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New Zealand Visa and Immigration Guide for Applicants in India

Bold Voices

Visa & Immigration Desk

Team of Boldvoices · 15 November 2026 · Official guidance checked 15 November 2026

Check your purpose first. Employer-backed work, study and residence are separate application paths, and the India-specific work visas have their own occupation and job-offer rules.

Jump to your route

Study · Verified vacancies · Find my work visa route · Work visa directory · Work overview · Official job openings · Visit · Join family · Settle

Verified vacancies

Healthcare · 1 verified vacancy advert and 1 international recruitment listing with no published position count. These are the listings checked for this page on 15 November 2026.

Counts cover the adverts listed here. Check the employer’s portal before applying, as listings can close early. Visa support and individual eligibility are assessed separately.

Gastroenterologist · Health New Zealand, Taranaki

Closes 29 November 2026. The advert offers immigration support and relocation assistance. Salary follows the applicable NZ MECA, with no numeric range in the advert. Check Medical Council registration eligibility and confirm the applicable visa route with recruitment. Read the employer’s advert

International pharmacist recruitment · Health New Zealand, multiple locations

Recruitment listing closes 26 February 2027. Health New Zealand offers complimentary immigration support. Advertised annual salary ranges are NZD 81,000–122,000 for core roles and NZD 117,000–159,000 for designated roles. The advert covers multiple roles and leaves the number of positions unspecified. Read the employer’s advert

Find my work visa route

Have an offer? Match it to the AEWV or relevant India-specific route and confirm accreditation, job details and registration evidence.

Looking for an employer? Use the official adverts and accreditation list. Ask how the employer will support the specific offer.

Recently qualified in New Zealand? Compare Post Study Work Visa rules with the Short-Term Graduate Work Visa. Immigration New Zealand moved the scheduled changes to 23 November 2026.

Opportunities and rule changes

Immigration New Zealand says the India–New Zealand free trade agreement entered into force on 20 October 2026. Two Temporary Employment Entry pathways became available that day: the India Skilled Work Visa and the India Iconic Work Visa. The combined limit covers up to 5,000 holders in New Zealand at any one time. Check the route’s occupation, qualifications and job-offer rules before applying.

Fee Paying Student Visa

Start with an offer of place and check evidence for tuition, living funds and onward travel. Follow the instructions for any insurance, health or character requirements. Review post-study eligibility for the particular qualification, including any India-specific provisions that apply.

Work visa directory

Status checked on 15 November 2026. Find the route that fits your job or circumstances, then check the official occupation list and application page at the end of this guide. An eligible occupation alone does not establish a vacancy or individual eligibility.

The directory focuses on routes relevant to applicants in India, plus graduate options that require local study or presence. Use the official work visa directory for specialised categories.

India Skilled Work Visa

Applications available with an eligible offer. Indian citizens with a qualifying skilled occupation and full-time offer from an accredited employer. Compare the role against the route’s own list, including qualification, experience, registration and English requirements. The route is temporary.

India Iconic Work Visa

Applications available with an eligible offer; occupation caps apply. Indian citizens offered full-time work by an accredited employer as an Indian chef, yoga instructor, music teacher or AYUSH practitioner. Check the precise qualification or experience rules and capacity for the occupation. Immigration New Zealand lists a cost from NZD 1,355.

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

Applications available with an eligible offer. Check the accredited employer, approved job check, occupation classification and skill rules. The role can affect the evidence required, maximum stay and what visas you can support for your family.

Global Workforce Seasonal Visa

Applications available for listed seasonal roles. For experienced workers with an eligible seasonal role and an offer from an accredited employer. Check the official jobs list and season-experience rules before applying.

Peak Seasonal Visa

Applications available for listed peak-season roles. For eligible peak-season work with an accredited employer. Check the job list, previous season experience and applicable insurance requirements.

Specific Purpose Work Visa

Applications available for qualifying assignments. For the qualifying event or assignment described in the official instructions. Check whether your purpose qualifies and what evidence the organisation in New Zealand must provide.

Post Study Work Visa

Applications available for eligible graduates. For eligible New Zealand graduates. Check the qualification, study and filing requirements. Work conditions depend on the qualification and route. Use the separate announcement for eligibility changes now scheduled for 23 November 2026.

