The Regions support New Zealand dairy farm owners to improve their farming businesses by helping them overcome staffing challenges and creating stability on their farms.
The Regions offer the market leading employment solution creating better lives in the agricultural sector.
E: paula@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
Paula moved to New Zealand back in 2008 and has lived in Hamilton ever since. She studied at Waikato University and finished a Bachelor in Social Sciences, majoring in Psychology. She loves spending time with her family and friends. Loves films, music, books and hopes to travel the world, someday.
E: alexandra@theregions.co.nz
M: 0277705137
PASTORAL CARE FOR SOUTH AMERICANS
Alex was born in Ecuador, met her kiwi husband in Israel and has been in NZ for 18 years working in Administration and Interpretation/Translation jobs. She holds an Agricultural Engineering degree from home and a NZ Diploma in Business and Accounting. Her passion is to help people from different cultures and backgrounds and has been assisting with immigration papers, driving, and English lessons. She loves basketball and soccer.
E: samantha@theregions.co.nz
M: 0273795558
EVENT MANAGER AND DIGITAL COORDINATOR
Samantha was born and raised in the mighty Waikato where she studied a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Public Relations and Leadership and specialised in Event Management. Her love for whanau, friends and food doesn’t go unnoticed and she one day hopes to travel the world. She enjoys travelling around New Zealand, taking part in new experiences and enjoying quality time with her loved ones.
E: jodie@theregions.co.nz
M: 0277705139
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR MID/NORTH CANTERBURY
Jodie has been involved in dairy farming for the past 15 years in various areas of Canterbury. She is based in Hororata and currently in an equity partnership, Jodie brings a wealth of local knowledge for local farmers in the area with her Dip. Agribusiness Management and a focus on HR. She is experienced with recruitment and retention.
Jodies passion is community and people, filling various roles in local sports clubs and community groups.
E: arti@theregions.co.nz
M: 0273659949
Licensed Immigration Adviser 201401176 Hamilton
I am a Masters degree holder in Food Science from India. I have done a diploma in Business administration, a certificate in quality assurance and a certificate in Immigration advice. I have worked in Health sector as a Diet consultant. I moved to New Zealand in 2006 and got married and had two kids. In 2008 I started working with Immigration New Zealand and in 2014 became Licensed Immigration adviser and have worked as a Licensed immigration adviser serving several migrants to come and settlein New Zealand. I hold 11 years of immigration experience dealing with migrants and assisting them to settle in New Zealand.
On weekends I love to spend quality time with my family, cook together and outdoor trips. I love travelling and music is my Passion.
E: daniel@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 290 5249
PASTORAL CARE FOR HAMILTON/TARANAKI AND ONSHORE RECRUITMENT LEAD
Daniel was born and raised in the Philippines. He started his professional career as a bank employee in 2011 immediately after finishing his bachelor degree in Legal Management. He took on a few key banking roles that helped him develop his skills both social and interpersonal.
In 2016, he left the banking industry to moved to New Zealand to study Diploma in Business and eventually made his way into the country’s labour force. Daniel is really enjoying his role as a Pastoral Care and he finds it very rewarding knowing that he is able to help out his fellow “kababayans” who wish to come into the country for a chance of a better life.
E: ranjini@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
Ranjini was raised in Hamilton and completing her LLB at the University of Waikato. She completed an internship as a law clerk with DTI Lawyers which gave her experience within the fields of property and employment law. Ranjini is an active member of the community, as a volunteer for the women’s refuge and a youth leader for the Waikato Tamil Society.
On her weekends you’ll find her in the outdoors hiking or somewhere where there is live music. She is an avid traveller and enjoys spending time with her family.
E: jia@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 3677006
Pastoral Care Ashburton
Jia was originally from the Philippines. She arrived in New Zealand in 2017 to study at the National Trade Academy specializing in Primary Industry Skills. After completing her course, she started working in a dairy farm for two seasons. She joined the team on March 2020 and is now working as a Pastoral Care Administrator for Canterbury and Otago Regions. She is also the Ashburton Office Manager.
E: akanesi@theregions.co.nz
OPERATIONS AND CULTURE LEAD
Akanesi recently joined us as the Operations and Culture lead with relevant experience in Finance, HR, Business Operations and IT. She is a business graduate with an accounting and information technology background who has over the last 10 years worked in both the public and private sector.
Akanesi spends her spare time hiking, cooking, building lego, playing board games and planning her next travel destination!
E: priyanka@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
I was born and raised in Hamilton. I studied at Waikato University and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Laws and I am in the process of getting admission to the bar.
I love travelling and playing sports such as netball, as well as spending time with family and friends.
E: jade@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 3655997
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR HAWKES BAY
Jade has been a very involved dairy farming partner for the past 10 years more recently as part of a corporate.
she has 3 children and loves living the rural farming lifestyle.
She is based in Central Hawkes Bay and loves to be involved in community events.
She has employed staff for the past 6 years and understands the processes involved on farm and with employing overseas candidates And is looking forward to working with you.
E: angela@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 3637 073
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR NORTHLAND
Angela has been dairy farming for 27 years – she has started the “succession plan” where her son is taking over the day to day management of their Waikato farming business. She and her partner Glenn moved to Ohaeawai, Northland where they have a small avocado block. She was a trustee of the “Dairy Womens Network” for 13 years.
Angela has a passion for the dairy industry and understands one of the challenges dairy farmers face in finding good people to work on their farms. She has employed staff on their 450 cow dairy farm from overseas and understands the recruitment and immigration process that needs to be worked through. She is thoroughly enjoying the beautiful places Northland has to offer.
