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NZ Visas for Filipino Citizens: What Immigration New Zealand Publishes

INZ publishes application counts by nationality and runs two visas that are open only to Filipino citizens: the Philippines Special Work Visa (140 places a year) and the Philippines Working Holiday Visa (100 places a year, shown as closed for 2026). The main skilled-route fees were the same for Philippine passports as for others when checked. This page reports INZ's figures and rules and does not say which visa suits anyone.

Searches such as "NZ visa for Filipinos" turn up a mix of agency pages, social media posts and forum threads. This page keeps to what Immigration New Zealand (INZ) publishes: its counts of applications from Filipino citizens, the two visas it reserves for Filipino citizens, the evidence guidance it gives for Filipino citizens applying from within the Philippines, and the scam rules that apply to every applicant.

The numbers are counts of applications and applicants. They are not success rates, and they say nothing about how likely any person is to be granted a visa. This page also does not say which visa a reader could apply for, whether a job offer will meet a test, or how to answer a question on a form. That is immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it.

All figures were read from INZ on 10 October 2026, and several change during the year.

Residence applications: what INZ's statistics report shows

INZ publishes a report titled "Resident Visa applications accepted for processing, by nationality and financial year of decision". The version read here was prepared on 8 October 2026. In it INZ defines "Applicants" as "Those individuals included in an application" and notes that many applications have more than one applicant. The tables that count applicants are labelled "People".

For the Philippines the report shows these counts, by financial year (1 July to 30 June):

  • People: 4,408 in 2016/17; 3,135 in 2017/18; 3,817 in 2018/19; 6,994 in 2019/20; 5,148 in 2020/21; 52,946 in 2021/22; 5,778 in 2022/23; 5,806 in 2023/24; 6,664 in 2024/25; 6,427 in 2025/26; and 2,292 in 2026/27 so far, with INZ's period running to 30 September 2026. The total is 103,415.
  • Applications: 2,331; 1,872; 2,161; 3,306; 2,475; 21,733; 3,087; 3,401; 3,957; 3,578; and 1,159, for a total of 49,060.

The 2021/22 figure is far larger than the years around it, and the same report lists the 2021 Resident Visa among its application criteria; the report is where any breakdown by criterion is found. A figure of "6,427" and one of "3,578" can both describe 2025/26, because one counts people and the other counts applications.

Across the whole period covered (decisions dated 31 July 2016 to 30 September 2026), INZ's table by criteria gives these application counts for the Philippines: Business and Skilled stream 35,322; International and Humanitarian 392; Parent, Sibling and Adult Child stream 312; Uncapped Family Sponsored stream 13,034; total 49,060. For people the table shows 85,287; 611; 427; and 17,090, total 103,415.

These are applications accepted for processing. They are not approvals.

Work visa applications: the AEWV data report

INZ's Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) data report covers 1 July 2022 to 3 October 2026 and states: "These statistics are at a point in time. They are likely to change between reporting updates." Across all nationalities it shows 232,307 applications submitted.

For the Philippines its table by nationality shows:

  • 51,715 applications submitted, of which 24,999 were submitted from offshore;
  • 48,955 approved, of which 23,813 were offshore;
  • 51,192 decided, of which 24,801 were offshore; and
  • 30,023 recorded as arrived, of which 20,600 were offshore.

This guide does not turn those columns into a rate. INZ does not present them as one, and applications submitted in a period are not the same set as applications decided in it. Read INZ's workbook for what each column counts.

The Philippines Special Work Visa

INZ runs a visa for Filipino citizens in three occupations. Its description: "Apply for this visa if you are a registered nurse, farm manager or engineering professional from the Philippines. You must have a job offer, qualifications and experience."

INZ's page showed these basics on 10 October 2026:

  • Length of stay: up to 3 years, depending on the job offer.
  • Cost: from NZD 1,355, with 80% of applications completed within 7 weeks.
  • Places: 140 a year. INZ explains: "At any one time, under the Philippines Special Work Instructions, New Zealand can have 100 nurses, 20 farm managers and 20 engineering professionals from the Philippines."
  • Study: up to 3 months in any 12-month period.
  • Family: "You cannot include your partner or dependent children in your visa application, but they can apply for visas based on their relationship to you."

