Special Direction: Automatic Grant of Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) Visas

Policy effect

Automatically granted Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) Work Visas to onshore holders of Working Holiday Scheme and certain temporary visas expiring between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021, providing seasonal horticulture and viticulture work rights without requiring a separate application. Phase scope: Onshore temporary visa holders whose visas were expiring between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

Number 2020-go4727 Title View PDF File Type and Size PDF (26 KB) Pursuant to section 61A(2) of the Immigration Act 2009 (“Act”) of my own volition, by special direction, I grant a Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) temporary visa to a class of persons, granted to start on the day after the expiry date of the current visa. Pursuant to section 61A(5) of the Act, the following persons are classified as persons to whom this special direction applies. A person who: Holds a Working Holiday Scheme or a Working Holidaymaker Extension temporary visa (Working Holiday visa) that is expiring between 1 October 2020 – 31 March 2021 (inclusive), and does not have an on-hand temporary visa application on the expiry date of the Working Holiday visa, and is in New Zealand on the expiry date of their current Working Holiday visa. The SSE visa will have conditions which will allow the holder to be employed by any of the following: An employer approved under immigration instructions with an SSE Approval in Principle; or a Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) with an approved Agreement to Recruit (ATR) where ATR places have been unable to be filled with RSE workers; or any employer for the specified role … further option to stay in New Zealand after the expiry of their Working Holiday visa, should they wish but does not inhibit their ability continue or pursue an application for a different visa. For the avoidance of doubt, the class of persons included in this special direction does not include excluded persons who may not be granted a visa without a special direction subject to section 17 of the Act. Dated this 1st day of October 2020. Hon KRIS FAAFOI, Minister of Immigration. Explanatory Note The effect of this special direction is to grant temporary Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) visas with an expiry date of 30 June 2021 to persons who are in New Zealand and holding Working Holiday Scheme or Working Holidaymaker Extension visas. The SSE visa will start on the day after the date of expiry of the current visa and will enable the holder to lawfully remain in New Zealand if they wish and work for specified employers and roles in the horticulture and viticulture sectors. Privacy Terms of Use Copyright Cumulative Indexes / Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa …

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

Other New Zealand changes operative in 2020

• 2020-02-24General Instructions on Order and Manner of Processing Residence Applications (Amendment Circular 2020/4)
• 2020-02-24Reopening and Restructuring of the Parent Category Residence Instructions
• 2020-04-16Relaxation and Short-Term Variation of Visa Conditions for Essential Services (Amendment Circular 2020-16)
• 2020-09-11Special Direction: Grant of Resident Visas to Offshore Persons with Expired Travel Conditions
• 2020-09-11Special Direction: Imposition of Mandatory COVID-19 Public Health Compliance Visa Condition
• 2020-09-11Special Direction: Variation of Travel Conditions for Offshore Resident Visa Holders