There are jobs in North Canterbury across all industries – from manufacturing to hospitality, retail to healthcare, agriculture to IT and everything in between.

If you’re hoping to make the move to New Zealand and wish to settle in North Canterbury, then the Immigration New Zealand website should be your first port of call. Immigration NZ will help you figure out whether you are eligible to work in New Zealand. If you already have a job lined up, then your employer will help you navigate the process of obtaining a work visa.

Work visas

Visa eligibility is based on factors such as whether your skills match a shortage in New Zealand, how long you want to stay, and your age, work experience and qualifications. You can also find information on visas if you’re looking to start a business or invest. Here are a few tips before applying for a visa:

• Find out if your job skills are in demand at Immigration New Zealand.
• Your employer will help you through the process.
• Provide all the information required – incomplete paperwork will cause delays.
• If you’re not sure of the visa application process, consider using a licensed immigration advisor.

Inland Revenue New Zealand – IRD number

Inland Revenue collects most of the government’s revenue and administer a number of social support programmes. As an employee, they will register you for tax and issue you an IRD number.

Banks

You will need to set up a bank account once you have an IRD number. Here is a list of the larger banks who have a physical presence in North Canterbury:

• ANZ
• BNZ
• Westpac
• KiwiBank

Eiko Kawaguchi, Artist, Waikuku