Limited Visa
A limited visa is granted for one express purpose — a named job, a named course, a named event. It cannot be varied into another visa type while you are in New Zealand, and its holder has no right of appeal against deportation liability. That last point is the reason this term matters.
Quick Facts
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| What it is | A visa granted for a single express purpose, stated on the visa |
| Key limit | Cannot be varied to another visa type onshore |
| Appeal rights | You cannot appeal deportation liability if the last visa you held was a limited visa |
| Best-known example | The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) limited visa |
| Fee — student purpose (Band A) | NZD $485 + $265 levy + $100 IVL |
| Fee — employer purpose (Band A) | NZD $325 |
| Fee — other purpose (Band A) | NZD $325 + $80 levy + $100 IVL |
Fees from the INZ Fees Guide (INZ 1028, May 2026).
Why it matters
Every other temporary visa in New Zealand leaves a door open. You can apply for something else while you are here, and if you are declined and still hold a valid visa, you can ask for reconsideration. A limited visa closes both doors.
The appeal point is the sharpest. INZ's own deportation page states: "You cannot appeal if the last visa you held was a limited visa." That is not a procedural detail. It means a person on a limited visa who becomes liable for deportation has no route to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on that ground.
And because the RSE seasonal work visa is a limited visa, this applies to a workforce of thousands of Pacific workers each season — the group least likely to have read the small print and least able to get advice quickly.
How limited visas work
A limited visa names its purpose. The holder is in New Zealand for that purpose and nothing else. Three features follow from that design:
One purpose, stated on the visa. Study at a named institution, work for a named employer, participation in a named event.
No onshore change of visa type. A limited visa cannot be varied to another visa type while the holder is in New Zealand. To move to a different visa, you generally have to leave and apply from outside.
Fees are set by purpose, not by a single line. INZ prices limited visas in three bands — student, employer, and other — as shown in the Quick Facts above. Note that the student limited visa carries the same $485 fee and $265 immigration levy as a fee-paying student visa, plus the $100 International Visitor Levy.
Where a limited visa sits among the other 168 New Zealand visa products is set out at limited visas explained.
The RSE example
The clearest real-world limited visa is the Recognised Seasonal Employer visa, which brings workers from 13 Pacific nations to New Zealand horticulture and viticulture. Its settings show what a limited visa looks like in practice:
- Maximum stay 7 months in any 11-month period; citizens of Tuvalu and Kiribati residing there may extend to 9 months.
- The worker must have a job with a Recognised Seasonal Employer before applying, and cannot work for employers not listed on the visa.
- Medical insurance must be maintained throughout.
- Partners and dependants cannot be brought.
- No onshore extensions.
- The scheme is capped at 20,750 visas a year.
Every one of those is the limited-visa design showing through. Detail is at the RSE scheme.
What people get wrong about it
"Limited just means short." It does not. It means restricted to an express purpose. A limited visa can run for months.
"I can switch to a work visa from here." Not on a limited visa. It cannot be varied to another visa type onshore. This is the design, not an oversight.
"Everyone gets an appeal." Not here. Where the last visa held was a limited visa, there is no appeal against deportation liability. This is the single most important thing to know about the term.
"It is the same as a visa with conditions." All temporary visas carry conditions. A limited visa is a different class of visa, not just a heavily conditioned one, and the appeal consequence flows from the class.
"An interim visa is a type of limited visa." They are separate products. An interim visa keeps you lawful while an application is decided and is granted automatically. A limited visa is granted for an express purpose and is applied for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a limited visa in New Zealand?
A visa granted for one express purpose, stated on the visa. It cannot be varied to another visa type while the holder is in New Zealand, and its holder has no right of appeal against deportation liability.
Which New Zealand visas are limited visas?
The best-known is the Recognised Seasonal Employer visa for Pacific seasonal workers. INZ's fee schedule shows limited visas priced by purpose — student, employer and other — which indicates the class covers more than one situation. Limited visas sit alongside interim visas in INZ's "other" visa group.
Can you appeal a decision on a limited visa?
You cannot appeal deportation liability if the last visa you held was a limited visa. That is INZ's published position. Reconsideration of a declined temporary visa is a separate process with its own eligibility test, which requires you to have applied in New Zealand, still be in New Zealand, and hold a valid visa.
Can I change from a limited visa to a work visa in New Zealand?
A limited visa cannot be varied to another visa type onshore. Anyone wanting to move to a different visa generally has to apply from outside New Zealand. This is a point at which licensed advice is worth taking.
How much does a limited visa cost?
It depends on the purpose. In Band A (applying inside New Zealand): student $485 plus a $265 immigration levy and $100 IVL; employer $325; other $325 plus an $80 levy and $100 IVL. Figures from the INZ Fees Guide, May 2026.
Can I bring my family on a limited visa?
Not on the RSE limited visa, where INZ states holders cannot bring partners or dependants. Other limited visas are granted for their own express purpose and carry their own conditions, so check what is stated on the visa itself.
