New Zealand-India FTA to allow up to 1,667 skilled worker visas annually for 3 years

According to the New Zealand government, the agreement establishes a pathway for an average of up to 1,667 three-year skilled work visas annually.

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Under the agreement, a key component of the deal relates to skilled mobility (Representative/AI Generated image)

New Zealand and India have concluded a Free Trade Agreement that significantly expands economic, mobility, and education partnerships between the two countries. Announcing the development, New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay said, the agreement provides New Zealand exporters access to a market of nearly 1.4 billion consumers and marks one of the most comprehensive trade deals India has signed with any partner.

Under the agreement, a key component of the deal relates to skilled mobility. According to the New Zealand government, the agreement establishes a pathway for an average of up to 1,667 three-year skilled work visas annually. These visas will be non-renewable and targeted at priority occupations facing shortages in New Zealand, including doctors, nurses, teachers, information and communication technology professionals, and engineers.

The roles eligible under this arrangement will be drawn from New Zealand’s skills shortage ‘Green List’. Authorities have clarified that all existing immigration screening, qualification checks, and experience requirements will continue to apply. The government has also retained the flexibility to update the Green List in line with changing labour market needs.

In addition to skilled visas, the agreement aligns New Zealand’s Working Holiday Scheme with the provisions offered under Australia’s trade deal with India. This will allow up to 1,000 Indian citizens each year to access working holiday opportunities in New Zealand, aimed at supporting workforce requirements in sectors such as tourism and rural industries.

Further, under the FTA tariffs will be eliminated or reduced on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports to India, one of the highest coverage levels among India’s free trade agreements. Of this, nearly 57 per cent of New Zealand exports will become duty-free from the first day of implementation. The agreement also includes provisions aimed at easing trade processes and improving market access across sectors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also acknowledged the conclusion of the agreement. In a post on social media platform X, he said the deal would open up “numerous opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, MSMEs, students and youth.”

An important moment for India-New Zealand relations, with a strong push to bilateral trade and investment!

My friend PM Christopher Luxon and I had a very good conversation a short while ago following the conclusion of the landmark India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 22, 2025

The trade agreement builds on recent efforts to deepen cooperation in education and research. Earlier this year, New Zealand’s Prime Minister visited India and attended an event at IIT Delhi, where multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between New Zealand universities and Indian institutions. These collaborations are intended to strengthen academic exchange, joint research and student mobility.

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As part of these initiatives, a NZ$260,000 partial scholarship package was announced under the New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA) 2025 to support Indian students pursuing higher education in New Zealand. Institutional partnerships highlighted during the visit included collaborations between the University of Auckland and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, as well as the University of Auckland and IIT Kharagpur.

The IIT Delhi event also marked the launch of the New Zealand Centre Innovation Fellowship, aiming at innovation-led collaboration in the technical front. Alongside this, a ‘Virtual Internship Programme’ was introduced, which would offer 30 IIT Delhi students the opportunity to intern remotely with New Zealand companies and gain exposure to industry practices and work culture in the country.

According to data from the Ministry of External Affairs in 2024, New Zealand is currently home to around 7,300 Indian international students. The figure shows New Zealand’s growing profile as a study destination for Indian students, a trend that policymakers expect to strengthen further with the combined impact of the free trade agreement, expanded mobility options and deeper academic partnerships.