Finding employment

Persons wishing to live and work in the Cook Islands require an entry permit with permission to work. To obtain an entry permit, they must either be sponsored by a person or organisation in the Cook Islands willing to employ them, or by investing in business in the Cook Islands.

Persons coming to the Cook Islands to take up employment must hold relevant skills and qualifications for the job, and must also satisfy health and character requirements. The employer must first advertise the position locally, and train a local resident to take over the position at the end of the foreign worker’s contract. The employer must also repatriate the worker on completion of their employment.

Potential employees may refer to the following websites for potential employers:
• Cook Islands Yellow Pages at http://www.yellowpages.co.ck/
• Cook Islands News at http://www.cookislandsnews.com
• Cook Islands Herald at http://www.ciherald.co.ck/

Authority to Travel to Cook Islands

An authority to travel to Cook Islands may be issued to non-Cook Islanders needing to travel to the Cook Islands on a single journey ticket for employment purposes or if their passport or travel document would expire within six (6) months of their arrival in the Cook Islands.

Cook Islands Employers

Employers wishing to employ foreign workers in the Cook Islands must first advertise vacant positions locally.

Employers may apply for permission to employ a foreign worker if a suitable Cook Islander (including those living overseas) or Permanent Resident cannot be found to fill the vacancy. They may do this by applying on the foreign worker’s behalf for an authority to travel to the Cook Islands [need link to info below] for employment purposes.

The requirements to be met before an entry permit may be granted are set out in the document “Recruitment of Foreign Workers: a Guide for Employers” [needs a link to this document].  The document also sets out the employer’s obligations once an entry permit is granted.

Entry and Work Permits are normally issued for one year, and need to be renewed annually. The renewal application must be made no less than 2 weeks before the current entry permit is due to expire. Employers wishing to extend a foreign worker’s employment beyond three years must justify why a foreign worker is still required, and provide satisfactory evidence that steps have been taken to train a local person for the position.

As soon as the employment contract ceases or is terminated, the employer must inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the departure arrangements for the employee and any family members.  The employer is responsible for the cost of repatriating the worker and his or her family.