Employers
Hiring temporary migrants
Before hiring someone from overseas, you need to make sure they have the legal right to work in New Zealand.
What you must do
It is your responsibility as an An individual or organisation that hires 1 or more employees and contracts them to work in exchange for wages or salary under a ‘contract of service’ (commonly called an ‘employment agreement’). Any person, whatever their age, who is employed by an employer to do any work for hire or reward under a ‘contract of service’ (commonly called an ‘employment agreement’).
Immigration Act 2009 (external link)
Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE)
If you cannot find enough horticulture and viticulture workers in New Zealand, the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme lets workers from specific countries come to New Zealand to plant, maintain, harvest and pack crops.
You can apply to be a Recognised Seasonal Employer on the Immigration New Zealand website:
- Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme - Immigration New Zealand (external link)
- Supplementary Seasonal Employment - Approval in Principle - Immigration New Zealand (external link)
- Immigration NZ - Apply for agreement to recruit(external link)
You must meet all the employment standards, including paying employees hired under the RSE scheme no less than the applicable The lowest amount an employee can be paid per hour. There are 3 types of minimum wage: adult, starting-out and training. There is no minimum wage for employees younger than 16 years old.
If you want the same workers back for another season, they may be able to come back to New Zealand under a new agreement to recruit if:
- the conditions of their visa have been met, and
- there is a continued labour shortage.
Best practice tips
Business.govt.nz has more information about hiring people from overseas:
How to hire overseas workers — business.govt.nz(external link)