India–New Zealand FTA unlocks 5,000 temporary work visas for Indian professionals

India’s newly-minted Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand came into force late on 20 October and, within hours, created what Indian IT firms and global mobility managers have long requested: a dedicated Temporary Employment Entry (TEE) visa pathway for skilled Indian nationals. Under the agreement, up to 5,000 Indian citizens can hold a TEE visa at any given time, each for an initial stay of up to three years that can be renewed onshore. Occupations specifically referenced range from core services-export segments such as software engineering, fintech and consulting to culturally iconic roles including Indian chefs, yoga instructors, classical musicians and AYUSH practitioners. The quota is “rolling,” meaning a slot re-opens as soon as a visa holder departs or changes status, ensuring a constantly available pool. Crucially for employers, the TEE visa is labour-market-test–free when the applicant earns at least the prevailing median wage in New Zealand. That aligns with New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa settings and removes one of the biggest procedural hurdles—obtaining a Skills Match Report from Work and Income. Dependants receive open work rights and access to New Zealand’s public education system, making the route attractive for full-family relocations. The FTA also bundles broader mobility sweeteners. Indian STEM graduates who complete a master’s or PhD in New Zealand will now receive up to three years of open post-study work rights, up from the current two. Indian students in degree-level programmes can work 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during scheduled breaks. A new 1,000-place working-holiday scheme will launch next April for Indians aged 18-30, complementing the main professional stream. For Indian multinationals, especially IT services giants already embedded in Australia, the agreement adds a strategically located talent hub in the Pacific and a progression route for staff seeking trans-Tasman experience. While the cap of 5,000 visas is modest compared with the tens of thousands of Indian professionals in Australia, experts say it is large enough to seed a pipeline of senior delivery managers, architects and domain consultants who can support New Zealand-based clients without relying on week-long business visas. Mobility teams should begin mapping internal skills inventories against New Zealand’s Green List and work with host-country payroll to confirm salary thresholds before filing.