If you’re in New Zealand on a work visa and your employment circumstances change, it can be a stressful time filled with uncertainty. The good news is, you can update your work visa to match your new job offer! Work visas granted under the Post-Study Employer Assisted and the Essential skills categories have your role, the company you work for, and the location of your job listed on them. If you receive a new job offer you cannot start working until you have updated your existing work visa. A Variation of Conditions updates your work visa without extending its length.
What does the Variation of Conditions require?
Immigration New Zealand will usually grant a Variation of Conditions if your new job offer meets the objectives that your current work visa was granted under.
For a Variation of Conditions on your Post-Study Employer Assisted work visa you will need to make sure that your new job offer is also relevant to a recently gained qualification.
A Variation of Conditions on your Essential Skills work visa is harder to obtain, due to the labour market test. The most common type that is granted is for applicants who are looking to change the company they are working for. This means that your job and also the location of employment will need to be the same. If you are thinking about changing your job and/or the location of your job then your new job will need to be on the ‘Essential Skills in Demand’ list and you will also need to meet the relevant requirements.
If you do not meet the requirement(s) for a Variation of Conditions, you will need to start a new work visa application. Please note that with the new income thresholds, if your new job is of a lower skill-band then you need to apply for a new work visa.