36187 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Immigration

36187 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Immigration: What health conditions, if any, disqualify an applicant from participating in the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme as at July 2025, and how does this compare to the requirements in July 2022?

Hon Erica Stanford: Visa applicants are required to have an acceptable standard of health to be granted a visa. Health screening for visa applicants who are intending to stay in New Zealand for less than 12 months is generally limited to screening for tuberculosis (TB), if an applicant comes from a place not on Immigration New Zealand’s List of Low TB Incidence Countries, Areas and Territories. If an applicant were found to have TB this would disqualify them from participating in the RSE scheme until such time as they had been successfully treated. If an RSE worker was to arrive at the border and there were concerns that they did not meet an acceptable standard of health then additional information may be requested and/or health checks carried out. I am advised that the only difference to the health requirements for RSE workers that were applicable in July 2022, is that RSE workers who were HIV positive were not previously eligible to be granted a visa under the RSE scheme. This limitation was removed on 2 September 2024.