E: amy@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 363 3542
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR TARANAKI
Amy lives in Taranaki with her Husband and three Daughters on their Dairy Farm milking 330 cows. Amy’s work background has a strong focus on client relationships in the Real Estate and Marketing industry and after 13 years in her previous role Amy made the decision to move into a role in the Dairy industry which she is passionate about.
In her spare time Amy enjoys spending time with her family exploring the beautiful Taranaki region whether it be at the beach, in the bush or on the farm.
E: jayne@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 2815 444
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER OAMARU
Jayne is based just out of Duntroon in the beautiful Waitaki Valley where, together with her husband Mark, they sharemilk 850 cows. Born and raised within local farming families, they returned to the area in 2011 to pursue a life in the dairy industry with their own children.
As they have grown their business, they have employed a variety of both Kiwi and migrant staff. Jayne has a strong understanding of your need to successfully recruit and retain skilled employees best suited to your farming business, and the precious time and energy that can be involved in such processes. She looks forward to working with our local farmers to support them in meeting their recruitment and immigration needs.
E: brooke@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 358 5507
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR EASTERN SOUTHLAND AND SOUTH & WEST OTAGO
E: nils@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 2766 433
SENIOR LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER SOUTH ISLAND
University of Canterbury law graduate, enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor in the High Court of New Zealand, with a Diploma in Business, Diploma in Human Resources, Diploma in Management and a Graduate Certificate in Immigration advise.
With over 6 years’ of experience Nils has extensive knowledge in the Immigration field. After having lived in Japan Nils also knows how hard it can be to start a new life in a different country so strives to make the visa process as smooth as possible for The Region’s candidates.
Nils enjoys films, music and art but his favourite pastime is spending time with his beautiful daughter.
Based in Timaru but with the ability to travel throughout South Island.
E: beth@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 2919 777
PASTORAL CARE FOR EASTERN SOUTHLAND AND SOUTH & WEST OTAGO
Beth is from the Philippines where she worked in a government agency. She came to New Zealand in 2009, a year after her husband arrived to join our dairy workforce. She has been working in retail for 9 years and also helps her husband with calf rearing in the farm every season and sometimes do farm works. With her passion for helping people and her exposure to dairy farming for more than 10 years, she has a deeper understanding of how the industry operates, especially in terms of working with migrants. Every year, she goes home to the Philippines to reunite with her teen daughter Jannine, who also occasionally comes to visit here when school is off.
E: teresa@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 2908 703
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR MANAWATU
Raised on a farm in the Horowhenua Teresa has a real passion for farming. Teresa has a background in dairying, pork and equine industries. Over the years Teresa supported her Husband Steven working on and off farms whilst raising her four children. Teresa also has an administration and management background in Local Government, Banking and more recently Recruitment. This is where Teresa gained valuable experience in working with migrant workers. As Branch Manager, Teresa managed a large portfolio of clients and candidates. Teresa is excited to be moving into a role where she can combine her passion for farming and people. In her downtime Teresa enjoys spending time at the Beach, relaxing with family and friends.
E: dexter@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 2677 665
LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER OAMARU 201901214
Dexter is a licensed lawyer in the Philippines and worked in the health insurance sector for nearly 14 years. He was also a part-time professor teaching criminal law courses to criminology college students.
He moved to New Zealand with his wife and daughter in 2018 and settled in Blenheim. During this time, Dexter held administrative jobs at the Wairau Hospital and at the NMIT Marlborough campus while studying part-time to be a Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA). He is currently the LIA of the Oamaru branch for The Regions.
An avid learner, Dexter is also taking up (through distance learning) a Master of Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University and is in the process of applying for an assessment of his overseas qualification before the New Zealand Law Society. With the use of his legal and immigration knowledge from both the Philippines and New Zealand, Dexter is keen on providing the best LIA service to the Filipino dairy farmers and to the other clientele of The Regions as well.
M:027 2137 656 E: hayley@theregions.co.nz
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR NORTH OTAGO/SOUTH CANTERBURY
Hayley is based in Papakaio, Oamaru where she lives with her husband and two teenage children. Originally from the Bay of Plenty, Hayley and her family moved to Oamaru to pursue dairying in 2012.
Hayley has recently completed the diploma of agribusiness through ARA Canterbury, specializing in human resources.
Hayley has successfully employed and retained migrant workers for their farming business, and looks forward to engaging and supporting local farmers with their dairy recruitment needs.
From experience, Hayley knows that employing the right staff is crucial to your farming operations future, and success.
E: julliefer@theregions.co.nz
DEPLOYMENTS AND ACCOUNT SUPPORT
Julie is a licensed accountant from the Philippines. She has extensive knowledge in financial and
management accounting and has worked for 25 years in various manufacturing and service companies.
Recently moved to Hamilton New Zealand, she is passionate to embrace the New Zealand culture.
Outside of work, she loves to spend time with family, travelling and enjoying what best life can offer.
E: maria@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER 201900723
Maria finished her Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and has continuously improved herself from short courses to NZQA approved qualifications. Maria is very passionate about people and the environment. She is very active in the community and has high regards to sustainability and environment. She is a Trustee of the Connecting Mid Canterbury, an active member of the Parent Teacher Association, and the Public Relations Officer of the United Filipinos in Mid Canterbury.
Outside work, she is the number one fan of her twin teenage daughters. She immensely loves spending a lot of time with the twins. For herself, she loves her sports and yoga. She now enjoys tennis and skiing since she moved to the South Island and terribly misses volleyball and windsurfing. She loves dancing & singing and has been lucky to enjoy these with her friends.
