New seasonal visa pathways to support peak workforce demand

New Zealand’s seasonal industries face significant workforce pressure during peak periods. Sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, meat and seafood processing, forestry, and tourism rely on short high demand cycles where experienced labour is essential.

From 8 December 2025, the Government will introduce two new visa pathways under the Accredited Employer Work Visa framework. These visas will allow accredited employers to access experienced workers for genuine seasonal roles and maintain strong checks on visa use. Any change to visa conditions will require a Job Change application.

Enhancing seasonal workforce capacity

The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and the Peak Seasonal Visa have been developed to support industries that experience recurring labour shortages. These visas are designed for short term or cyclical roles where timing and skill availability are critical.

• Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV) – a three-year visa for highly skilled seasonal roles
• Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV) – a short-term visa for entry-level or lower-skilled seasonal roles

These pathways will support industries by providing clear options for accessing workers during defined seasonal peaks, helping employers manage workloads without affecting production or service quality.

What is the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa?

The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa will allow eligible workers to remain in New Zealand for up to three years while meeting the requirement to spend three months outside the country each year.

Eligibility requirements:

• Minimum three seasons of relevant work experience in the last six years
• A job offer in an approved seasonal occupation
• Full medical and police certificates
• No labour market test or advertising requirement
• No English language requirement
• Ability to meet the annual three month offshore period

Employers must be accredited and secure a Job Check for the seasonal role. Advertising is not required for this visa type.

Eligible roles under GWSV will include:

• Agricultural and horticultural mobile plant operator
• Agricultural technician (e.g. sheep or animal pregnancy scanner)
• Chairlift operator
• Tulip grower
• Thoroughbred yearling preparer
• Snow groomer
• Mountain or glacier guide
• Outdoor adventure instructor
• Primary products inspector
• Shearer
• Slaughterer
• Snow sports instructor
• Snow maker
• Snowsport equipment technician
• Whitewater rafting guide
• Wine maker
• Winery senior cellar hand

Applicants must provide a complete and valid police certificate. Immigration New Zealand will not accept proof that the certificate has been requested.

Global Workforce Seasonal Visa holders may transition to another visa if eligible but will not be able to support partner or dependent visas. Job changes can only occur within the same visa type.

Peak Seasonal Visa – supporting essential seasonal operations

The Peak Seasonal Visa will enable employers to hire workers for up to seven months to support roles that operate during short seasonal peaks. Workers will need to spend four continuous months outside New Zealand before applying again.

Eligibility requirements:

• At least one season of relevant work experience within the last three years
• A job offer in an eligible seasonal occupation
• Comprehensive health insurance for any role longer than three months
• No English language requirement
• Advertising and labour market test required
• Employers must either engage with Work and Income in good faith or obtain a Peak Seasonal Visa endorsement

Health insurance must be acceptable and must cover primary or urgent care, hospital care, prescription medicines, emergency dental treatment, and evacuation or repatriation if required. The policy must be active for the full period of employment.

Eligible roles under PSV will include:

• Mussel or oyster farm worker
• Calf rearer
• Relief milker
• Forestry worker
• Meat boner and slicer
• Meat process worker
• Seafood process worker
• Winery cellar hand
• Wool handler

Peak Seasonal Visa workers will not be able to support partner or dependent visas and may only change jobs within the same visa type.

What applicants need to prepare

Applicants must submit complete and accurate documentation that demonstrates they meet all visa requirements.

Requirements

• A job offer and signed employment agreement that states the start date, end date, pay rate, guaranteed hours, and location of work
• Evidence of relevant seasonal work experience that satisfies the criteria for the selected visa
• Proof that the nature of the work aligns with seasonal patterns
• For Peak Seasonal Visa roles longer than three months, acceptable health insurance
• Valid passport, photo, medical documents, and police certificates
• Complete police certificates for all Global Workforce Seasonal Visa applicants

All documents must be in English or accompanied by certified translations.

How Immigration New Zealand will confirm seasonal roles

Immigration New Zealand will assess whether the role meets the seasonal definition by confirming its connection to industry peak periods and ensuring that it is not an ongoing position. This protects the integrity of the seasonal visa pathway.

Steps for employers to hire under the new visas

Employers must:

• Hold Accredited Employer Work Visa accreditation
• Obtain an approved Job Check for a genuine seasonal role
• Confirm that the occupation is eligible for the relevant visa

Workers who apply from an existing visa will retain interim work rights while their new application is processed.

How these changes can strengthen your business workforce

These visas will provide accredited employers with reliable access to workers during high demand periods. The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa removes the need for labour market testing for higher skilled roles, while the Peak Seasonal Visa offers a clear process for shorter operational peaks. These changes support planning certainty and reduce the risk of workforce shortages during critical periods.

How Absolute Immigration NZ can support you

Absolute Immigration NZ helps employers and applicants navigate the new seasonal visa pathways with clarity and accuracy. Our team supports Job Checks, eligibility assessments, and complete visa applications to ensure compliance and smooth processing.

Contact aisupport@absoluteimmigration.com for expert guidance and end-to-end visa support.