Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
Status	Closed, limited re-applications only
Purpose	Continue eligible LTSSL employment
Stay	Up to 30 months
Cost	From NZD $1,630
Processing	80% within 4 weeks
Eligibility timing	Existing or former LTSSL holders
Work rights	Employer, occupation and location restricted
Study	Up to 3 months yearly
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple travel, up to 30 months
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Cannot include partner or children
Visa record	Conditions recorded in eVisa
Arrival deadline	Within 3 months of grant

---

Purpose and status

This visa is closed. It was replaced by the Accredited Employer Work Visa on 4 July 2022.

You may apply only if you already hold, or previously held, a Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) Work Visa and meet the re-application criteria.

Eligibility

You must:

• Be in good health and of good character.
• Genuinely intend to meet your visa conditions.
• Have a current, full-time job offer in an LTSSL occupation.
• Be qualified and have the work experience required for that occupation.
• Meet any required New Zealand occupational registration requirements.

You must also meet one of these re-application pathways.

Waiting for an LTSSL Resident Visa decision

You must:

• Hold an LTSSL Work Visa when applying.
• Have applied for residence under the LTSSL category.
• Be waiting for a residence decision.
• Have a job offer of at least 12 months.
• Have an offer in an LTSSL occupation, or the same occupation as your current LTSSL Work Visa.

Unable to complete work requirements due to border closure

You must:

• Have started work in New Zealand on an LTSSL Work Visa.
• Have left New Zealand before 19 March 2020.
• Have returned after 31 October 2021.
• Be in New Zealand when applying.
• Have a job offer of at least 24 months.
• Have an offer in an LTSSL occupation, or the occupation of your initial LTSSL Work Visa.

Job offer requirements

Your job offer must be current when you apply and be for full-time work.

Provide an employment agreement showing:

• Employer and applicant contact details.
• Job title and work location.
• Duties and responsibilities.
• Required qualifications or experience.
• Any New Zealand registration requirement.
• Employment duration and start timeframe.
• Pay and conditions complying with New Zealand employment law.

A visa will not normally be granted if the employer is on the Labour Inspectorate’s non-compliant employer list.

Warning: Job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. Ensure the offer is genuine.

Required evidence

Identity

Provide:

• One acceptable photo for online applications, or two for paper applications.
• Passport or certificate of identity.

For online applications, upload a passport copy. Immigration New Zealand may later request the passport.

Paper applicants must provide an original passport or certified copy.

Additional requirements:

• Chinese citizens applying from China: Hukou and Chinese identity card.
• Chinese paper applicants in China: INZ 1027 supplementary form.
• Applicants in Hong Kong or Macao: identity-card copy.
• Hong Kong or Macao paper applicants: INZ 1220 supplementary form.

Health

You must provide a chest X-ray and medical examination.

Applicants in China, Hong Kong or Macao must provide a chest X-ray completed within the previous 3 months if they:

• Have spent 6 consecutive months in China since their last X-ray; and
• Will stay in New Zealand more than 6 months.

Character

If aged 17 or older, provide police certificates from:

• Your country of citizenship; and
• Any country where you lived for 5 years or more since age 17.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when applying. Non-English certificates require an English translation.

Skills, qualifications and experience

Provide evidence of qualifications and work experience required by the Long Term Skill Shortage List.

For qualifications, provide:

• Original or certified qualification copies.
• NZQA recognition evidence.
• An NZQA assessment report if required.
• Course transcripts if requested.

For work experience, provide documents showing:

• Work performed.
• Employment dates.
• Average weekly hours.
• Employer contact details.
• How experience relates to the offered role.

If your occupation requires registration, provide evidence of full or provisional New Zealand registration.

Visa rights and conditions

Work

You must work:

• In the LTSSL occupation specified in your application.
• For the named employer.
• At the specified location.

Study

You may study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

Travel

If outside New Zealand when granted, you must arrive within 3 months.

After arrival, you may travel in and out of New Zealand for up to 30 months.

Family

You cannot include your partner or dependent children in this work visa application.

Arrival requirements

All travellers must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

You can submit it:

• By air: from 24 hours before your journey begins.
• By sea: from 24 hours before departure from the last overseas port.

You may be refused entry permission if you:

• Do not meet character requirements.
• Have had a relevant change in circumstances.
• Refuse a photo, fingerprints or iris scan.

Passport and visa record

Your visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.

To travel, your visa must be linked to a valid passport. If your passport expires, apply to transfer the visa before travelling. This requires:

• Old and new passports.
• An Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa.
• Payment of a transfer fee.

Application

Apply online through Immigration New Zealand Online.

Provide all required identity, health, character, job-offer, qualification, work-experience and registration evidence.