M: 027 2838 804 E: cassandra@theregions.co.nz
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER
Cassandra was born and raised in the agricultural sector in the Canterbury area. Cassandra completed her Bachelor of Commerce at Otago university and has worked in the recruitment and sales industry for the last 10 years.
She lives on a farm in Methven with her husband and four daughters. Outside of work Cassandra enjoys travel, horse riding, reading and social events within her community.
M: 027 2905249 E: reece@theregions.co.nz
PASTORAL CARE
Reece has a background in education and healthcare and is new to the immigration industry. He has recently joined The Regions’ pastoral care team and is looking forward to helping candidates transition seamlessly in NZ.
He is into sports and is a family man. He would spend his free time with his family travelling or catching up on movies when time permits.
M: 0273085559 E: raj@theregions.co.nz
COMMERCIAL MANAGER
LLB
Raj is our Commercial Manager. A Law Graduate from the University of Waikato, and brings a vast array of experience from working in law, finance, insurance and investment.
Raj is a business leader who is passionate about developing the team around him, to provide the best possible service and advice to our clients and candidates. Away from work, Raj enjoys football, music and movies. He is an avid traveler with his wife and daughter.
M: 027 299 9378 E: rochelle@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
Rochelle worked as an Internal Auditor for various companies in the Philippines before she finally moved to New Zealand and started her journey of studying Business Studies.
During and after her studies she worked in immigration and recruitment consultancies, and tertiary institutions as a Marketing Officer specializing Philippines market which has exposed her into knowing more about various immigration visas and systems. This has greatly contributed to her decision of currently pursuing Diploma in Immigration Advice.
Having been into the exposure of being a migrant herself, she understands the process and difficulty each migrant face in crucial moments of processing their visas.
Rochelle loves connecting with people, reading books and spending quality time travelling with her husband.
E: rochelle@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 2999 378
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR 201901148
Rochelle worked as an Internal Auditor for various companies in the Philippines before she finally moved to New Zealand and started her journey of studying Business Studies.
During and after her studies she worked in immigration and recruitment consultancies, and tertiary institutions as a Marketing Officer specializing Philippines market which has exposed her into knowing more about various immigration visas and systems. This has greatly contributed to her decision of currently pursuing Diploma in Immigration Advice.
Having been into the exposure of being a migrant herself, she understands the process and difficulty each migrant face in crucial moments of processing their visas.
Rochelle loves connecting with people, reading books and spending quality time travelling with her husband.
E: liam@theregions.co.nz
SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR
Liam has completed a Bachelor of Science with a major in Computer Studies at the University of Waikato in Hamilton in 2019. Liam is currently working as a System administrator with the goal of making all processes at the region’s run more efficiently and more accurate.
Liam enjoy’s spending time with his family as well as socializing with his friends when he gets the chance. He’s a fan of playing football as well as being interested in technology and all things focused around computers.
M: 0272094824 E: mina@theregions.co.nz
NEPALI PASTORAL CARE MANAGER
Mina is a wife and mother of two sons. Her family moved to New Zealand from Nepal in 2014. They live on a farm in Southland and she had spent many of winters working as a calf rarer. She has also been working with the Nepali community in Southland for a number of years, they are like a family and she enjoys providing support to them when needed. Cooking is her passion and she enjoys fundraising for kids events. She is excited to be joining The Regions as a Pastoral Care Team Member for the Southland region.
Explore beautiful New Zealand in your time off, visiting all the attractions on your bucket-list. Experience the adventure of a lifetime, you have earned it!
Congratulations! You have successfully completed our programme and are a real DairyTalent.
What’s next?
We will look for a permanent job for you and take care of all the paperwork during the immigration process. Our DairyTalent Initiative helps to open doors to a secure and successful future in New Zealand’s dairy farming industry.
After a wonderful year in New Zealand, home is calling. We hope you have enjoyed your time in our beautiful country, and should you ever decide to come back, the team at The Regions will be happy to help with your journey. If you have decided that you’d like to make New Zealand your home, we can help with that too!
Throughout your year abroad in New Zealand, we will support and advise you at every stage. If you have any questions or issues that might arise while you are here, our supportive staff are always there for you with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Our Key Account Managers are located across the country and are close to your farm. Additionally, our staff members in our head office in Hamilton are committed to your wellbeing and will take care of your concerns quickly. Short reviews of your experience after each assignment and a final review of your overall adventure will reflect your satisfaction with the programme to ensure its quality, as we are all committed to a successful completion.
Explore beautiful New Zealand in your time off, visiting all the attractions on your bucket-list. Experience the adventure of a lifetime, you have earned it!
Your final assignment as a DairyTalent is when you can use the knowledge and expertise you have gained so far during your previous two assignments to support the dairy farmer.
You can also decide if this lifestyle is for you! If it is and you decide to stay on in New Zealand, we can help you apply for your working visa and find your new “home-farm”.
After your first assignment you will have an idea of what dairy farming looks like in New Zealand. Your second dairy farm experience will deepen your knowledge and expose you to different approaches and working styles. You will have the opportunity to explore a different area of the country on your days off and meet new people during your time on the farm.
After you have settled in and got over your jetlag, it’s time to get started. From day one you will work on the dairy farm as a valuable team member and be given responsibility for various tasks. As you settle into daily working life you will soon discover what real Kiwi dairy farming is all about.
It can be a little daunting moving to the other side of the world on a working holiday. That’s why we will give you tips and tricks on what to do on your arrival, where to go afterwards, what you need to know to open a bank account and how to apply for an IRD (tax) number. If you want to buy a car, we can help with that too!
