Frequently Asked Questions

The law says we have to have an employment contract signed by both parties on file and you need to have a copy, and we have to have a tax code declaration, a copy of your visa and a copy of your passport. So there is a process we go through to get all this information from you:

• You fill in the application form, and submit it.
• You will automatically be rdirected to the appropriate employment documents, depending on whether you are an international visitor to NZ or a citizen/resident.
• You sign the files we provided you. NZ citizens and residents also have to complete Kiwisaver forms (opt-in or opt-out)
• You prepare a copy of your e-visa and a photo or scan of your passport photo page by saving or printing them to .pdf format.
• You return to the same page on our website where you started this process, and upload your employment documents using the uploads form provided.
• We check the documents you have uploaded, and if they are all correct and valid you will be confirmed as being able to start work!

NOTE: You will be given work with us only if you have completed both steps in the process (application form and uploads) and you have a valid visa that allows you to work in NZ.

"Pending" means you have either not uploaded the required documents for us to confirm your eligibility to work in NZ and for Vardaan, or you have uploaded incorrect documents. It can take up to three days for processing so don't be alarmed if your status is still pending the same day you submitted your application! We may not have got to it yet!

"Validated" means your documents have been verified using Immigration NZs Visa Verification service, but you have not completed the full onboarding process. Make sure you have confirmed your employment agreement, tax code declaration, and completed the Induction.

"Confirmed" means that we have confirmed your documents are all correct and you have completed the Induction - you are eligible to work in NZ (your passport and visa are OK) and you are also ready to work with Vardaan (your tax code and employment agreement are OK).

Join and stay tuned to the work groups for the regions. When work starts, the supervisors will gather the available workers and sort everyone into teams. (If you get work elsewhere in the meantime, that's OK too - we will automatically delete your application after three months if you never start working with us, you don't need to 'resign'.)

Check the status of your application for work in the Self-service kiosk at the same page where you started the application process.

You will need to enter your IRD number to check your work status.

When you are settled and ready and available to start work, you should indicate to us that we can call on you for work. By setting your profile to Available, you allow your name to be entered automatically onto our Team Management system. This means you will be on the list for being offered work.

It is important that if you become Unavailable (for example you resign and move on or if you want to take more than one or two days off) you mark yourself as Unavailable in Kiosk. You can change it back when you are ready to start again. If we try to call you up and it turns out you are not in your assigned area and ready to start work, you will be automatically placed into a Holding status - which means you may not get another chance to work later!

Yes! It's important that you complete an online induction to prepare for working. Induction tells you about our most important policies, like payroll, human rights, biosecurity and safe handling of fruit. It's a little like doing a quick pop quiz and only takes about 10-20 minutes to complete! It makes a fun game at night with your friends while you are waiting to start work. Start your online induction here: Induction

Learn how to use our Payroll App here: Payroll App information

It's important that you know where to go to get information too. The Employee Information section of our website provides you with everything you will need. Use the website navigation to find the Employee Information section. If there's something you need that you can't find there, contact HR on WhatsApp at +6427575637.

THINNING SEASON: Thinning Season is expected to begin in the last week of September.

• Winter Pruning is usually around June to September
• Summer Pruning/Thinning is usually around September/October to February
• Harvest (fruit picking) is usually around March to June

We expect to begin harvest in Te Puke around 10 to 20 March 2025, and in Gisborne from 3-8 March 2025. If you have an application in with us and you are in our working group, you will be notified when the next season of work will begin.

We can arrange for you to have accommodation in Gisborne only if we have sufficient accommodation available. You need to cover the cost of the accommodation yourself as we do not operate accommodation services through the company. Accommodation is on a first come - first served basis, so get in quick! Contact us on WhatsApp - +64 27 962 4805

In Te Puke/Papamoa/Maketu/Mount Maunganui try these providers:

Pacific Coast Backpackers 0800 666 622 / +64 7 574 9601 432 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui https://www.pacificcoastlodge.co.nz/

Kiwi Corral 0800 453 030 / 027 282 7993 26 Young Road, Te Puke https://kiwicorral.co.nz

MiniStay +64 27 646 4782 (WhatsApp) https://ministay.co.nz

We get this question a lot! Teams of workers will go to whatever orchard needs the work done first, especially during the harvest season. This means that you may work on a different orchard every day, or you may change the orchard next week. The answer is: there is no exact address where you will be working! You need to find local accommodation in the area you have chosen, and make sure you have transport to and from the orchards each day.

• Free hot meals - Wednesday 5.30pm at the Harvest Church Jocelyn Street, Te Puke and Sunday 5pm outside Sunny's store on Jellicoe Street, Te Puke
• Free hot showers - Te Puke Baptist Church Monday to Thursday 2.30pm-4pm
• Laundromat - 19 Jellicoe Street, Te Puke (Next to BP Petrol Station) or Railway Station (next to Pizza Hut)

See also our 'Locations' page for more adventure tourism and things to do!