To apply, INZ says the applicant must be a citizen of the Philippines, hold a valid Philippines passport, and have an offer of full-time work in New Zealand. Farm managers and engineering professionals must normally live in the Philippines and be living there when they apply. INZ says: "Registered nurses do not have to be living in the Philippines when they apply."

The qualification and registration rules differ by role. For nurses INZ requires a qualification assessed by NZQA as equivalent to a New Zealand Bachelor of Nursing or a Diploma in Comprehensive Nursing, and New Zealand registration. INZ says: "You will need to have New Zealand registration before we can grant you a visa." For engineering professionals INZ requires either a bachelor's degree at level 7 or above plus registration on the International Professional Engineers Register or the APEC Engineers Register, or a Washington Accord accredited engineering degree. For farm managers INZ asks for a relevant qualification or practical work experience. Farm managers and engineering professionals need a job assessed as equivalent to ANZSCO skill level 1; INZ says it does not use ANZSCO to assess a nurse's job offer.

INZ requires police certificates if total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits, from any country of citizenship or any country lived in for more than 5 years since turning 17. The nursing registration side is explained in the guide to registered nurses moving to New Zealand.

The Philippines Working Holiday Visa

INZ also runs a working holiday scheme for Filipino citizens. Its page described it as for people who "want to holiday, study and work in New Zealand", aged 18 to 30.

INZ's published conditions on 10 October 2026 include:

  • a citizen of the Philippines aged 18 to 30 with a valid passport;
  • a university or tertiary qualification, and the ability to speak and understand English;
  • full medical insurance for the length of stay;
  • at least NZD 4,200 to pay living expenses;
  • plans to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay; and
  • not having had a New Zealand working holiday visa before, even if it was not used.

The visa allows up to 12 months in New Zealand, temporary jobs for up to 12 months, work for any one employer for up to 3 months, and study or training for up to 6 months in total. It costs from NZD 770, with 80% of applications completed within 2 weeks, and there are 100 places a year. INZ says a permanent job cannot be taken on this visa and a job offer is not needed to apply.

INZ's page also carried a status note: "This visa is closed for 2026. You can apply next year or find other visas here." Because the status of a limited-place scheme can change, check the page itself.

Evidence guidance INZ gives for Filipino citizens

Some INZ pages carry guidance written for Filipino citizens specifically, because the usual evidence is different. On the Accredited Employer Work Visa page, INZ says that for "Filipino citizens applying from within the Philippines", evidence of work experience includes:

  • employment certificates;
  • employment contracts;
  • payslips;
  • Social Security System (SSS) records;
  • PhilHealth records; and
  • income tax returns, with receipts.

INZ adds that a person who has worked overseas should provide a copy of their work visa and their POEA Overseas Employment Certificate or e-Receipt, together with their job descriptions.

The general AEWV skill rule is the same for everyone: at least 2 years of relevant job experience, or a qualification at level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework. INZ says a CV or resume alone is not sufficient, and that employment certificates should be on the employer's letterhead and independently verifiable. INZ lists cases where no extra evidence of skill is needed, including a job on the Green List where the Green List requirements are met, and pay of at least NZD 67.12 an hour (2 times the 2024 median wage). Whether any of this applies to a person's job is for a licensed adviser to assess.

Rules that are the same for every passport

On 10 October 2026 INZ's fee finder returned the same figures for Indian, Philippine and South African passports on the two main routes checked:

  • Straight to Residence Visa: from NZD 6,450, with 80% of applications completed within 3 months.
  • Accredited Employer Work Visa: from NZD 1,540, with 80% completed within 5 weeks.

Fees for paper applications and some other products can vary by passport and by where the applicant lives, so use INZ's fee finder with the right passport and country on the day.