We will guide you through your Working Holiday Visa application process and support you before your arrival to New Zealand. A schedule of what you need to keep in mind will help you in your last weeks at home and before you come to beautiful New Zealand. If you have any questions during that time, please feel free to contact us anytime.
For the past few years, all applications need to be made through Immigration New Zealand’s online portal, thereby facilitating the application process and making it faster. However, you are probably excited about applying and don’t want to make a mistake, dreading that you might not be able to travel and work in this beautiful country if you do anything wrong. Relax! We will help and guide you through the application process.
First things first: Open Immigration New Zealand’s website and use it alongside our instructions. So, you can make sure you do everything right. A double insurance so to speak that will ease your mind.
1. Register online on Immigration New Zealand
2. Apply for a working holiday
3. Confirm and pay for your Working Holiday Visa
4. Check your application and wait for Immigration New Zealand’s reply
Awesome! Now you just need to wait until Immigration New Zealand has processed your application. This can take a few days or a few weeks, always depending on their workload. Once your Working Holiday Visa is granted, you have 12 months to enter New Zealand and activate it.
Do I need a car?
You do not necessarily need a car on all farms. If you don’t have a car, you can always talk to the farmer if you want to join them on their next trip into town to buy some groceries. However, as a lot of the dairy farms are quite remote it might be hard for you to leave the farm on your days off if you do not have a car. Some farmers will let you use their cars, but this is not always the case.
What do I need to include in my job application to The Regions?
Please check out our online application form as it asks you for all the relevant information we need, in order to search for a suitable job on a dairy farm for you.
Can I as a female apply for a dairy farm position?
Of course, you can! There are no gender differences and we are happy to hire female dairy workers for our clients.
What do I get paid?
You will usually get above minimum wage plus 8% holiday pay. As the working hours are normally quite high, you can earn a considerable amount within a short time period, usually without huge expenses. If you want to buy a car soon, want to travel around afterwards or need a new backpack, the dairy industry is the place to make money. But besides your salary, you will be able to gain much more, such as the respect of your boss, lifelong friendships and working experience in one of the world’s most innovative dairy markets.
What do I do, if I have issues with the dairy farmer?
A lot of issues can be traced back to communication problems. Keep in mind, that most backpackers’ native language is not English and that you might have issues understanding Kiwi slang. Besides the language issues, the culture barrier can be the reason you don’t feel well. Therefore, the first step for you would be to talk to the farmer or the farm manager. Sometimes the problem can be solved by simply talking about your concerns.
If these issues concern your salary, work tasks or workplace safety then it is important to raise these topics from the start, especially as New Zealand employment legislation is strict in these matters.
Should you feel uncomfortable to raise these issues directly with the farmer, then please contact us immediately (email to backpackers@theregions.co.nz or call us under 0800 100 274) and we will give you advice on what to do or we will address the problem with the farmer directly.
Who can I contact if I have any questions?
The Regions is here to support you. This is our vision and we live it every day. Just send us an email to backpackers@theregions.co.nz or call us under 0800 100 274.
The Regions is one of New Zealand’s leading immigration law expert and recruitment companies for dairy farmers. We support more than 500 dairy farm owners throughout the country by giving hardworking and reliable farmworkers new opportunities in one of the world’s most innovative dairy markets. Over the past two years we have placed more than 1500 migrants in secure employment in New Zealand.
We are here to help you short-term (up to 12 months on a WHV) to gain working experience on a dairy farm in New Zealand. If you decide to stay long-term in Aotearoa, we are more than happy to support you with the Immigration process and find a secure job on one of our client’s dairy farms for you.
Your experience as dairy farm worker is a full-time job with usually between 40 to 55 hours per week and time off frequently. A common roster is for example 12 days working and 2 days of free time. But that varies from farm to farm and could also be 6 days working and 1 day off.
New Zealand has strict rules regarding worker’s holidays and therefore you are also entitled to have paid days off. However, as backpackers are only employed for a short period, most prefer to get these days paid on top of their salary. This means you will get 8 % holiday pay at the end of your dairy farm experience.
You should be able to work on a dairy farm at least for 2 months, preferably longer. The Working Holiday Visa allows most backpackers to work in New Zealand for up to 12 months (whereas some countries have limits to the length they can work for one employer).
However, if you decide you want to stay long-term in New Zealand and work on a Dairy Farm, you might be eligible for a work visa. We are happy to discuss this option with you and if you meet the requirements, support you with the Immigration process for your new visa.
You will be provided accommodation on the farm. Often, the farmers have a separate, simply furnished house that they provide to their employees. The rent varies but is generally quite low.
“My daily routine starts at 5 o’clock in the morning, when I drive my motorbike to the paddock to collect the cows and then I start milking. I work in a herringbone shed with 30 cows on each side. It was pretty stressful at first, but you get used to it. After milking I need to take the cows back to another paddock and clean the shed. After my breakfast break, I need to feed the calves and help the farm manager with some other farm duties like tractor work. I really love having the routine to milk the cows in the morning and in the evening and doing various jobs throughout the day and learning new things.
I have a lot of responsibility here on the farm. I’ve never felt such appreciation before in my life. It’s not just a job for me, I enjoy being outdoors no matter what the weather conditions are, and I often get rewarded by nature. Because in which job do you get to see the sunrise and sunset every day, help a cow bring her calf to the world and have a personal outdoor gym. Personally, I consider it as a great enrichment to work on a dairy farm in New Zealand.”
