Working in New Zealand is ideal for any Australian thinking about relocating, who is an avid traveller and wants a working holiday, or who is looking for work experience in a certain field. Australia and New Zealand have one of the most open economic relationships in the world, including the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement (TTTA), which is a bilateral working agreement. This agreement allows free movement and work for Australian citizens without a visa or having to apply for permission. So what’s involved in getting a job and working in New Zealand? Let’s take a look.
To work in New Zealand, you have to be an Australian passport holder and be of good character. That’s it.
As long as you meet these two criteria, you will receive an Australian citizen visa when you arrive in New Zealand. This visa allows you to work in New Zealand, and you can only get one once you are in New Zealand, as in, you can’t apply for one beforehand.
Having good character allows you to move freely and work in New Zealand. These are the exclusions:
- If you have received a prison sentence of five or more years.
- If you have broken a law in the past ten years which carried a one-year prison sentence or more.
- If you have been prohibited from entering New Zealand for any reason.
- If you have been deported or excluded from any country.
- If the New Zealand Government believes you have the potential to be a security threat, disturb the peace, or break the law.
Your passport is the only documentation you’ll need to obtain your Australian citizen visa, and it needs to have six months or more of validity remaining. If your passport expires while you’re in New Zealand, your visa will expire, so if you plan to stay beyond its expiry date, you’ll need to complete the Form INZ 175 to preserve your working status.
Getting a job in New Zealand
If you need to start working soon after you arrive in New Zealand, you can apply for jobs from Australia before you have your Australian citizen visa. Popular websites for job listings include: Trademe Jobs, Seek, Indeed, Jora and JobSpace. If you are looking for specialist roles, it would also be valuable to sign up with recruitment agencies.
The New Zealand government also provides good resources for finding jobs and information about working conditions, which include CareersNZ and Employment New Zealand.
If you are looking to open and run a business in New Zealand, you’ll find plenty of useful information on the New Zealand government’s Business and New Zealand Now websites.
New Zealand is a beautiful country and a great place to work, with excellent work-life balance and a relaxed, professional business culture that favours success and well-being. There is also demand for workers in technology, healthcare and agriculture, so you can expect to be welcomed with open arms.
If you’re planning an extended move to New Zealand, be sure to get in touch with us, no matter where you live in Australia. We have branches across Australia and are experts at relocating Australians seamlessly between countries with our sister branches across New Zealand.