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Pathway

New Zealand Specific Purpose Work Visa

New Zealand Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

New Zealand's Specific Purpose Work Visa is for people coming to New Zealand for a specific project, event, assignment, or time-limited work purpose.

Type
Temporary purpose-specific work
Work basis
Defined New Zealand project, event, or assignment
Core requirements
Specific purpose, supporting documents, qualifications, funds, and admissibility
What to know
Temporary and tied to the specific purpose
What it gives
The holder can perform only the specific work recorded in the eVisa, for the employer and at the location stated there.
Main limit
It is not a general job-search route, an open permission to change jobs, or a direct route to residence.

Summary

The Specific Purpose Work Visa is a temporary visa for a defined, time-limited purpose or event in New Zealand. Accepted purposes include some business secondments or transfers, specialist assignments, sports roles and events, dance or music examining, and other cases listed by Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

The visa lasts only as long as INZ considers necessary for the accepted purpose. The approval records the work, employer, and location allowed; it is not an open work visa.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The applicant must identify an accepted purpose or event and show both why they are needed and how long the work will take. Depending on the category, evidence may include a compliant job offer, invitation letter, schedule of events, contract, employer supplementary form, or proof of international standing, specialist skills, qualifications, or experience.

The applicant must also:

Length of stay and whether another visa can be granted vary by purpose. For example, some secondments or intracorporate transfers have specific maximum periods, while some one-off categories cannot be renewed. The temporary seasonal-work option under this visa closed on 8 December 2025; current seasonal workers should check the Peak Seasonal Visa or Global Workforce Seasonal Visa instead.

What This Route Allows

The holder can perform only the specific work recorded in the eVisa, for the employer and at the location stated there. Travel in and out is possible only if the visa has valid multiple-entry travel conditions.

A partner or dependent child cannot be included in this application. They may apply separately for a visa based on the relationship if the applicable family-visa rules are met; that outcome is not automatic.

What This Route Is Not

It is not a general job-search route, an open permission to change jobs, or a direct route to residence. A general overseas job offer does not qualify unless the work fits an accepted purpose or event.

Entertainers and tour guides from China have separate visa routes. Ordinary seasonal recruitment also no longer belongs in this category. Extending the assignment, changing the employer or location, or taking different work may require a new visa or an approved variation before the change happens.

Next Steps

  1. Match the assignment to INZ's exact list of accepted purposes and identify its maximum stay and renewal rule.
  2. Obtain a detailed offer, invitation, contract, or event schedule showing duties, dates, employer, location, pay, and why the applicant is needed.
  3. Gather the qualifications, references, professional credentials, or evidence of distinction required for that purpose.
  4. Document living-cost support, return travel, health, character, identity, and genuine temporary intentions.
  5. Check the family route separately and do not assume dependents receive the same work or study rights.
  6. Apply for any new visa or variation before changing the approved assignment or conditions.
Compare your options

Similar work permit pathways in other destinations.

Sources