No farm is like the other. There are different farm and herd sizes. Some farmers are milking their cows in a rotary and others in a herringbone shed. The specific tasks and the intensity of the work vary as well. The farm routine often starts at 5 o’clock in the morning before the sun rises and ends in the evening when the sun has already set, as well as in all weather conditions. But you will have enough breaks during the day to recharge your batteries.
You might now ask yourself: what kind of work will I be doing? You will experience a whole lot of exciting activities, such as:
About the position:
As we want you to have an amazing time in New Zealand, The Regions offers ongoing support for you. If you have any questions or issues, let us know and we can help you.
After you have sorted all the bureaucratic obstacles and spent a few days setting everything up and getting accustomed to your new Kiwi life, you want to work in New Zealand and earn some money. Good, then let’s get started and milk the cow for some cash!
As you are not allowed to work permanently under your Working Holiday Visa, a short-term job is therefore your best option. The Regions will support you in looking for the right job on a dairy farm. Just apply today, so we can check our vacancies and contact you regarding your job opportunities.
As in every job there are a few conditions you need to meet in order to be able to work as a backpacker on a dairy farm in New Zealand. Besides having a valid Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand, you:
A plus would be, if you:
New Zealand’s currency is the Dollar with which you can pay everywhere. You can get New Zealand Dollars before arriving to New Zealand at your home country bank or at exchange bureaus at most international airports. However, in New Zealand you can pay almost everything and everywhere with your credit/debit card, that’s why you should have that ready as well. When buying goods or services you need to pay 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST) which is included in the displayed price.
When working in New Zealand you must pay an income tax which is deducted through the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) system. This tax varies depending on your salary. Those earning up to $14,000 are taxed at 10.5%, between $14,001 and $48,000 at 17.5%, from $48,001 to $70,000 at 30% and above $70,000 at 33%. So that you can be a good taxpayer and your employer can deduct the right amount it is essential for you to apply for an IRD number. This process is easy, as you can do it online. Go to Inland Revenue’s website and apply today. Please remember at the end of your year, that you could be owed a tax refund. Check Inland Revenue’s website for further information.
In order to apply for an IRD number you require a bank account. For opening an account, you usually need your passport or passport number, your foreign tax identification number (FIN), your visa plus the dates of your arrival and length of stay, as well as a proof of your new residential address. Some banks let you apply prior to arrival online, but a lot of backpackers apply during their first days in the country. You just go to the local branch of your preferred bank to open the account. Please take into consideration, that most banks especially in the Working Holiday hotspots like Auckland or Christchurch have a waiting list and require you to make an appointment a few days in advance. If you don’t want to or cannot wait for that long, try to contact a branch outside the city centre.
New Zealand offers many different means of transportation, whereas taking the hop-on hop-off bus or buying a campervan/car are the most common among backpackers.
The public transport and the hop-on hop-off bus system are generally good between bigger cities but might not be as frequent to smaller towns or villages, which means that you might have to change busses. Hence, the route becomes the destination! But with spectacular views on your way, you are probably willing to make a short detour anyways to reach you final location.
To buy a car, or not to buy a car: that is the question!
Particularly, as many of the farms are located in remote areas you might want to have a car in order to explore the surroundings on your days off. Thus, buying a car is on most backpacker’s to-do list. Just check different Facebook groups or Trade-me for good deals. Before buying a car make sure that it is safe and will take you around the island without any incidents. If you are not that mechanical-savvy than take advantage of the pre-purchase checks offered at many mechanic’s workshops. The AA also offers this service and can give you more information on what to keep in mind when buying and driving a car in New Zealand.
Don’t be afraid, just be honest!
Finally, you made it on the plane and are excited about going to New Zealand. On the plane you should get the Passenger Arrival Card which you need to fill out as you need it handy after landing and passing through Passport Control. There you will either get checked by an Immigration officer or you can pass through the eGates, always depending your country of citizenship. Just follow the directions which will lead you to the right lane. Afterwards you pick up your luggage and then need to go on to Biosecurity. Before you board the airplane, you might have heard of New Zealand’s strict biosecurity rules. This is not to annoy you or that our friendly boarder police officers can eat your chocolate in their lunch breaks. No, it is to protect the beautiful nature you want to explore. Lastly, you need to go to customs if you must declare something before you are finally and legally in New Zealand.
New Zealand SIM card
After arriving to the airport and a probably long flight to New Zealand, you might want to let your parents or friends back at home know that you got to New Zealand safely. One of the easiest options to keep in touch is to buy a SIM card for your unlocked mobile phone before you even leave the airport. There are booths of New Zealand’s most important providers at the international airports. Just grab the SIM card with the best deal for you and text or call your loved ones.
Settling in
Take a few days to settle in and get accustomed to the country and your new life as a backpacker. So it might be wise to book accommodation in advance for the first few days in New Zealand. Additionally, a lot of foreigners might experience a jet-lag. So take a few days off, explore your first experience of New Zealand and enjoy finally being here.
A lot of backpackers whose native language isn’t English are afraid, that their English language skills are not good enough for working and travelling New Zealand. Don’t worry, so many other people have done it without being proficient. Even if you have issues reading this guide and you have the translator open beside you, you will get much better as soon as you are talking the language frequently, whether it be at the supermarket check-out, with your Kiwi friends in a bar or when talking to the dairy farmer at work. Just relax, don’t force it and try to speak English as much as possible!
This list shall give you a short overview of the essentials you should bring, so you can Work & Travel New Zealand in Style. But remember, New Zealand is a developed country in which you can buy all relevant items in a store. Don’t bring too much as you have to carry it (until you decide to buy a car, then you just have to drive it around) and might want to bring some souvenirs back home.
