New Zealand’s Seasonal Visa Changes and Additions

The New Zealand government has announced two new seasonal visa pathways: the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV) and the Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV), with a goal to address the never ending labour shortages in important industries. This move was created with an aim to help businesses during peak seasons all the while ensuring Kiwis remain the main priority for job fulfilment. So does this mean this is the right approach or does this risk creating long-term dependency on migrant labour?

Highlights of the New Visas  

1. Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV)

   • Time Duration: Up to 3 years.

   • Purpose: Highly skilled seasonal workers (e.g contractors, winemakers, ski instructors)

   • Terms: Workers must spend at least three months outside NZ every year before returning.
     

2. Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV)

   • Time Duration: Up to seven months

   • Purpose: Short-term roles (e.g meat processing, calf-rearing, wool handling)

   • Terms: Workers must have prior experience and leave NZ for at least four months before renewal.

Employers must still advertise jobs and hire New Zealanders first, to make sure the locals get first priority.

The Benefits: 

• Many industries that run seasonally struggle to find workers during peak times. These visas will allow experienced workers to come back as needed, help run the business and maintain productivity.

• The GWSV lets skilled workers come back for multiple seasons, reducing retraining costs and other repeated costs.

• Industries that work in seasons like winemaking, agriculture and tourism, contribute significantly to NZ’s GDP. Keeping them staffed throughout that peak season helps growth and sustainability.

The Maybe Risks:

• If employers depend on migrant workers, will the wages for the roles stagnate? Making them the locals less interested.

• If businesses grow accustomed to migrant labour, then will they invest enough in training New Zealanders?

• Will advertising for jobs prioritise Kiwis be strongly monitored? or will loopholes emerge?

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford calls this a "smart, flexible, and nuanced" solution. And in many ways, we can see that it is, but seasonal work is unpredictable and the changes and additions in the visas provide much-needed stability.

If New Zealand is truly committed to strengthening its workforce, the focus must go beyond short-term fixes. Investing in the upskilling of local workers, offering fair wages and creating meaningful incentives can help make seasonal work more attractive to Kiwis, reducing reliance on overseas labour. These changes could foster greater stability for seasonal industries while also supporting the livelihoods of New Zealanders. Yet the question remains: will these steps spark a lasting transformation in how the nation approaches its labour needs or simply postpone a much-needed conversation about the future of work in New Zealand?