Vietnam Special Work Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Vietnam Special Work Visa
Purpose	Chef or engineering work
Stay	Up to 3 years
Cost	From NZD $1,355
Processing	80% within 10 weeks
Annual availability	200 visas each year
Eligibility timing	Apply while living in Vietnam
Work rights	Visa-specified job, employer, location
Study	Up to 3 months yearly
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple travel before expiry
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Family cannot be included
Visa record	Conditions recorded in eVisa
Entry deadline	Within 6 months of grant

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Purpose

This visa allows eligible Vietnamese citizens to work in New Zealand as either:

• A chef, or
• An engineering professional.

You must have a qualifying full-time New Zealand job offer and be qualified for that role.

Eligibility

You must:

• Be a citizen of Vietnam.
• Live permanently in Vietnam and be living there when applying.
• Have a valid Vietnam passport.
• Have an offer of full-time New Zealand employment.
• Meet health, character and genuine-intention requirements.
• Be qualified for the offered occupation.

If you are already in New Zealand on a Vietnam Special Work Category visa, you may apply in New Zealand for the balance of the 3-year maximum stay.

Job offer requirements

Provide a full-time employment agreement stating:

• Job description as chef or engineering professional.
• Employer name and contact details.
• Pay and employment conditions.
• Working hours.
• Contract length.
• Required qualifications, experience or registration.

Skill level

The job must meet the required Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) skill level:

Occupation	Required ANZSCO level
Chef	Skill level 3
Engineering professional	Skill level 1

Immigration New Zealand may request further information from you or your employer if the role's skill level is unclear.

Chef qualifications

You must hold relevant qualifications or practical work experience. Evidence may include certified copies of:

• Qualifications.
• Letters from current or former employers describing your work.

Engineering professional qualifications

Provide a certified copy of either:

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

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

Stay and visa limits

You may stay for up to 3 years. Your actual stay depends on the length of your job offer.

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

After holding a Vietnam Special Work Category visa for 3 years, you can apply for another visa in this category only after spending 3 years outside New Zealand.

There are:

• 200 visas available each year.
• Up to 100 Vietnamese chefs in New Zealand at any time.
• Up to 100 Vietnamese engineering professionals in New Zealand at any time.

Health and character

You must be in good health and provide:

• A medical examination.
• A chest X-ray.

You must be of good character. A visa may not be granted if you have criminal convictions or are a security risk.

Provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer, including previous stays on other visas. Police certificates may also be required on request.

Police certificates must:

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

Applicants aged 16 or younger do not need police certificates. Previously submitted certificates need not be resubmitted if they are less than 24 months old.

Required documents

Provide:

• Two acceptable head-and-shoulders photos.
• Your passport or certificate of identity.
• Evidence you currently live in Vietnam, such as utility bills or recent payslips.
• Evidence you permanently live in Vietnam, such as home-address correspondence, tax records or employer references.
• Full-time employment agreement.
• Qualification, work-experience and registration evidence, where applicable.
• Medical examination and chest X-ray.
• Police certificates, if required.

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

You may submit an original passport or certified copy. Immigration New Zealand may later request the original passport.

Rights and conditions

Work

You may work only:

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

Study and training

You may:

• Study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.
• Complete employer-required training for your job.

Travel

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

Once in New Zealand, you may leave and re-enter as many times as you wish before the visa expires.

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.

Arrival and obligations

Before arrival, complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration:

• For air travel: from 24 hours before your journey begins.
• For sea travel: from 24 hours before the ship leaves its last overseas port.

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

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.

Application and payment

The source does not state the application submission method. Immigration New Zealand requires you to enter your passport nationality details before it displays country-specific payment and submission information.