When India and New Zealand entered into a trade agreement, new opportunities opened up for Indian workers by providing a quota of 5,000 temporary work visas and 1,000 working holiday visas. Here’s everything you need to know about these visa categories.
Working holiday visa: What is it and who can apply?
If you are aged 18 to 30 or 18 to 35 in a few selected countries and are a citizen of a country that has a working holiday agreement with New Zealand, you can apply for a working holiday visa according to the New Zealand Immigration website
In most cases, you can work for up to 12 months on a working holiday visa — you cannot take a permanent job.
You must come mainly for vacation — work should be a secondary objective.
Benefits of a working holiday visa
A working holiday visa has certain benefits. You can:
stay longer than with a standard visitor visa
leave and re-enter New Zealand as many times as the visa is valid.
The conditions of your employment will vary depending on where you are from. Check the details of your country’s working holiday visa regime.
A Working Holiday Visa is also a temporary work visa
New Zealand offers a variety of temporary work visas, including the Working Holiday Visa for younger travellers.
Read also | India-New Zealand FTA: PM Modi says deal reflects deep trust, Luxon says…
What are the other key temporary work visas?
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): The main route. Requires a job offer from an accredited employer (minimum 30 hours/week).
Specific purpose/event work visa: For short-term projects, professional sports or entertainment, usually valid for the duration of the event.
Green List/Direct to Residence: Certain skilled roles allow these temporary work visas that quickly transition to permanent residence
Everything you need to know about the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
India and New Zealand on Monday signed a free trade agreement (FTA) that lowers import duties on key fruits such as kiwifruit and apples, expands opportunities for Indian exports and eases visa access as the nations deepen economic ties.
The pact, struck in December after about nine months of negotiations, is one of the South Asian country’s fastest-ever trade deals and will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 95% of New Zealand’s exports to India, including seafood, iron, steel and aluminum scrap.
“The benefits of this free trade agreement are wide-ranging,” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement, adding that it would open doors of opportunity to the 1.4 billion consumers in the Indian market.
Read also | India-NZ FTA: Complete list of Indian items subject to zero duty in New Zealand
“New Zealand has also committed to invest $20 billion,” Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said after signing the pact with his counterpart Todd McClay in the presence of businessmen from both countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also welcomed the signing of the FTA and said the deal will benefit India’s farmers, youth, women, small and medium enterprises, artisans, startups, students and innovators. The free trade agreement, Modi added, “will open new avenues of growth, create opportunities and deepen our synergy across sectors.”
The deal is part of India’s drive to diversify exports amid global trade tensions such as uncertainty over US tariffs and the Middle East conflict.
