Accredited Employer Work Visa NZ

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a temporary work visa that allows overseas workers to work in New Zealand for an employer who has been approved (accredited) by Immigration New Zealand. The job must meet certain criteria, including pay and job type, and the employer must complete a Job Check before the visa can be issued.

To verify if a New Zealand employer is accredited, you can check the official list of accredited employers published by Immigration New Zealand. This list is available on the Immigration NZ website and is updated regularly. You can also ask the employer directly for confirmation, as they are issued an accreditation number or approval letter.

The accreditation process typically takes around 10 working days, provided the application is complete and there are no complications. However, delays may occur if additional information is required or if Immigration New Zealand is experiencing high processing volumes. It's important that the employer submits all necessary documents and meets the eligibility criteria for a faster turnaround.

To be eligible for a full-term Accredited Employer Work Visa, the job must pay at least the New Zealand median wage, which is currently $29.66 per hour. Some exceptions exist, but these usually come with a shorter visa duration (typically up to two years).

Yes, in many cases, holding an Accredited Employer Work Visa can lead to residency in New Zealand. Some roles are on the Green List or meet the criteria for the Work to Residence Pathway, which allows eligible applicants to apply for residence after working in New Zealand for two years. Your pathway to residence will depend on your role, salary, and the visa policy settings at the time of application.

If you are paid the median wage ($29.66) or higher, you will be granted a work visa for up to 5 years. However, if your wage is below this threshold, the visa duration may be up to two years. There are exceptions for certain roles that are on INZ's exemption list.

For detailed information, please read: AEWV Roles Exempt from Paying the Median Wage.

Once you have a job offer from an accredited employer, the next step would be for the employer to complete a Job Check with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) - where they haven't done so already. INZ's job check ensures the role meets all relevant immigration and employment criteria; and may also require the role to have been advertised to ensure no New Zealanders are available to do the job. Once the job check has been approved you will be able to prepare and lodge your Accredited Employer Work Visa.

To sponsor a migrant worker, employers need to follow two essential steps: completing an accreditation application and a job check application.

The first step is to become accredited with INZ as an employer. The type of accreditation required depends on the number of offshore employees the employer intends to hire.

Once accreditation is obtained, the next step is to complete a job check. After the job check application is approved, a job token or job tokens will be made available. These tokens need to be shared with the respective employee who will use them to apply for a work visa.

Depending on the role that is to be offered to a migrant worker, an employer may need to advertise the position in the NZ labour market for at least 2 weeks. The advertisement must also include specific information related to the job (payrate, hours, location etc). Priority should be given to suitable New Zealand residents and citizens, but at the conclusion of advertising, if none can be found a Job Check application can be lodged.

You can apply for a Job Change instead of applying for a new work visa. However, this depends on multiple factors (e.g. your new pay rate, your new job role, your qualifications). We recommend contacting a lawyer to determine if a new work visa or a Job Change is more appropriate for your new employment.

If you hold an Accredited Employer Work Visa, you may be able to sponsor your partner and dependent children for associated visas. However, eligibility is subject to your income level.

For more detailed information, please see our article: Visas for AEWV Holders' Family Members.

The assessment is generally completed within 10 working days from the date you submit the application. However, providing insufficient documents or other complications (e.g., health or character issues) may result in delays to the process.

For more detailed information, please see our article: Accredited Employer Work Visa - All You Need to Know.