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Backpacker Extended Stay Opportunities for New Zealand
If you have a working holiday visa and you’re looking for ways to extend your time in New Zealand beyond your working holiday visa expiry, there are a couple of ways to do this–
- through the working holiday visa extension for previous work in the viticulture and horticulture industries
- through a permanent job with an employer
1) Viticulture / Horticulture Previous Work Extension to WHV Expiry
If you’ve spent 3 or more months working in NZ’s horticulture or viticulture industry, you may be in luck.
The NZ government (through Immigration NZ), have a program aptly named the Working Holiday Extension (WHE) programme. Essentially, if you’ve picked, packed and/or pruned for 3 months, you can get 3 months if you meet the eligibility.
Basically:
- You fill out the application – using an INZ 1153 you can access here.
- You’ll need to print and mail this because you need to include passport photos and proof of employment for those months. These can include, payslips, tax records or a letter from your employer. (BTW, all of these would also be required if you decide to go for permanent visa sponsorship.) The full process is HERE.
- Pay your fees (You can check those via INZ’s fees and processing page HERE)
- Mail it in
Warning: Immigration NZ says the process can take up to 30 business days to process. Having said that, anecdotally, we are being told of exceptional delays in decision time – with many still in the process. INZ may send you an Interim until a formal decision is made. Save that email!
2) Securing a Formal Job with Visa Sponsorship
Keeping in mind that the extension visa option for you only lasts for 6 months, securing an Accredited Employer Work Visa for permanent work, or even a Peak seasonal (depending on your circumstances and opportunities) may actually be favourable for you.
To go this route, you need to:
- receive a job offer from an Accredited Employer with a Job Check for the role, and
- undertake a formal visa application process
Importantly, the conditions in the first step can make it difficult for you to find an Employer who is eligible to support your visa, or at least one who knows what needs to happen. Many of FRENZ have accreditation and use FRENZ immigration to ensure they have valid Job Checks.
Minimising cost and risk of decline
Using a professional will increase your chances of success and remove the burden on you and your employer to understand and undertake the process.
Even if your employer claims they have done this many times, unless they’re licensed advisers or lawyers, they won’t understand all the new rules and regulations and one stumble could torpedo your application.
FRENZ are experienced in finding jobs for workers (which is a free service), in worker protections and, through our on-site Immigration Advisers, securing visas for both people who’ve gotten jobs through us and/or on their own.
Using us you save time, gain peace of mind and, most importantly, increase chances of success.
Our commitment to you includes:
- Working through with you on what you want and need in NZ, and answer questions that range from employment options and your employment rights to what happens in the immigration process and what we need from you (when and how)
- Reviewing your employment offer to make sure its lawful and meets your needs and rights
- Working with your employer:
- to manage INZ’s required “labour market test” (advertising and interviewing to prove there are no Kiwis available for the job)
- direct the employer on what’s required in your agreement and other documents required for your application
- Guide you step by step on what documents you must have or should have to improve your changes of success and how to obtain them.
