New Zealand relaxes visitor visa rules to allow tourists to work remotely

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The New Zealand government is relaxing visitor visa rules to allow tourists to work remotely for their foreign employers while visiting New Zealand in the latest effort to boost tourism and economic growth.

The government is making the country more attractive to "digital nomads," people who work remotely, while travelling, such as IT specialists, which will boost New Zealand's attractiveness as a destination, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis said on Monday, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Tourism is New Zealand's second-largest export earner, generating revenue of almost 11 billion NZ dollars (6.26 billion US dollars) and creating nearly 200,000 jobs, Willis said.

"The change will enable many visitors to extend their stays, which will lead to more money being spent in the country," said Immigration Minister Erica Stanford.

Visitor visas will allow people to work remotely for a foreign employer from Monday while they are holidaying in New Zealand, she said, adding that anyone who intends to work remotely for more than 90 days should look at possible tax implications.

Tourism Minister Louise Upston said many countries offer digital nomad visas, and New Zealand aims to be an attractive destination for people who want to "workcation" abroad, as ways of working become increasingly more digitised and flexible.

"Compared to other kinds of visitors, international remote workers have the potential to spend more time and money in New Zealand, including during the shoulder season," Upston said.

However, visitors whose employment requires them to be in New Zealand, such as sales representatives of overseas companies, performers and people coming to work for New Zealand employers, must still obtain visas relevant to their circumstances, according to the government.

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