Carry-on bag
Backpack or Luggage
Additionally, make copies of all the paperwork which you carry around including your passport, visa, etc. and upload in a cloud. In case you get robbed, you have a back-up online.
Last but not least, and of course most importantly, bring old clothes to wear on the dairy farm!
As one of the world’s most isolated countries, most people arrive in New Zealand with the airplane. There are five international and several regional airports. Just check the different airlines or flight search engines online for your best options. It might also be worth checking possible stopovers or different arrival airports for the cheapest flights.
Whatever time you prefer, there is always adventure awaiting you in New Zealand. Be it in the Southern Alps on a snowboard during winter or diving in one of the hotspots on the North Island in summer. Completely after the motto: “There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!”
However, keep in mind that New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, which means that summer is during the months of December, January and February and winter in June, July and August.
Which means, that you should rather pack your Bikini for the Christmas holidays than your woollen hat!
A huge concern for a lot of first time Working Holiday participants is, if they should organize their experience abroad by themselves or pay an agency to organize it for them.
We highly encourage you to organize it by yourself. It is a very simple process that is explained in detail on Immigration New Zealand’s website and for which you should not pay hundreds of dollars to an agency. Plus, New Zealand is one of the world’s favourite backpacker destinations with a large number of budget accommodations and transport options. There will always be people that can help or guide you, if you feel lost.
Now you might think: Why does an immigration law firm give me this kind of advice? It is because we care about you and want you to have an awesome experience in the country we love. Well, and having saved a few bucks at the beginning of your adventure isn’t that bad, is it?
Just make sure to take your time to plan and organize your experience. Most people start gathering information 4 to 5 months before they actually come to beautiful Aotearoa. That way you have enough time to apply for the visa, book your flights and get everything ready for the adventure. As you have found our Website this is the first step to a great experience!
There are different requirements for applying for a Working Holiday Visa. These for instance include:
Find out if your nationality is among the 30+ different schemes and if you are eligible to apply for a Working Holiday Visa by checking Immigration New Zealand’s website for further information.
Please be aware that the Working Holiday Visa is only granted once and that you cannot apply again after it has been approved.
Because of its nature… New Zealand has a lot to offer in terms of landscape and culture, that should not be missed. Whether sea, beaches, cliffs, mountains, glaciers, pastures, … here you will find everything your heart desires. Enjoy nature at work and in your free time! Typical activities for New Zealand are for example hiking, swimming in the sea, hot springs or crystal-clear lakes, diving, fishing, skiing or snowboarding, and so many more. In other words, a country of endless outdoor opportunities.
Because of its people… New Zealanders, or Kiwis, are very friendly, cheerful and open-minded people who like a good joke. You will meet people of different backgrounds every day and you will always have the chance for a chat with a local, whether it’s while walking through the park, a grocery store or when buying a delicious coffee in the nearest bakery. You will experience true helpfulness. And can make friends for life!
Because of its work opportunities… New Zealand is also one of the leading agriculture states in the world. A country with more dairy cattle than inhabitants and thus the perfect destination for you to get to know real dairy farm life. The Regions works with farms of different sizes all over New Zealand, on the North and South Island. Our aim is to place the right candidate on the right farm at the right time. That’s why we work closely with dairy farmers, farm workers and backpackers like you.
Well, we could probably go on for days to explain why you should travel our beautiful country, but we will just leave it to you, to explore New Zealand and discover its secrets.
M: 021 2247872 E: nadine@theregions.co.nz
RECRUITMENT RESOURCER
Nadine is a country girl from Germany who has been backpacking New Zealand herself, so knows all about the daily struggles Backpackers might experience. With a master’s in International Human Resource Management, a bachelor’s in Business Psychology and ten years of working experience Nadine knows how to support our clients by recruiting short-term staff as a Recruitment Resourcer. In her free time Nadine likes exploring the outdoors and working with animals.
M: 027 931 0005 E: bettina@theregions.co.nz
PASTORAL CARE COORDINATOR
Originally from the Philippines, Bettina came to New Zealand in May 2015 to be with her husband. She has extensive experience in hiring and human relations being the hiring manager and teacher trainer for almost three years at an online ESL company back in her hometown.
She started working for Ben De’Ath in the spring of 2016 and currently works as a Pastoral Care Coordinator at The Regions focused mainly on the Northland area.
In April of 2018, Bettina and her husband welcomed their first child, Alonzo. Being a wife and a mother, when she has free time, she spends it in reading books and creative journaling.
E: bianca@theregions.co.nz
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Bianca has over 10 years of experience working in event management and operational roles across diverse industries. Her multitasking and operational skills provide support to our team and help keep company operations running smoothly.
Bianca is a Waikato girl who graduated with a Degree in Communications, she has returned from one year traveling and volunteering Across Asia to join our team at The Regions.
E: alex_lenke@theregions.co.nz
RECRUITMENT RESOURCER
Alexandra comes from Germany, she grew up in a rural area in Rhineland-Palatinate. She is an educated office communication clerk trained in secretary, marketing and HR. Experienced working for the Office Administration and accounts in the logistic industry for 12 years in Germany.
Due to her recent Experienced in working on dairy farms in Australia and New Zealand she is now enjoying working as a Recruitment Resourcer to support our clients with proficient farmworkers. In her free time she loves travelling, spending time with friends and her partner.