Short-Term Graduate Work Visa

Announced. Opening moved to 23 November 2026. A separate route for eligible graduates of qualifying study in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand says it can allow up to six months of work. Use the route page for admission criteria and permitted work.

India application checklist

Match the offer to the exact occupation and visa. Gather your passport, signed offer, qualification and employment evidence, and any route-specific English or registration records. Check whether health or police evidence is needed and use the route’s official application instructions.

Qualifications and licensing

Check the occupation entry and the responsible New Zealand regulator before accepting an offer in a regulated profession. The Green List and seasonal lists show route-specific qualifications, registration and experience. Use the visa route’s own occupation list for eligibility.

Family and settlement

An AEWV holder’s ability to support family visas depends on the work and visa conditions. Check by main-applicant route and family member. For skilled residence, compare current Skilled Migrant or Green List criteria. A Permanent Resident Visa has a separate checklist.

Fees and processing

Use the cost in NZD on each route page and the official processing checker. Allow separately for document preparation and any employer job check.

Rule changes and dates

20 October 2026: Immigration New Zealand made the two India-specific Temporary Employment Entry routes available. 23 November 2026: the revised date for the graduate route launch and the extension of Post Study Work Visa eligibility. If applying around the change, check which terms apply to your filing date.

Check the employer and avoid scams

Use the accredited employer list and verify the offer directly with the employer through an independently located contact. A listing is an employer check. A role, job check and visa still have their own eligibility steps.

Costs before applying

Check the visa fee in NZD on the route page. Budget separately for translations, any requested medical or police records, English tests and professional registration. Use Immigration New Zealand’s official information to establish which employer-side steps apply before paying any requested charge.

Common work visa application mistakes

Check the employer and the specific job rather than relying on accreditation alone. Match the advertised role to the visa’s own occupations and evidence requirements. If the job is regulated, confirm the registration process before making commitments.

If you already applied

On 13 November, Immigration New Zealand postponed the Short-Term Graduate Work Visa and the Post Study Work Visa expansion from 16 to 23 November 2026. If you already applied, check your Immigration Online messages and the official notice for instructions relevant to your own case. The notice announces the timetable change and gives no specific instruction to refile pending applications.

Official job openings by industry

Verified total of open vacancies that support a work visa, by industry: No official total verified as of 15 November 2026. Where a portal displays a filtered count, use it as a count of results for that search and check individual adverts for overseas eligibility and visa support.

Use Immigration New Zealand’s job-search guidance and check the employer’s accreditation where your route requires it. The public-service jobs board has its own work-rights requirements. For seasonal roles and India-specific work visas, compare the job advertisement with the route’s occupation and offer requirements.

Before counting an opening, check that the advert is active, accepts applications from overseas, and supports the specific work-visa route or provides the job offer needed for it. Count one advert once and record the number of positions separately if the employer publishes it.

Accredited employer work and India-specific routes

For an Accredited Employer Work Visa, check the employer’s accreditation and approved job check. For the India Skilled or Iconic route, compare the occupation, offer and documentation rules on that route’s own page before choosing the form.

Visitor visa

Use Immigration New Zealand’s visa finder to check the route for your passport and trip. Prepare your travel purpose, means to fund the stay and onward travel evidence as required. Check the conditions for the activities you plan to do.

Partners and dependent children

Check the exact student or work visa held by the main applicant. The partner and children’s options can depend on course or work conditions, and each person should use the eligible route’s checklist.

Skilled residence and permanent residence

Immigration New Zealand published Skilled Migrant Category changes effective 24 August 2026. Check the current skilled residence rules and the relevant points or pathway criteria. If you already have a resident visa, check the separate rules for a Permanent Resident Visa before relying on it for travel.

How to apply from India

Select the official route, prepare the listed documents and follow its online or other submission instructions. Get the accredited employer’s information first when the route requires it. Track requests for evidence through the official application channel.

Fees and processing

Fees and levies are route-specific and normally listed in New Zealand dollars. Use the visa page for the quoted cost and Immigration New Zealand’s wait-time checker for the applicable category.

Common question

Is the India work pathway an open work visa? Check the qualifying job offer and employer requirements on the India Skilled or India Iconic visa page. Select the route based on the job and your qualifications.

Official sources

#NewZealandVisa #IndiaNewZealand #StudyInNewZealand #WorkInNewZealand

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