ACT unveils Rural Workforce Visa to solve farm worker shortage

ACT is announcing its new Rural Workforce Visa (RWV) policy, a dedicated pathway designed to give farmers a reliable, year-round pipeline of workers – without the visa uncertainty that leaves roles unfilled for months at a time.

The rural visa builds on ACT's immigration policies announced last month, tailoring policy to rural New Zealand.

“New Zealand's farms, orchards, and fishing fleets generate $60 billion in exports every year. Right now, they can't find enough capable workers to do the job, held back by a chronic labour shortage that the current immigration system simply isn't equipped to solve," says ACT's Agriculture spokesperson Andrew Hoggard.

“Rural New Zealand faces different pressures from urban New Zealand. In many communities, the problem isn't too many people arriving, it's not enough workers being available. Applying an infrastructure levy in those circumstances would make no sense, which is why ACT’s Rural Workforce Visa would be exempt. Federated Farmers’ latest Farm Confidence Survey confirms labour availability remains one of the biggest challenges facing farmers across the country.

“The Government has made progress by introducing the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa. Those pathways help meet seasonal demand, but they do not address the year round roles that keep farms running every day.

“Labour shortages don't just make it harder to run farms. They also make it harder to keep productive land in farming at a time when many rural communities are already under pressure from the expansion of forestry.”

“Immigration should support the industries that drive New Zealand's economy, not leave critical jobs sitting vacant. ACT's Rural Workforce Visa provides certainty and a straightforward pathway for reliable migrant workers to fill genuine workforce shortages. Our immigration settings should support the people who feed the country and drive our economy, not bury them in red tape.” says ACT’s Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar.

ACT’s policy will:

1. Create the Rural Workforce Visa: A standalone, three-year visa specifically for dairy, sheep and beef, and general farm work.

2. Implement sector-tying, not geographic borders: The visa is attached to accredited rural employers, not a region. Workers can transfer to any other accredited rural employer without a new application, but cannot move to nonrural sectors. Workers end up in rural communities as a market outcome, not because a bureaucrat drew a line on a map.

3. Cutting bureaucracy: The visa features an initial three-year term with no renewal required within that period. Before the visa term ends, employers readvertise; if no suitable New Zealander is available, the visa is reissued for a further three years. This removes the repeated annual compliance load on employers.

4. Establish a clear residency pathway: ACT will add a new agricultural stream to the Work to Residence Visa. Workers who have held an RWV for 72 cumulative months (six years) with an accredited employer, and who meet standard requirements, will become eligible for residence.

Mr Hoggard says the policy respects the basic bargain that New Zealand was built on. People are welcome here if they contribute, respect our democratic values, and help build the country. It is a targeted, pro-market solution that rewards workers who have demonstrated sustained commitment to rural New Zealand.

“ACT’s Rural Workforce Visa reduces regulatory burdens on farmers, removes geographic restrictions, and delivers year-round workforce stability our primary industries need to drive New Zealand’s export economy forward,” says Mr Hoggard.