ACT proposes new 'Rural Workforce Visa' to ease farmer worker shortages

9 Jun 2026

ACT's Agriculture spokesperson Andrew Hoggard.

Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii

The ACT party is proposing a new Rural Workforce Visa to help with worker shortages on farms.

Building on the party's immigration policies announced last month, this would be a dedicated pathway to give farmers a "reliable, year-round pipeline of workers."

It would be a standalone, three-year visa specifically for dairy, sheep and beef, and general farm work.

ACT's Agriculture spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says New Zealand farms are struggling to find "capable workers to do the job".

He says farms, orchards and fishing fleets are being held back by a "chronic labour shortage that the current immigration system simply isn't equipped to solve."

ACT's plan to toughen immigration rules included a $6 per day infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visas.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/community/594074/act-s-plan-to-toughen-immigration-rules

In rural communities, Hoggard said, the problem wasn't too many people arriving but 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."

Hoggards pointed to a Federated Farmers' Farm Confidence Survey specifying labour availability as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers.

He said the government had introduced the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa, which helped meet seasonal demand, but "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."

"Our immigration settings should support the people who feed the country and drive our economy, not bury them in red tape," added ACT's Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar.

This policy would create the three-year standalone visa, and implement "sector-tying" rather than "geographic borders."

The visa would be attached to accredited rural employers, rather than a region, allowing workers to transfer to any other accredited rural employer without a new application.

They would not be able to move to non-rural sectors.

There would be no requirement to renew the visa during the three year period. Prior to the visa term ending, the employers would readvertise and if there were no New Zealand workers available, the visa would be reissued for another three years.

ACT would also add a new agricultural stream to the Work to Residence Visa, allowing for a clear residence pathway.

"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," the party explained.

Hoggard said it was a targeted, pro-market solution that rewarded workers who have demonstrated sustained commitment to rural New Zealand.

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