Essential Skills

Essential Skills Work Visa

Have a job offer?
Then an Essential Skills work visa might be your best choice

Essential Skills is a work visa designed to help New Zealand employers fill their vacancies with migrant skilled staff (as quickly as possible) if they are unable to find New Zealand workers. Work visas are temporary visas and allow a stay in New Zealand for a specified period up to 3 years.

If you have a job offer, chances are your employer is aware of this visa and meets the criteria, including:

They have advertised the job locally and been unable to find a NZ citizen or resident available to fill the position

and/or

The job is one listed on the Immediate or Long Term Skill Shortage List and you meet the requirements set out on one of the lists.

To support your application, your employer will need to complete an Employer Supplementary Form (PDF, 169 KB) and is best advised to write a letter indicating the particular skills you will bring to their firm.

To discover more about the qualifications needed for approval for this work visa, click here.

FAQs

Is this visa right for me?

The answer is yes, if:

You have a job offer
You prefer to work in New Zealand on a temporary basis
Your skills/experience are needed as demonstrated by your employer’s search to fill the position, and/or its listing on the Immediate or Long Term Skills Shortage List and you meet the requirements set out on one of the lists.

How long a visa will I be granted if I am approved?

Most are granted for a minimum of 12 months – and usually to the length of your employment contract up to 3 years. It can be renewed before they expire, as long as your employer can continue to demonstrate there are no New Zealanders available to fill the position.