Changing the conditions of a New Zealand work visa

Contents: 

• What are the conditions of a New Zealand work visa?
• Conditions you can change in your NZ work visa
• What you’ll need to complete a Job Change application
• Why it’s important to update your visa conditions when things change

When you’re granted a visa for New Zealand, it’s likely that the visa will come with conditions. Some of these conditions can be changed (for instance, you might change your role and employer) without the need to apply for a whole new visa.

What are the conditions of a New Zealand work visa?

The conditions will be based on the reason your visa was granted and are laid out in the letter you receive from Immigration NZ when a decision is made. You can also find your visa conditions in your eVisa or the visa label in your passport.

Conditions you can change in your NZ work visa

Work visas typically include conditions for:

• Your employer
• Your role
• Your location
• How long you can study for while you work.

You can apply to modify one or a combination of these conditions by submitting a Job Change application through Immigration New Zealand.

What you’ll need to complete a Job Change application

Here’s what you’ll need to complete a Job Change application:

• Your passport
• A letter to authenticate the length of your notice period at the job you’re leaving (if applicable)

Your new employer will need to be accredited in most cases. There are some things you’ll need to include in your application that come directly from them:

• An offer of employment
• Your new employment agreement
• Your new job description
• The Job Check approval number

If your new employer does not need to be accredited, you’ll also need to include: 

• An employer supplementary form (INZ 1113), completed by your new employer.

Why it’s important to update your visa conditions when things change

It’s very important that your visa remains consistent with your circumstances. When things change, those changes need to be officially lodged with Immigration NZ.

If you don’t update your visa, you risk breaching your visa conditions and that could have serious implications for your legal status. It can also impact future visa applications.

Key takeaways:

You can use the Job Change process to change your employer, your role, your location of work, how long you can study for while you work, or a combination of these.

Your visa must always match your current circumstances.

Any modifications made to your existing visa must align with the reason your visa was originally granted.

If your circumstances no longer align with the reasons your visa was originally granted and you’re able to take the Variation of Conditions or the Job Change routes, all is not lost: you may be able to apply for a new or different visa.