E: sana@theregions.co.nz
RECRUITMENT RESOURCER
LLB
ENROLLED BARRISTER AND SOLICITOR OF THE HIGH COURT, NEW ZEALAND
Sana was born and raised in Hamilton. She graduated with a degree in Law and Social Sciences majoring in Environmental Planning and Political Science from University of Waikato. She is also a registered lawyer as of August 2018. Her past work experiences include legal advice, real estate and human resource recruitment. In The Regions, she manages the recruiting of foreign farm workers and liasing between immigration and pastoral care team. Aside from work, Sana is an avid traveller and loves spending time with family and friends.
Richard is a fourth generation dairy farmer from Hauraki Plains where he has several dairy farming investments. He has interests in dairy farming operations in Canterbury, Missouri USA and the south of Chile. Richard owns and runs a dairy farming supervisory business which oversees the daily operations of around 35 dairy units in the greater Waikato region, and also provides dairy consultancy services. Richard is also a director on another large scale privately owned NZ based dairy farming business comprising 13,000 cows. Richard brings critical thinking and creativity to assisting the rapid growth business in his role at The Regions.
Richard formerly held a role as an External Monetary Policy Advisor to the Reserve Bank.
Roger is a Partner at KPMG Hamilton and a market leading accountant and adviser In the Agribusiness field. He brings a wealth of experience with him and his focus in his role at the regions on governance and future vision, adding to the existing strong capability in The Regions Management team. Roger knows the region well having lived in the Waikato all his life. Roger has worked with our Managing Director Ben on several different ventures in the past 10 years.
M: 027 72905249 E: alexandra@theregions.co.nz
PASTORAL CARE & MARKETING SUPPORT
M: 021 2247872 E: backpackers@theregions.co.nz
GERMAN RECRUITMENT RESOURCER
E: sonja@theregions.co.nz
OFFICE AND FINANCE LEAD
Sonja comes from a family of farmers, growing up in the Waikato on the family dairy farm. As a teenager her family moved to a sheep and cattle farm at Tauwhare, where she lives today.
Sonja started her career in an engineering company responsible for the office administration, accounts and payroll. She then moved overseas and has travelled Australia, Europe and US acquiring a strong understanding of multicultural perspectives in communities and work environments.
Sonja returned to NZ and the family farm to provide her children with the opportunity to experience rural life.
M: 027 5893908 E: jess@theregions.co.nz
PASTORAL CARE FOR NORTHLAND, CANTERBURY AND NORTH OTAGO
Jess moved to New Zealand from the Philippines in 2014 to study International Business. He worked in the banking business back home as a Marketing Assistant/ Appraisal and Background Investigator for almost 5 years.
Currently he is a Pastoral Care Coordinator at The Regions who looks after our filipino farmers in processing their visas and following up how they’re settled in New Zealand.
E: victor@theregions.co.nz
LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER 201900232
Originally from Philippines, Victor moved to New Zealand in 2014 to study. He has been working with Ben since 2014 to maintain and implement effective pastoral care policies and procedures. He is managing the Pastoral Care Team that provides pastoral support to enable an efficient and effective integration of immigrant candidates into New Zealand. He is also currently completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Immigration Advice.
When not at work, Victor enjoys going to the gym and spending time with his wife Miko.
M: 027 2006079 E: gina@theregions.co.nz
PASTORAL CARE FOR WAIKATO
Gina was a psychologist, a university professor and a Human Resource consultant of various companies in the Philippines. She came to NZ together with her 4 children on August 2014 in order to join her husband, Jason who worked in a dairy farm. In NZ, she shared her psychology skills by supporting people with intellectual disability. She also worked as Candidate Care Manager and Marketing agent of recruitment companies bringing in Filipino workers.
Currently, she is our Client Services Coordinator and Pastoral Care person for Waikato region. She supports the workers in their visa processing and makes sure that they are able to settle well in their jobs and with NZ life in general.
E: roselyn@theregions.co.nz
M: 027 2492418
PASTORAL CARE FOR MANAWATU AND TARANAKI
Rose has had a variety of roles in her 18 working years from Philippine banking sector to NZ mortgage industry. With a passion for helping people, she enjoys working with and supporting new and existing candidates and welcomes new learnings in the immigration & recruitment industry.
During her free time, she loves cooking & baking for her daughter, Angel and enjoys playing badminton on Friday nights with her husband, Adel
M: 021 0535951 E: gilbert@theregions.co.nz
PASTORAL CARE MANAGER
Gilbert is from the Philippines and he arrived in New Zealand in spring of 2015. He is a graduate of BS Psychology with relevant work experience in HR, Recruitment and Employee Relations.
Since early 2016, Gilbert has been working alongside Ben in delivering services to meet clients’ requirements and supporting farm workers in their immigration and HR needs. He is currently the Pastoral Care Manager for The Regions.
Gilbert is living in Hamilton with his wife Katrina and their children, Sasha and Santi.
E: raveena@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
LLB
ENROLLED BARRISTER AND SOLICITOR OF THE HIGH COURT, NEW ZEALAND
Raveena is from the Cream of the Country, Morrinsville and has grown up in a community surrounded by dairy farms. She completed her LLB at the University of Waikato and is admitted as a Solicitor and Barrister of the High Court New Zealand. She has previously worked as a Law Clerk in a private practice law firm in Hamilton which dealt with a range of different areas of law. From this experience, along with learning lots of administration work, she also gained a detailed understanding behind how the law processes in work in practice.
Outside of work she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and friends. Alongside this she has a big interest in the fashion and beauty industry.