INZ's scam guidance applies to every applicant. The signs it lists include being asked to pay for a job, being promised that an adviser's connections will guarantee an outcome or a faster decision, being asked to lie, being promised residence, and being told you must use an adviser. INZ states: "New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay any of their recruitment costs." It says it "will not prioritise your application because you use an adviser," and "You are not required to use an adviser to apply for a visa." It also says visa application fees are never paid into a bank account: "We will never ask you to pay for visa application fees by depositing money into a bank account."

The Immigration Advisers Authority says: "Any individual providing New Zealand immigration advice either in New Zealand or offshore must be licensed unless exempt under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 (the Act)." An adviser or agent giving advice on New Zealand visas from the Philippines therefore needs a New Zealand licence unless exempt, and the licence is checked on the Authority's public register. The guides to checking an adviser's licence, to unlicensed immigration advice and to advisers based outside New Zealand explain how.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or pathway fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

How many Filipino citizens applied for New Zealand residence?

INZ's statistics report, prepared 8 October 2026, shows 6,427 people and 3,578 applications for the Philippines in the 2025/26 financial year, and 103,415 people and 49,060 applications across all the years it covers. These are applications accepted for processing, not approvals.

Is there a New Zealand visa only for Filipino citizens?

INZ publishes two: the Philippines Special Work Visa for registered nurses, farm managers and engineering professionals (140 places a year) and the Philippines Working Holiday Visa (100 places a year, shown as closed for 2026 on 10 October 2026).

What evidence of work experience does INZ list for Filipino citizens?

For the AEWV, INZ lists employment certificates, employment contracts, payslips, SSS records, PhilHealth records and income tax returns with receipts, plus a work visa and POEA Overseas Employment Certificate or e-Receipt for work done overseas.

Can an agent in the Philippines advise me on a New Zealand visa?

INZ says you are not required to use an adviser. The Immigration Advisers Authority says anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice, in New Zealand or offshore, must be licensed unless exempt. Check the individual on the Authority's register.

Are the visa fees different for a Philippine passport?

INZ's fee finder returned the same fee for the Straight to Residence Visa and the AEWV for Philippine, Indian and South African passports. Some other fees vary, so check the finder.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • Registered Nurses Moving to New Zealand: How the Rules Fit Together — A nurse trained overseas deals with two separate bodies: the Nursing Council of New Zealand for registration, and Immigration New Zealand for the visa. The Council's published fee is NZD 485 plus outside costs, and every overseas applicant first verifies documents with TruMerit. INZ lists many registered nurse specialties on its Green List but shows the tier for each role only in its search tool.
  • Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): The 2026 Rules — The Accredited Employer Work Visa is New Zealand's main employer-sponsored work visa. The job must be full-time (30+ hours), with an accredited employer holding an approved job check, and paid at least the required rate. INZ showed a fee of NZD 1,540 and 80% of applications within 5 weeks on 9 October 2026. The longest continuous stay is 5 years, or 3 years for skill level 4 or 5 jobs.
  • Paying for an NZ Job Offer: What INZ Says — Immigration New Zealand says New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge a worker fees for a job or make them pay recruitment costs, and that it will decline an Accredited Employer Work Visa application if the applicant or their agent offered or promised money for a job offer. INZ calls job offer scams common in India and South Asia.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Advice in NZ: How to Spot It — Anyone who gives New Zealand immigration advice, in NZ or overseas, must be licensed by the IAA or exempt (for example, a lawyer with a current practising certificate). Unlicensed advice can lead INZ to return an application, and the adviser faces up to NZ$100,000 and/or 7 years' imprisonment, even without charging. Complaints go to the IAA and do not affect your immigration status.
  • NZ Immigration Advisers Based Outside New Zealand — Anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice from outside New Zealand needs an IAA licence unless they are exempt; 459 of the 1,681 licensed advisers were offshore at 30 June 2026. The one offshore-specific exemption covers student visa advice only.
  • How to Check an NZ Immigration Adviser's Licence — Search the adviser's name or licence number on the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) public register and confirm the status reads current. The record also shows whether the licence is full, provisional or limited. Lawyers are not on that register; check them on the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers.