Entertainers Work Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Entertainers Work Visa
Purpose	Temporary entertainment industry work
Stay	Time needed for work
Cost	From NZD $1,455
Processing	80% within 2 weeks
Eligibility timing	Enter within 12 months
Work rights	Specified production, employer and location only
Study	Not permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Health care	Usually self-funded or employer-funded
Travel facility	Depends on visa travel condition
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Partner and children apply separately
Visa record	eVisa
Employer support	Must guarantee living and return costs

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Purpose

This visa is for people coming to New Zealand for limited-time work in entertainment, music, film or television where their specific skills cannot be met by New Zealand’s entertainment industry.

You must have an offer from a promoter, producer or production company.

Eligibility

You must:

• Have a genuine reason to come to New Zealand.
• Be in good health and of good character.
• Have an offer of entertainment work for a limited period.
• Provide evidence of how long the work will take.
• Intend to leave New Zealand when your stay ends.
• Work only on the production, for the employer, and in the location specified on your visa.

Your employer must provide:

• A written employment agreement.
• A work schedule and proposed length of stay.
• A guarantee to cover your accommodation, living costs and return travel.
• A completed employer Supplementary Form in INZ 1187.
• Reasons and supporting evidence for not hiring a New Zealander.

Reasons may include your international distinction, merit, ethnic significance, essential role in the production, wider benefits of your employment, or consideration of New Zealand workers.

Stay and validity

You can stay for the time needed to complete the work, with a short period afterwards to return home.

You must enter New Zealand within 12 months of visa issue.

The visa starts:

• On first arrival, if you apply from outside New Zealand.
• On the date issued, if you are already in New Zealand.

You must leave before the visa expires. If work is unfinished, you may apply for another work visa while in New Zealand.

Cost and processing

• Cost: From NZD $1,455.
• Processing: 80% processed within 2 weeks.

Actual fees, submission arrangements and processing information depend on your passport nationality.

Work, study and travel rights

Work

You may work only:

• On the specified production.
• For the specified employer.
• At the specified location.

You need an IRD number to pay tax on New Zealand earnings.

Study

You cannot study on this visa.

Travel

Check the travel conditions recorded in your eVisa.

• A multiple-entry condition allows repeated travel before visa expiry.
• A single-entry visa expires when you leave New Zealand.
• If no multiple-entry condition applies, leaving New Zealand expires the visa.

You may apply for a variation of conditions if you need to change your travel condition.

Family

You cannot include your partner or dependent children in your application.

They may apply for their own visas based on their relationship to you.

Health and character requirements

You may need a chest X-ray, medical examination or both.

• For stays under 6 months, a chest X-ray is not normally required.
• For stays under 12 months, a medical certificate is not normally required.
• Medical and X-ray evidence must be less than 3 months old when received.

For stays over 6 months, you must provide a chest X-ray if you are from, or recently spent more than 3 months in, a country with a high incidence of tuberculosis.

Police certificates are required if you:

• Are aged 17 or older; and
• Will spend 24 months or more in New Zealand in total.

Certificates must be less than 6 months old when you apply. They may be required from countries where you are a citizen or have spent more than 5 years since turning 17.

Financial and departure obligations

Your employer must guarantee payment of your:

• Accommodation costs.
• Living expenses.
• Return travel home.

If you are paying for your own departure, provide either:

• A ticket out of New Zealand to a country you may enter; or
• Evidence of funds to buy that ticket.

Departure funds must be additional to money needed for living costs. If you have no return ticket, your employer may provide recent bank statements showing sufficient funds.

Documents

Provide:

• Passport or certificate of identity.
• One photo for online applications, or two for paper applications.
• Job offer and written employment agreement.
• Evidence of the work type and required stay.
• Completed employer Supplementary Form in INZ 1187.
• Police certificates, if required.
• Medical or chest X-ray evidence, if required.
• Certified English translations of non-English police and medical certificates.

Your passport or identity document must remain valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure from New Zealand.

Additional documents apply to:

• Chinese citizens applying from China: Hukou and Chinese identity card.
• Certain Hong Kong or Macao applicants: supplementary form and identity card copy.

How to apply

Online

1. Confirm you meet the visa requirements.
2. Gather identity, employment, health and character documents.
3. Obtain completed employer supplementary documentation.
4. Apply through Immigration New Zealand’s online system.
5. Upload documents and pay the required fee.
6. Wait for Immigration New Zealand’s decision.

Before a decision, Immigration New Zealand normally consults the relevant New Zealand entertainment industry organisation. Consultation is not required where you will work:

• For 14 days or less.
• On an official New Zealand Film Commission-certified co-production.
• For an entertainment industry accredited company.

Paper application

1. Complete INZ 1187.
2. Attach original documents or certified copies.
3. Include the employer’s completed Supplementary Form.
4. Submit through a Visa Application Centre or by post.
5. Pay the required fee.

If approved, Immigration New Zealand issues an eVisa.

Arrival and entry

All travellers must complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

You may be refused entry permission if you:

• No longer have genuine reasons for travel.
• Do not meet character requirements.
• Have changed circumstances since visa issue.
• Refuse a photo, fingerprint or iris scan.

Important warnings

• Keep a valid visa while waiting in New Zealand.
• If your temporary visa expires while an application is pending, Immigration New Zealand will normally issue an Interim Visa.
• Check all passport and identity details carefully; errors may delay, decline or affect entry.
• You or your employer must pay for health care or medical assistance. Full medical insurance is recommended.