Dairy farming jobs
in New Zealand

For workers

On a dairy farm your years on the job count for more than a certificate. Visa rules for the more senior roles are built around farm experience, so the first thing to do is gather proof of the work you have already done.

Visas that can fit

• Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). This is the main route for farm assistants, herd managers, assistant managers and farm managers. You need a full-time offer from an accredited employer who holds an approved Job Check for the role (INZ AEWV page; DairyNZ on the AEWV).
• Green List residence. In the Appendix 13 version dated 9 March 2026, Dairy Cattle Farmer (ANZSCO 121313), which covers dairy farm manager, assistant dairy farm manager and dairy herd manager, was a Tier 2 (Work to Residence) role. The listed condition was at least 3 years' experience on a commercial farm in a relevant role. INZ says you must be aged 55 or younger when you apply (Work to Residence Visa). Check the live list for the current terms.
• Seasonal work. INZ's seasonal jobs page lists Dairy Cattle Farm Worker, Calf Rearer or Relief Milker (ANZSCO 841512) on the Peak Seasonal Visa, with hiring months of June to October and an average season of about 5 months (INZ, seasonal visa job durations and hiring months). Dairy farm assistant was not on that list when we read it.
• Other routes. Partner, student and residence options are in our work visa guide and residence guide.

Registration, licences and English

• Registration. The sources we used for this page name no registration body for dairy work, so there is no board to apply to first. What a farm and INZ will ask for is evidence of the work you have done.
• Proving experience. INZ asks for relevant experience to be backed by payslips or tax records rather than a CV alone. Keep references from past farm owners, herd records and contracts that show your role and hours.
• Stay limits. DairyNZ gives the maximum continuous stay as 3 years for farm assistants and 5 years for herd managers and more senior roles, with exceptions for people on a Green List residence path. It also notes 12 months outside New Zealand before a further AEWV. The page carries a February 2024 update note, so check the INZ stay page before you rely on it.
• English. For an AEWV, English must be shown for jobs at skill level 4 or 5, and, since 1 June 2026, skill level 3 as well (INZ, 25 May 2026). Exempt from the level 3 rule: an AEWV expiring on or before 1 December 2026 when you apply for a further level 3 AEWV, people who already gave English evidence in an earlier AEWV application, Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa applications, and Job Change applications (same INZ news item). The Peak Seasonal Visa exemption covers calf rearer and relief milker jobs. DairyNZ says farm assistant applicants need to show English test evidence. Ask the employer how your role is graded.

How to find jobs

• Look for farms on INZ's accredited employer list. A farm that is not on it cannot support an AEWV.
• Farm Source Jobs is the board DairyNZ names for dairy adverts.
• Read the stand-down lists from INZ and Employment New Zealand before accepting.
• Get the housing arrangements, milking times, days off and pay in writing. These shape both the job and the visa conditions.

Common mistakes

• Paying anyone for a farm job. Job offer scams are common — check with INZ before paying anyone.
• Describing yourself as a herd manager when your payslips say farm assistant. INZ looks at what you actually did.
• Arriving on a seasonal visa and expecting it to turn into a longer one. Calf rearer and relief milker jobs end with the season.
• Leaving the farm without checking your visa conditions. A change of employer or role can need new paperwork.

For employers

A farm that wants an overseas worker needs accreditation first, then a Job Check for each role, then the worker applies for the visa. The grade of the role decides how much extra checking you do.

• Accreditation. Standard accreditation is for up to 5 migrants and high-volume accreditation for 6 or more, valid for 12 months. Have your NZ Business Number, industry code and IRD number ready (INZ process page).
• Job Check and advertising. DairyNZ says dairy adverts must run for at least 3 weeks on Farm Source Jobs or a national job site, within 90 days before the Job Check is lodged, and that Green List roles are exempt from that step. For farm assistant roles, engage Work and Income first. An approved Job Check gives a job token that lasts 6 months.
• Pay. Since 10 March 2025 no median wage threshold applies to the AEWV. The floor is the minimum wage, $23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026, and the advert must state the pay. You still owe the market rate for the job and the area, so compare with what you pay local staff.
• Seasonal staff. Calf rearers and relief milkers can be hired on the seasonal visa, with a maximum stay of 7 months, according to DairyNZ. INZ's page gives June to October as the usual hiring months.
• Obligations. Do not charge recruitment costs to the worker, and give them information about living and working here. Farm housing offered with the job should be written into the employment agreement.

Setting this up for the first time can feel heavy for a family farm. Our employer accreditation service covers the application, the Job Check and the worker's visa.