In Te Puke/Papamoa/Maketu/Mount Maunganui we have a Preferred Accommodation Provider who can be contacted at WhatsApp - +64276464782

Contact Rachel on +64275756307 (WhatsApp and cell) if you need support to find medical/dental care, a suitable local church, your local ethnic community groups (if any) etc. We'll do what we can to find the right services to suit your needs.

This work pays $23.50 gross per hour not including holiday pay. Holiday pay is not included weekly with your pay. It is paid to you on taking annual leave after 12 months of employment or terminating your employment with us, whichever comes first.

$23.15 base rate paid weekly
$ 1.88 holiday pay at termination of employment
………
$25.38 Full earnings

Some work may be on a 'bin rate' basis, where you will get paid based on the number of bins picked. Different bins are subject to a different bin rate - please ask your supervisor for more details.

Kiwisaver is the superannuation scheme for NZ Citizens and Residents only. If you are not a NZ Citizen or Resident, this does not apply to you.

• If you are aged between 18-65 you will be automatically enrolled in Kiwisaver unless you are on a Savings Suspension approved by Inland Revenue.
• If you on a Kiwisaver Savings Suspension, we need you to provide us with a Savings Suspension Notice from Inland Revenue in order to suspend payments from being made.
• If you are a pre-existing Kiwisaver member, you cannot Opt-out of Kiwisaver deductions and we need a KS2 form in order to have your written consent to deduct your Kiwisaver amount from your wages.
• If you want to Opt-in to Kiwisaver for the first time, we need you to provide us with a KS2 form in order to have your written consent to deduct your Kiwisaver amount from your wages.
• If you have never contributed to Kiwisaver before and you Opt-out of Kiwisaver, we need you to provide us with a KS10 form in order to effect the Opt-out.

If you need more information, the IRD Kiwisaver KS3 Guide is available for download here.

Any of the main New Zealand banks will open an account for you as long as you have proof of the address you will be staying at. This can be difficult for some backpackers to do, especially if they are travelling in a campervan.

For this reason, we recommend that before you leave your home country you open a Wise bank account, which will enable us to pay your wages and allow you to use the Wise card like a debit card anywhere in New Zealand.

First, check your Visa document. There will be a final date by which you must arrive in New Zealand. It's also the date you must apply for an IRD number, so make sure you go to IRD's online form and apply using your visa as soon as you get here.

If that date has passed already and you still want to apply for an IRD number, you can. Visit this page at IRD to find out how.

We can only provide you with work when it is available. You will be signing a casual contract, which means that there are no guaranteed hours or days of work. If it is wet, or if the orchards are not open, there will be no work.

Additionally, work will only be offered to people who are legally able to work (be employed) in New Zealand, whether a contract has been signed or not.

We are not currently able to offer work to SSE visa holders, sorry.

Click here to find a list of employers who may be able to assist you.

No, unfortunately we can’t. When you are travelling on a Visitor Visa you can study for up to three months, but you cannot work. You might be able to apply for a SSE Visa though.

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/visitor-visa

No, it is unlawful for us to assist you. Only people who are licensed can provide advice on New Zealand immigration matters, unless they are exempt under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. People who are exempt include New Zealand lawyers and Citizens Advice Bureau staff.

Many Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) offices are all over New Zealand, and some have FREE IMMIGRATION & VISA ADVISORS. Contact your nearest CAB for immigration and visa advice here: https://www.cab.org.nz/

Some casual agricultural workers will use the CAE tax code, but most people will use tax code M. You can find out your tax code here to be sure.

• Save your documents to your phone, tablet, computer, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
• Go to https://www.ilovepdf.com/sign-pdf and upload or import your documents.
• Use the text tool and signature tool to complete and sign your documents, then save them to your device for uploading via our web form.

You and all of your friends should join the same WhatsApp group and make sure you let your supervisors know you are all together.

Find out more about what you will be doing by reading through the Employee Handbook which you can download and keep on your device to reference later.

You will be working on orchards that are often a long way from any shops or facilities. You should get yourself a bag with at least the following in it:

• Your lunch, and maybe some snacks
• Coffee or tea in a thermos flask
• 1 litre of water daily, especially in summer
• Sunscreen for when it is hot out
• A raincoat and small towel in case of rain

You should also make sure you have footwear that is strong, and supportive. Never wear sandals, jandals, or slip-on casual scuffs on the orchards - all shoes must have closed over toes and laces to keep them securely on your feet!

It is important that when you want to finish working for Vardaan Enterprises Ltd that you inform us. If you have been working for a period other than the harvest season, there will be a lump sum of holiday pay owing to you (usually about 8% of your total gross earnings) that must be paid out, so we need to terminate your employment in the payroll system to get it to you. You must use the form provided on our website to notify us that you wish to terminate your contract with us.

If you're injured while visiting New Zealand, Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) may be able to help you. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a resident. You'll still need travel insurance for what they don't cover, but check them out to find out what they can help with.

You might be eligible for a tax refund from Inland Revenue in some circumstances when you leave New Zealand. Find out more about tax in New Zealand, and filing a tax return to find out if you are due for a refund at Inland Revenue's website.