The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV), Explained
The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa lets experienced seasonal workers return to New Zealand for up to 9 months a year across a 3-year visa. It requires three prior seasons in the same or a similar job, a job on the GWSV job list, and a Job Check — but no advertising, no Work and Income engagement, and no English test.
Quick Facts
| Time in New Zealand | Up to 9 months each year |
| Visa span | 3 years, covering multiple seasons |
| Experience required | At least 3 seasons in the same or a similar job in the last 6 years |
| Job must be | On the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list |
| Labour market test | Job Check required, but no advertising and no Work and Income engagement |
| English test | The 1 June 2026 AEWV English change does not apply to GWSV applications |
| Time overseas | At least 3 months overseas each year |
| Years 2 and 3 | Must return to the same employer |
| Fee | From NZ$1,540 — priced as an AEWV (NZ$480 + NZ$1,060 levy) |
| Sectors | Rural contracting, sheep scanning, winemaking, snow instruction |
| Opened | December 2025 |
Settings as published by INZ, August 2026. Confirm the current job list and requirements on the INZ Global Workforce Seasonal Visa page before applying.
What the visa is for
New Zealand has industries that need the same experienced people back every season, and used to bring them in through the seasonal pathway of the Specific Purpose Work Visa. That pathway closed to new applications in December 2025 and was replaced by two products: this one, and the shorter Peak Seasonal Visa.
The Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV) is the one built for returning specialists. Its design assumption is that you have already done this work — here or elsewhere — for several seasons, and that the same employer wants you back.
The 3-year / 9-month structure
This is the detail most summaries get wrong, and it changes what the visa is worth.
The visa spans three years. It does not allow three continuous years in New Zealand. It allows up to nine months in New Zealand each year, across three years, with at least three months spent overseas each year.
| Visa validity | 3 years |
| Maximum presence per year | 9 months |
| Minimum time overseas per year | 3 months |
| Years 2 and 3 | Return to the same employer |
Describing this as "a three-year seasonal work visa" without the nine-month qualification is misleading, and it is a common error. The value of the visa is that you do not reapply from scratch each season — not that you can settle.
Who it is for
The eligibility gate is experience, not qualifications:
- You must have worked at least 3 seasons in the same or a similar job in the last 6 years.
- The job must be on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list. That list is maintained by INZ and is the authoritative statement of which roles are in scope — check it rather than inferring from the sector names below.
- Your employer must hold current accreditation and have an approved Job Check for the GWSV.
Sectors named by INZ include rural contracting, sheep scanning, winemaking and snow instruction. Those are examples of the kind of work the visa targets — highly seasonal, skill-dependent, and dependent on people who already know the job.
What makes it easier than a standard AEWV
Three requirements that apply to ordinary work visa hiring do not apply here.
| Requirement | Standard AEWV route | GWSV |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising the job | 14 days (skill levels 1–3) or 21 days (levels 4–5) | Not required |
| Work and Income engagement | Required for skill level 4–5 roles | Not required |
| English evidence | Required for skill level 3, 4 and 5 roles from 1 June 2026 | The 1 June 2026 change does not apply |
A Job Check is still required. What is removed is the labour market test inside it — the employer does not have to advertise the role or engage with Work and Income before hiring.
The English exemption is significant. From 1 June 2026 the English requirement was extended to skill level 3 roles, which now make up around half of all AEWV applications. GWSV applications were expressly carved out. See the AEWV English language change.
The Job Check trap
One rule catches employers and workers who assume a Job Check is a Job Check: a migrant may only apply for the AEWV type the Job Check was approved for.
There are three types — the regular Accredited Employer Work Visa, the Peak Seasonal Visa, and the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa. A Job Check approved for one does not support an application for another. If your employer ran a standard Job Check, you cannot apply for a GWSV against it, and vice versa.
Confirm which type the Job Check covers before you pay a fee, because nothing is refunded once an application has been processed.
Other Job Check mechanics that apply: the employer must apply within 90 days of any job advertisement closing, a Job Check is valid for 6 months or until accreditation lapses, and unused job tokens expire when accreditation expires. See Job Check explained.
