Philippines Special Work Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Philippines Special Work Visa
Stay	Up to 3 years
Cost	From NZD $1,355
Processing	80% within 10 weeks
Annual places	140 total places
Eligibility timing	Apply from Philippines for specified occupations
Work rights	Specified job, employer and location only
Study	Up to 3 months yearly
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple travel until visa expiry
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Family cannot be included
Visa record	Conditions recorded in eVisa

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Purpose

This visa is for Philippines citizens offered full-time New Zealand work as a:

• Registered nurse
• Farm manager
• Engineering professional

At any one time, New Zealand may have:

• 100 registered nurses
• 20 farm managers
• 20 engineering professionals

Stay and availability

The visa may be granted for up to 3 years, depending on the job offer.

If granted for less than 3 years, you may apply for another visa for the remaining time.

After holding a Philippines Special Work Category visa for 3 years, you must stay outside New Zealand for 3 years before applying under this category again.

Eligibility

You must:

• Be a Philippines citizen with a valid Philippines passport.
• Have a full-time New Zealand job offer.
• Be qualified for the offered occupation.
• Meet health, character and genuine-intentions requirements.
• Have a passport valid at least 3 months after planned departure.

Location requirements

Farm managers and engineering professionals must:

• Normally live permanently in the Philippines.
• Be living in the Philippines when applying.

Registered nurses do not need to live in the Philippines when applying.

If already in New Zealand on this category visa and applying for the balance of the 3-year maximum, you may apply from New Zealand.

Job offer

Provide a full-time employment agreement stating:

• Work description
• Employer name and contact details
• Pay and employment conditions
• Working hours
• Contract length
• Required qualifications, experience or registration

Farm manager and engineering professional roles must be equivalent to ANZSCO skill level 1.

Occupation requirements

Registered nurses

You must provide:

• Certified qualification equivalent to a New Zealand Bachelor of Nursing; or
• Certified qualification equivalent to a New Zealand Diploma in Comprehensive Nursing.
• Certified copy of New Zealand nursing registration.

New Zealand registration is required before the visa can be granted.

Farm managers

You must have relevant qualifications or practical work experience.

Provide certified copies of either:

• Relevant qualification; or
• Employer letters describing relevant work experience.

Occupational registration is not required.

Engineering professionals

Provide certified copies of either:

• Bachelor’s degree at level 7 or above, plus International Professional Engineers Register or APEC Engineers Register registration; or
• Washington Accord accredited engineering degree.

You may need New Zealand occupational registration. If required, provide a certified copy.

Required evidence

Provide:

• Two acceptable head-and-shoulders photographs.
• Passport or certificate of identity.
• Chest X-ray and medical examination.
• Employment agreement.
• Occupation-specific qualifications and registration evidence.
• Philippines residence evidence, if required.

Farm managers and engineering professionals may use current utility bills, recent payslips, home-address correspondence, tax records or employer references to prove Philippines residence.

Health and character

You must be in good health and of good character.

Provide police certificates if your total New Zealand stay will be 24 months or more across all visits, or if requested.

Police certificates must:

• Be less than 6 months old when submitted.
• Cover countries where you are a citizen.
• Cover countries where you lived over 5 years since age 17.

Applicants aged 16 or younger do not need police certificates.

Previously submitted police certificates need not be provided again if they are less than 24 months old.

Rights and conditions

Work

You may work only:

• In the occupation specified on your visa.
• For the employer specified on your visa.
• In the location specified on your visa.

Study

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

Travel

You must travel to New Zealand within 6 months of visa grant.

After arrival, you may travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you wish before visa expiry.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before the visa expires.

Family provisions

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

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

Applying

The source states that payment and submission information depends on country details entered in the application system.

Before travelling, complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration:

• Air travellers: from 24 hours before travel begins.
• Sea travellers: from 24 hours before departure from the last overseas port.

Important warnings

You may be refused entry permission if you:

• No longer meet character requirements.
• Have changed circumstances since visa grant.
• Refuse a photo, fingerprint or iris scan.