India and New Zealand have signed their first-ever bilateral free trade agreement today in New Delhi. While the deal covers trade in goods and services, it is the labour mobility rules that are already getting a lot of attention, especially from companies and HR teams on both sides.
Details shared by Indian government show that New Zealand has agreed to offer a special annual quota of 5,000 temporary work visas for skilled professionals from India.
5,000 Work visas for Indian professionals
Under this new arrangement, Indian workers will be able to apply for jobs in New Zealand across several key sectors. These include IT, healthcare, and engineering, along with more specialised areas like yoga instruction and Indian cuisine.
Each visa will allow professionals to stay in New Zealand for up to three years. After that, they may also be able to move towards permanent residency through existing immigration routes.
The agreement also opens a new travel and work option for younger Indians. A Working Holiday Scheme will allow 1,000 Indians aged between 18 and 30 to get a multiple-entry visa valid for 12 months. This will let them travel, work, and explore New Zealand more freely during their stay.
The visa pathway will cover multiple sectors such as IT, engineering, healthcare, education, and construction. It will also include more specialised roles like yoga instructors, chefs, and music teachers.
Officials described it as “a future-ready and facilitative mobility framework,” aimed at improving entry and stay options for professionals, students, and young workers. The idea is to make it easier for Indian talent to work abroad and support services trade between both countries.
Bigger opportunities for Indian students
Indian students studying in New Zealand will also see continued and bigger benefits under the deal. They will be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week while studying. Depending on their qualification level, they may also be eligible for post-study work permits of up to four years, giving them more time to gain international work experience after graduation.
The release said, “Students can convert global learning to global experience with post-study work rights of up to 3 years for STEM Bachelor’s and Master’s graduates and up to 4 years for Doctoral scholars.”
This means graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will get extended opportunities to stay and work after finishing their studies, with PhD scholars getting the longest duration.
In addition, 1,000 Working Holiday visas will be issued every year. These will allow young Indians to travel and take up short-term work in New Zealand, combining work experience with travel.
Trade, investment and sector cooperation
The agreement is also a major trade deal in itself. It provides duty-free access for 100 percent of Indian exports to New Zealand. It also includes bigger commitments across several service sectors, making trade easier between the two countries.
Another major part of the agreement is a planned investment commitment of USD 20 billion over 15 years. Both countries will also work together in agriculture through centres of excellence focused on apples, kiwifruit, and honey production.
Speaking about the agreement, Goyal said, “Today this Free Trade Agreement is about building trade around people and launching opportunities – for our farmers, for our entrepreneurs, for our students, for our Women and for our innovators. Boosting yields and farmer incomes, the agreement drives modern agricultural productivity. It opens doors for Indian businesses in the region through well-integrated directional exports and gives our youth choices to learn, work and grow on a global stage.”