New Zealand launched the Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) programme in 2007 to fill labour shortages in the horticulture and viticulture industries. The RSE began with an initial annual cap of 5,000 workers but that was raised to 8,000 for the 2009 season and 9,000 in 2015. Migrants are mostly recruited the Pacific island countries.

In the countries of origin, ministries of labour, and district and community leaders are generally involved in the selection of potential migrants (with the exception of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, where workers are recruited through registered private recruitment agents). Recruitment fees to workers are prohibited in law and practice. In an evaluation of the programme, Gibson and McKenzie (2014) concluded that it had achieved a high degree of circularity of migrant workers, with very low overstay rates. Migrants who participated in the programme had benefitted from increases in per capita incomes, expenditure, and savings.