Pursuant to section 61A(2) of the Immigration Act 2009 (“Act”) of my own volition, by special direction, I grant a working holiday temporary visa (allowing young citizens from approved countries, whose primary intention is to holiday in New Zealand, to undertake employment and study during their stay) with the following currency and conditions, to the class of offshore persons as described below:

1. Start Date: 26 October 2022
2. Duration: Visa valid for 12 months from first arrival.
3. Travel conditions:
1. First Entry Before: 31 January 2023
2. Number of entries: Multiple. Valid for further travel for 12 months from first arrival.
4. Other conditions: Stay subject to grant of entry permission. You must leave before visa expiry or face deportation. Return/onward ticket not required. The holder may work as part of a Working Holiday Scheme in any employment except permanent employment. The holder shall not study for more than 6 months in any 12-month period.

The following persons are classified as persons to whom this special direction applies. A person who:

5. is outside New Zealand on the day this special direction is made; and either
6. was granted a working holiday temporary work visa by special direction (New Zealand Gazette, 4 April 2022, Notice No. 2022-go1276) on 3 March 2022 with a 13 March 2022 start date and a ‘First Entry Before’ travel condition date of 13 September 2022, where that visa has subsequently expired pursuant to section 63(2)(b) of the Act, and has not subsequently been granted a new visa of any class or type; or
7. had the travel conditions of their Working Holiday Scheme visa varied by special direction (New Zealand Gazette, 4 April 2022, Notice No. 2022-go1277) on 3 March 2022, extending the ‘First Entry Before’ date to 13 September 2022, where that visa has subsequently expired pursuant to section 63(2)(b) of the Act, and has not subsequently been granted a new visa of any class or type.

I am satisfied that the making of this special direction does not disadvantage the recipients and is reasonably necessary to manage the effects, or deal with the consequences, of measures taken under the Act or any other enactment in New Zealand, and other measures taken elsewhere, to contain or mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19 or its effects. This special direction manages the ongoing effects on the labour market as a result of COVID-19, by providing resilience to the labour market while migrant flows build back from the COVID-19 border closure.

This special direction comes into force on 26 October 2022 and expires on 31 January 2023 unless cancelled earlier.

Dated this 20th day of October 2022.

Hon MICHAEL WOOD, Minister of Immigration.

Explanatory Note

The effect of this special direction is to grant new working holiday visas with a start date of 26 October 2022 to persons who are not in New Zealand and who recently held working holiday scheme visas, or special direction granted temporary visas with working holiday scheme settings, but have not entered New Zealand before their first entry travel date expired on 13 September 2022 and as a result no longer hold working holiday visas. These persons will have from 26 October 2022 until 31 January 2023 to travel to New Zealand.