Just two barristers were given New Zealand work visas in the year to 31 March 2018, according to information from Immigration New Zealand.

Coffee-making is obviously a far more enticing reason to seek to work in New Zealand, with 109 baristas approved for work visas in the same period (with 19 applications declined).

The data is shown in Immigration New Zealand information on the recorded occupations of work visa principal applicants.

In the year to 31 March 2018, work visa applications from eight solicitors were approved, while none were declined. This was down from 15 successful applications in the previous year.

Work visa applications from legal professionals make up a very small proportion of those received each year. Over the past 10 years the most applications approved by solicitors was 18 in both the 2008/09 and 2009/10 years.

Legal secretary applications are more common, with 18 approved in 2017/18 and one declined.

It seems that applications for work visas by judges have the best chance of all of succeeding, without a single application having been declined over the last decade.

Over the last decade, Immigration New Zealand shows a total of 1,363,248 applications for work visas. Of these, 77,933 (5.7%) were declined. There were just 639 applications over the period by legal professionals, with 19 (3.0%) declined.

For the record, 643 baristas have had work visa applications approved in the last decade, with 104 declined.

Principal applicants for work visas, year to 31 March 2018

Principal applicants for work visas, from year to 31 March 2008 to year to 31 March 2018