- Immigration New Zealand will introduce two visa categories on April 20, 2026, to clarify employment permissions.
- Category 1 allows unrestricted work options including self-employment and business ownership for specific partner-based visas.
- Category 2 limits employment activities to working for an employer, prohibiting sole trading for working holiday holders.
(NEW ZEALAND) — Immigration New Zealand announced on Tuesday it will change employment conditions for people on an open work visa from April 20, 2026, aiming to clarify what work is allowed and tighten compliance with New Zealand employment and business rules.
The changes, issued on February 24, 2026, split open work visas into two categories that set out different permissions, while leaving employer-tied visas such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) unchanged.
Immigration New Zealand, known as INZ, framed the shift as a move toward clearer and more enforceable visa condition wording, after encountering cases where migrants misunderstand the limits of “open” work rights and business activity.
Under the new approach, INZ will attach conditions that specify whether an open work visa holder can work independently, such as through self-employment or running a business, or whether they must work for an employer under a defined relationship.
INZ described the change as a framework for employment conditions, rather than a broad rewrite of every visa type in New Zealand, and said the new wording focuses on what work is permitted and what remains prohibited.
“On 20 April 2026, we will introduce changes to employment conditions for people with open work visas. We recognise that not all migrants are familiar with New Zealand’s employment laws or business rules. Our focus is on education and helping people clearly understand their visa conditions. These changes do not apply to Student Visa holders,” INZ said.
Category 1 will cover open work visas where “any form of work” is permitted, meaning holders can work for an employer, operate as a sole trader, or own and operate a business.
INZ said Category 1 applies to people on a Partner of a Worker Work Visa, a Partner of a Student Work Visa, a Post Study Work Visa, a Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa, a Partner of a Military Work Visa, and related partner-based open work categories.
That Category 1 design matters for how migrants structure income and work arrangements, including whether they can legally move between employment and contracting, or set up a small business while holding an open work visa.
Category 2 will apply a tighter set of conditions, requiring holders to work for an employer under an employment agreement or a contract for services that INZ considers employment.
INZ said Category 2 does not allow sole trading or owning and operating a business, drawing a clear line between working for an employer and generating income through independent business activity.
The agency said Category 2 includes victims of domestic violence work visas, victims of people trafficking work visas, the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa, asylum seekers, and all working holiday visa holders.
Across both categories, INZ said several restrictions remain universal, including that open work visa holders cannot employ others directly or indirectly, cannot provide commercial sexual services, and cannot run or invest in certain restricted activities.
INZ also said all open work visa holders must comply with New Zealand employment and business laws, positioning the changes as both a clarification of permissions and a compliance measure tied to how work and business activity are regulated.
Transitional arrangements will give current open work visa holders time to adapt, with INZ saying existing visas keep their prior conditions until expiry before people renew under the updated approach.
New applications and new grants from April 20, 2026 will align to the updated, category-linked conditions, meaning renewals and fresh grants could carry different work permissions than earlier grants within the same broad visa family.
INZ advised migrants to check their visa conditions on the Immigration New Zealand website, as the new wording and categorisation determine what people can do in practice, including whether they can take on contracting work or operate a business.
The open work visa changes arrive alongside other recent INZ updates, including the rollout of the National Occupation List (NOL), though INZ treated those system adjustments as separate from the employment-condition framework.
INZ also pointed to a median wage increase as another distinct policy stream, rising to NZD $35.00 per hour from March 9, 2026, and described it as unrelated to the April changes for open work visa conditions, including for people on the Post Study Work Visa.
