• Talent (Arts, Culture, Sports) Work Visa

Talent (Arts, Culture, Sports) Work Visa

This visa is intended for individuals who have ‘exceptional talent’ in sport, culture or art, as well as a suitable sponsor and written support from a relevant organisation of national repute in their field in New Zealand.

Succesful applicants will be given a work visa valid for up to 30 months, and will be able to apply for residence after two years of being actively engaged in their sporting, cultural or artistic field.

Check your eligibility or discuss your options

Who can apply for a Talent (Arts, Culture, Sport) Visa?

To be eligible for this visa, individuals must:

  • Demonstrate that they have an international reputation in their field, and remain active within that field
  • Have a sponsor who will commit to providing them with accommodation and financial support
    • the sponsor can be an individual, organisation or government agency
  • Have written support from a relevant organisation of national repute in their sporting, artistic or cultural field in New Zealand
  • Be aged 55 or under
  • Meet the standard good health and character requirements for New Zealand visa applications

What does a Talent (Arts, Culture, Sport) Visa offer?

Succesful applicants for this visa are permitted to:

  • Live and work in New Zealand for up to 30 months
  • Use time spent in New Zealand on this visa as a basis for an application for residence after a period of two years

It is not permitted for the applicant to include their partner and/or dependent children in their work visa application. However, they are allowed to apply for visas on the basis of their relationship to the applicant.

If, after accruing the necessary two years of active engagement in your field on this visa, you decide to submit a residence application, you will be allowed to include your partner and/or dependent children in that application.

How do I apply for a Talent (Arts, Culture, Sport) Visa?

Prospective applicants for this visa will need to collect the supporting information and evidence outlined above, including a formal INZ1091 sponsorship form which has been completed in full by their designated sponsor.

Once the necessary supporting documentation has been collected, applications can be submitted either online or in person at a designated New Zealand Visa Application Centre.

Online applications usually cost NZD $860, though citizens of some countries may be exempt from paying an application fee. Applications submitted in person will usually be charged in the local currency, may be higher and may be augmented by additional handling charges.

Around 80% of applications for a Talent (Arts, Culture, Sport) Visa are processed within four weeks.

Check your eligibility or discuss your options

Mohamed Anas Sirajur Raheem

BA (Political Studies), LLB (VUW)

Mohamed is an enrolled Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, specializing in immigration law.

He is a former New Zealand Immigration Officer (Visa Services) and Border Officer at Auckland International Airport. He has several years of experience working in various Government Departments in New Zealand and has also worked as a Licensed Immigration Adviser at a prominent New Zealand Immigration firm.

His areas of expertise and interest are in the fields of General Skilled Migration, Temporary Work (Long and Short Stay), Business visas, Partner, Parent and Child Visa streams.

Mohamed was inspired to pursue a career in immigration by his own migration experiences. Over the years he has assisted individuals, families, large corporations, Professional sportspeople, and Entertainers (singers, speakers, and actors) to come to New Zealand.

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