New Visa to support the cyclone recovery process

The Government has announced the launch of the Recovery Visa (a Specific Purpose Work Visa) in response to cyclone Gabrielle, to assist with recovery process . This short-term visa will allow employers to hire migrants to come to New Zealand to work on the emergency response.

This will be available for roles such as:

Engineers, technicians and insurance assessors to support the New Zealand experts on the ground.

This visa is intended for people coming to New Zealand for a short period for:

• Providing emergency response

• Immediate clean-up

• Assessing risk or loss

• Infrastructure, building and housing stabilisation and/or repair (including planning functions)

• Work that directly supports the recovery (e.g. producing relevant material for road rebuild, transport drivers etc).

The Recovery visa details

The visa will last up to six months.

Employers will need to confirm that the role supports the North Island response to the extreme weather events.

The $700 fee will be refunded for successful applicants.

How to apply

• Step 1 – Employer finds migrant worker/s that meet the requirements to assist with the recovery
• Step 2 – Employer downloads and completes the Recovery Visa – Employer Supplementary form and provides this to the migrant worker
• Step 3 – Migrant worker completes a Specific Purpose Work visa application, uploads/attaches the Recovery Visa – Employer Supplementary Form and specifies length of stay in New Zealand as 6 months or less
• Step 4 – Immigration New Zealand (INZ) processes application and provides applicant with a decision.

Immigration New Zealand is aiming to process applications for the Recovery Visa within a week. More detailed information about the visa and how to apply is on the INZ website.

How we can help

We’re here to make the process as easy as possible and can assist you with the following:

• Advise employers whether or not they can utilise the visa
• Help employers and their selected staff member prepare the documentation,
• File the application manage it through the immigration process; or work collaboratively by reviewing prepared application for filing
• If the application runs into difficulties during Immigration New Zealand’s assessment of it, we can intervene to try and resolve any technical problems.
• Our partner,  New Zealand Jobs Search, can assist with a talent search.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team today.