanent resident of either New Zealand or Australia, or else have a work permit or appropriate visa. If they are intending to work in New Zealand they should obtain a work permit along with any tourist visa they might apply for.

An individual will also need to have a New Zealand bank account, as the vast majority of employers pay using electronic banking rather than in cash. Individuals planning to work in New Zealand can chose to work for a short term or long term period.

Short term Work: Short term work such as seasonal work in fruit picking and agriculture is sometimes available for tourists such as backpackers. New Zealand has a number of reciprocal Working Holiday Schemes, which allow people between 18 and 30 to travel and work in New Zealand for up to one year and vice versa. Young citizens of a number of countries from Europe, South America, North America and Asia have easy access to working holiday visa. These schemes are enormously popular and in many instances participants can apply to stay in New Zealand longer once they have completed their one year stay.

Long term Work: If an individual wants to stay in New Zealand long term, they should apply well ahead of time. New Zealanders usually have a great work-life balance which makes it one of the most desired option.

Job Vacancies have been growing strongly in New Zealand. The unemployment rate in New Zealand in March 2015 was 5.9 percent which is below the OECD average of 6.9 percent.

There are various work visas that an individual can choose from depending on their plan to stay in New Zealand. To know more about the various visas available kindly click on the links below or consider getting in touch with one of our representatives.