The New Zealand Government has launched the Recovery Visa (a Specific Purpose New Zealand Work Visa) to facilitate the availability of specialist migrant workers to help in the recovery efforts following Cyclone Gabrielle and other recent weather events in the North Island.
The Recovery Visa (a Specific Purpose Work Visa), will allow employers to sponsor migrants to come to New Zealand for a specific event or purpose, including working on an emergency response.
The New Zealand Recovery Visa (a Specific Purpose Work Visa) is for migrant workers who are assisting with the recovery.
Migrants can apply now through the Specific Purpose Work visa.
The full picture of labour demand is still emerging but we know that in the short term New Zealand is going to need specialists from overseas such as engineers, technicians and insurance assessors to support New Zealand’s experts on the ground.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will aim to process applications for the Recovery Visa within a week and many of them will be decided even quicker.
The initial visa will last up to 6 months. The $700 fee will be refunded for successful applicants.
Similar pathways have been used for the responses to the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes and insurance assessors have already been applying for Specific Purpose work visas after the first Auckland flooding event.
Employers wanting to recruit migrant workers for longer term roles are encouraged to use the existing Accredited Employer Work Visa.
Changes are being considered to the New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa to support faster processing for identified roles that will support the recovery and rebuild. These roles will be exempt from the labour market test.
Migrants already in New Zealand who need to change their role and location for up to 2 months will be able to do so provided they stay with their same employer. As long as employers and their workers agree between themselves to vary the location or role the migrant is working in, there is no need to let Immigration New Zealand know.
This measure is only for situations where the worker needs to work outside their conditions as a direct result of extreme weather events. Migrants wanting to move to another employer will still need to apply for a Job Change or Variation of Conditions.
In the case of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes employers have additional obligations towards their workers. INZ has communicated directly with RSE employers about options for flexibility within the RSE scheme.
Migrants wanting to move to another employer will still need to apply for a Job Change or Variation of Conditions.
What's Covered in This Article
Roles covered by the New Zealand recovery visa
The New Zealand recovery visa is for migrant workers coming to New Zealand for a short time (up to 6 months) to do a job that supports the North Island recovery from extreme weather events in January and February 2023.
This support can include:
- providing emergency response
- immediate clean-up
- assessing risk or loss
- infrastructure, building and housing stabilisation and/or repair (including planning functions)
- work that directly supports the recovery (e.g. producing relevant materials for road rebuild, transport drivers etc).
Employers must confirm that the role supports the North Island recovery from extreme weather events by completing a Recovery Visa Employer Supplementary Form (INZ 1377). Migrants must include the completed form with their application.
This visa is not available to industries providing indirect support (e.g. businesses in the affected areas facing an increased demand for services) or to backfill vacancies of people leaving roles to work on the recovery.
These employers will be able to access labour through other visas such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). Changes are being considered to the AEWV to support faster processing for identified roles that will support the recovery and rebuild. These roles will be exempt from the labour market test.
The Recovery Visa is not limited to roles in the North Island only, recognising that some direct support industries will be South Island-based. Employers do not have to be accredited.
Applying for the New Zealand Recovery Visa
How do I get a New Zealand recovery visa?
1. Employer finds migrant workers
Employer finds migrant workers who meet the requirements in assisting with the recovery.
2. Employer completes Employer Supplementary Form
Employer downloads and completes the Recovery Visa – Employer Supplementary Form (INZ 1377) and provides it to the migrant.
3. Migrant applies for the visa
Migrant worker completes a Specific Purpose Work visa application.
If applying online they must:
- select ‘Specific Purpose or Event’ as the type of work visa they are applying for.
- select ‘Recovery Visa’ as the type of specific purpose or event they are coming to New Zealand for.
- select ‘6 months or less’ as the length of stay in New Zealand.
- upload the Employer Supplementary Form (INZ 1377) as the ‘Evidence required for your Special Purpose or Event work visa’ in the ‘Upload Documents’ section.
4. We process the application
Immigration New Zealand processes the application and provides the applicant with a decision.
Recovery Visa – Employer Supplementary Form (INZ 1377)PDF 394KB
We aim to process applications for the Recovery Visa within a week or less.
The NZD $700 fee will be refunded automatically for successful applicants. Refunds are expected to take 15 to 25 days to process, depending on demand for the new visa. Once the refund has been processed, confirmation will be provided via the email address listed as the contact in the application.
New Zealand recovery visa jobs employers hiring
Class 2 Drivers Wanted (Visa Holders Welcome)
Geotech Rope Access Technician
Join Geovert as a Rope Access Technician L1-3 and/or a Driller in Auckland, in the tremendous disaster recovery efforts from cyclone Gabrielle. We’re building new dedicated crews to support the community in what we do best, and also have multiple ongoing projects.
There are Recovery Work Visa’s available for New Zealand.
You will experience the best bespoke drilling plant and equipment Australia & New Zealand has to offer. From High reach drilling plant, spider excavator based drilling plant to new tracked Hutte and C6 drill rigs are waiting for you.
- Rope access and inspection works
- Rockfall mesh preparation & installation and barrier construction
- Drilling & Off-siding
- Grouting and use of plant equipment & tools
