Recognised Seasonal Employer Policy (RSE)

Horticulture and viticulture employers with RSE status bring groups of temporary workers from overseas to work for up to seven months of the year under this scheme.

RSE employers can recruit from the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

It is only open to people who have a job offer by a Recognised Seasonal Employer, and who are living offshore.

The scheme has been running for only a few years. It has already seen the flow of much needed cash and skills back to workers' homelands, while New Zealand employers appreciate the benefit of having reliable workers, some of whom are returning for their third season.

Many orchards feature the sound of their Pacific Island employees singing and laughing as they work.

Click here for more information about RES work permits.