What it costs
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$480 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$1,060 |
| Total | From NZ$1,540 |
The GWSV is priced identically to the Accredited Employer Work Visa. There is no International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. Employers separately pay for accreditation (from NZ$775) and the Job Check (NZ$735).
There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026 — INZ's fee page still states rates as at 1 October 2024. Fees vary by fee band depending on where you apply from.
What we do not know, and will not invent
Two gaps are worth stating plainly, because most pages on this visa fill them with guesses.
The exact launch date. The GWSV and the Peak Seasonal Visa opened in December 2025. Sources differ on the precise day, and neither visa page states one. We write "December 2025" and leave it there.
Several detailed settings. Processing times for the GWSV are not published in INZ's work visa wait-time table. Nor is a published list of what counts as a "similar job" for the three-season test. Where INZ has not published a figure, this site does not supply one — check the visa page directly.
Regional harvest and season timing. No authoritative New Zealand government source publishes regional harvest months, so we do not publish them either. Season timing varies by crop, region and year, and the only reliable source is the employer offering the work.
Step 1: Confirm the job is on the GWSV job list
The list is the gate. A role in a seasonal industry is not automatically on it, and the list is maintained by INZ rather than by employers.
Step 2: Confirm your three seasons of experience, and how you will evidence it
At least three seasons in the same or a similar job within the last six years. Evidence of seasonal work across multiple countries and employers is the part applicants underestimate — reference letters that give dates and duties carry more weight than ones that do not.
Step 3: Check the employer's accreditation and the Job Check type
Current accreditation, plus a Job Check approved for the GWSV specifically. Check the employer's accreditation status yourself — see how to check if an employer is accredited.
Step 4: Plan the annual cycle, not just the first season
Nine months in, three months out, then back to the same employer in years two and three. Anyone whose plan depends on staying longer, or on changing employer between seasons, is planning against the visa's design.
How it compares
| GWSV | Peak Seasonal Visa | RSE Limited Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stay | Up to 9 months a year, over 3 years | Up to 7 months | 7 months in any 11 (9 for Kiribati and Tuvalu) |
| Experience | 3 seasons in 6 years | At least 1 prior season | Set by the RSE scheme |
| Nationality gate | None stated | None stated | 13 Pacific countries |
| Fee | From NZ$1,540 | From NZ$1,540 | From NZ$325 |
| Advertising | Not required | Job Check required; Work and Income endorsement option | Employer holds an Agreement to Recruit |
| Sectors | Rural contracting, sheep scanning, winemaking, snow instruction | Meat and seafood processing, calf rearing, wool handling | Fruit, vegetable and wine industries |
Full side-by-side in seasonal work visas in New Zealand, compared.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I stay in New Zealand on a Global Workforce Seasonal Visa?
Up to nine months in each year, across a visa that spans three years. You must spend at least three months overseas each year, and return to the same employer in years two and three.
Is the GWSV a three-year work visa?
The visa spans three years, but it does not permit three continuous years in New Zealand. Presence is capped at nine months a year with at least three months overseas annually.
Do I need IELTS for the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa?
The 1 June 2026 change that extended the English language requirement to AEWV skill level 3 roles does not apply to GWSV applications. Confirm the current requirements on INZ's GWSV page before applying.
Does my employer have to advertise the job?
No. A Job Check is required, but advertising and Work and Income engagement are not. That is one of the main differences between this visa and a standard work visa hire.
How much does the GWSV cost?
From NZ$1,540 — a NZ$480 application fee plus a NZ$1,060 immigration levy. It is priced identically to the Accredited Employer Work Visa, and carries no International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy.
What experience do I need?
At least three seasons in the same or a similar job in the last six years, and a job that appears on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list.
When did the GWSV open?
December 2025, at the same time the seasonal pathway of the Specific Purpose Work Visa closed to new applications. Sources conflict on the exact day, so we state the month only.
Can I bring my partner or children?
Partner and dependent child eligibility depends on the visa held and what the principal earns, and seasonal categories are treated restrictively across the system. Check the position for this visa directly with INZ — see bringing family on a work visa for how the thresholds work generally.