E: louise@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
Louise is a full-time student studying Bachelor of Laws in Waikato University and is now currently on her second year. She just recently joined the Immigration team of the Regions as a part – time Admin. She was from Dunedin but she moved to Hamilton to be with family and to continue her studies after taking a gap year. On her spare time, she enjoys cooking and love babysitting her niece and nephew.
E: denise@theregions.co.nz
IMMIGRATION ADMINISTRATOR
LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER 201800642
Denise is a dairy farmer’s daughter from Patetonga on the Hauraki Plains. She is currently juggling the roles of Immigration Administration, completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Immigration Advice, wife, mother to four children and lifestyle/hobby farmer.
Denise has a Master’s Degree in Social Science, speaks Spanish and Japanese having lived in Argentina and Japan and an employment history that includes the Embassy of Chile, Immigration New Zealand and Inland Revenue.
She has travelled extensively in her pre-children days and in the bit of free time that she does have she enjoys gardening and horse riding.
E: sam@forefrontmigration.co.nz, sam@theregions.co.nz
LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER 201500520
Sam is a graduate of Otago University holding a Bachelors Degree in Applied Science. He has many years of experience in the telecommunications industry, primarily in customer facing roles in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
He completed his immigration training in his home region of Hawkes Bay before acquiring full NZ Adviser Licencing in 2015. After practicing in a small firm in Hastings he now joins The Regions team through Forefront Migration bringing his service expertise and a ‘can-do’ attitude.
Sam loves to travel. He has traveled extensively throughout South-East Asia, Latin America and Europe, including living and working in London for two years.
E: bevan@theregions.co.nz
M: 022 3117541
IMMIGRATION CONTRACTOR
LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER 201800659
LLB
ENROLLED BARRISTER AND SOLICITOR OF THE HIGH COURT, NEW ZEALAND
Having worked for Immigration New Zealand as well as in private practice law firms specialising in Immigration Law for a number of years gives Bevan a wealth of experience critical to the work of The Regions.
He enjoys the problem solving aspects of the role and improving the internal systems of The Regions so that the process runs as smoothly as possible for clients and candidates. Bevan, along with Ben, is also an Otago Law school graduate having studied Law together in Dunedin.
Outside of work, Bevan enjoys travelling throughout New Zealand and abroad, and spending as much time as possible with his dog, Max.
M: 021 2259787 E: fleur@theregions.co.nz
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR SOUTHLAND
Fleur is our Key Account Manager for the Southland and South & West Otago regions. She is based in Mossburn where she lives with her 3 young children. Fleur is a born and bred dairy farmer and is passionate about connecting farmer employers with migrant workers and helping them create long lasting relationships.
After graduating from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Commerce, Fleur spent 4 years working in the corporate world in the cities and chose to come back to dairy farming 9 years ago. She has spent the last 4 years employing Nepalese migrant workers in her own farming business, so she has a good background in working with migrants and supporting their visa and life requirements.
M: 027 9310003 E: michelle@theregions.co.nz
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR NORTHLAND, CENTRAL & EASTERN WAIKATO, BOP, CENTRAL PLATEAU
Michelle and her husband Pete have been dairy farming for 27 years, their dairy farming career has taken them to the Waikato, Hauraki Plains, Southland and Waihi where they are currently farming.
Whilst in Southland Michelle and Pete employed Filipino staff on their 220 HA dairy farm. Michelle comes from a governance back ground having been Chair and Trustee for several Not for Profit Boards.
Michelle has three adult children who are have careers associated with the primary sector, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and travelling.
M: 027 9310004 E: julie@theregions.co.nz
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN WAIKATO
Julie has a background in dairy farming and administration. Julie and her husband started off self-employed on a dairy farm near Morrinsville. After a few years Julie, her husband and other family members joined a partnership and moved to a bigger farm near Te Awamutu milking 1000 dairy cows, she and her team employ 3 full time Filipinos.
Julie has two children who love to explore farming life and being in the big wide open spaces of the country. In her down time, Julie loves spending quality time with her family and friends relaxing, and having a good laugh.
M: 027 9310002 E: shannon@theregions.co.nz
KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER FOR HAURAKI PLAINS AND SURROUNDS
Previously a client, Shannon is our Key Accounts Manager for the Hauraki Plains and Surrounds. She studied Hospitality Management and landed in the Hotel industry where she was involved in a large portion of recruitment spanning over her seven years service.
Shannon and her husband James along with their three children, Karstyn, Bryah snf McKenzi are Sharemilking on a 400 cow farm in Ngatea. They’re also shareholders in three companies with farms spanning across the Waikato, Canterbury and Southland regions in New Zealand and Missouri, USA.
E: ben@theregions.co.nz
MANAGING DIRECTOR
LLB, BA
LICENSED IMMIGRATION ADVISER 201401414
Ben is a graduate of Otago University Law School, and now finds himself putting his education to use servicing the NZ dairy farming sector. Ben is a market expert writing columns and article’s on regional NZ labour shortage and Immigration policy needs and realities.
When not at work, Ben enjoys time with his wife Patricia, playing Basketball, Rugby and the fun humour and intensity of Christopher (5) and Sebastian (2).
E: patricia@theregions.co.nz
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Patricia is a company Director passionate about her family and the philosophy of continual improvement. She is an Industrial & System Engineer graduated from the “Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra” one of the leading universities in Bolivia.
She has 4 years experience as process and HR support in the “immigration and recruitment” industry. She works at The Regions improving the company operations and processes.
She speaks Spanish, English, basic French and Portuguese. Patricia is married with Ben and they have 2 boys Christopher and Sebastián.
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