The Accredited Employer Work Visa Process
If you are an employer seeking immigration assistance, please complete our employer form and we will promptly reach out to you.
Our Services to Employers
❯ Obtain Accreditation Effortlessly: If you are an employer planning to support work visas for foreign workers, accreditation with Immigration New Zealand is essential. At Migration Associates, we specialise in simplifying this process for you. Our expert team will guide you through every step, ensuring all requirements are met efficiently and with precision. Let us take the hassle out of gaining accreditation so you can focus on hiring the talent your business needs.
❯ Simplify Your Job Check Process:Once your business has obtained accredited employer status, the next step is applying for an Accredited Employer Job Check. This process is essential for employers looking to hire foreign workers. Our experienced team will help you navigate this critical phase, ensuring your business is fully prepared to recruit international talent.
❯ Employee Visas: At Migration Associates, we specialize in developing customized visa application processes integrated with your HR practices to simplify the visa aapplication process for your employees. Our streamlined approach has successfully helped many employees obtain work visas efficiently. Let us leverage our expertise to support your workforce mobility requirements.
❯ Become a Partner: Join forces with Migration Associates, your trusted Licensed Immigration Adviser dedicated to meeting your company’s visa needs. We specialise in delivering professional visa solutions, helping you and your migrant workforce stay ahead amidst immigration changes and uncertainties. Benefit from our proven track record with industry leaders such as Bupa, Tamaki Health, Pyrotek, NZ Global Food, Powell Fenwick, and Tradestaff, whom whom we have successfully assisted and continue to support.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) Process
Immigration New Zealand’s AEWV process consists of three-steps and places the majority of the responsibility on the employer. The employer-assisted process requires that employers show they are a registered business and have a genuine vacancy to fill before they are able to hire a migrant requiring a work visa.
No matter which stage of the process you find yourself in, our team are here to assist you. We provide support from start to finish with the AEWV process.
The three-steps of the AEWV process are:
- Gain Employer Accreditation
- Request an Accredited Employer Job Check
- Apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa
Employers are obligated to complete steps 1 and 2, before the migrant can complete step 3. No matter which stage of the process you find yourself in, our team are here to assist you. We provide support from start to finish with the AEWV process.
Click on one of tabs below to find information on these three steps:
Employer Accreditation Evaluation
Employer Accreditation
Having employer accreditation is essential for any business that wishes to hire skilled migrants, including their existing workforce.
The primary objective of the accreditation requirement is to combat the exploitation of migrant workers. The employer accreditation process requires a cost investment and application process. This process can be complex requiring a sound understanding of immigration law and polices. It is crucial to follow this process accurately to ensure the ability to hire and retain skilled migrants.
The number of migrants that you want to hire and the structure of your organisation, dictates the employer accreditation that is right for you. There are four types of accreditations as shown below, employer accreditation is valid initially for a 12-month period and then can be renewed for a 24-month period.
- Standard Accreditation – allows the employer to hire up to 5 migrants.
- High-Volume Accreditation – allows the employer to hire more than 5 migrants.
- Controlling Third Party Accreditation – for organisations who place migrants with a controlling third party, there is no limit of migrant employees.
Employers are able to upgrade their accreditation from standard to high-volume during their accreditation period if they find themselves needing to support more than 5 migrants at a time.
In addition to having the correct employer accreditation, employers must meet immigration requirements by showing they are a genuine and viable business, and committing to the requirements of being an accredited employer including completing online employer modules.
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Accredited Employer Job Check
After a business has been granted Immigration New Zealand (INZ) accredited employer status, they are then able to apply for an Accredited Employer Job Check. There is a fee for each job check application, and the job check process intends to ensure the following:
- There are no New Zealand citizens or residents available to fill the vacant position.
- Employment law is being complied with and the conditions of employment are in good faith.
- Fair and reasonable compensation is being offered for the occupation.
- The requirements of the candidate are necessary to perform the job on offer.
The general requirements to be able to apply for an Accredited Employer Job Check are:
- The employer must hold accreditation with INZ.
- The vacant role must be genuine, and the business must have the means to sustain the role.
- The compensation for the role must be equal to or greater than the current median wage (or equivalent salary), or the relevant wage if the role is exempt from paying the median wage.
- The role must be full time and guarantee at least 30 hours per week.
- The terms and conditions of employment must not be less than those of the New Zealand market for the role and comply with employment law.
- The role must be advertised on a national job site that is likely to attract New Zealand citizens or residents, unless the role is listed on INZ’s Green List and you require the candidate to meet the specified requirements for that role, or the role is paying more than twice the current median wage.
Immigration NZ announced some drastic changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme on Sunday, 7 April 2024.
Added requirements & conditions for ANZSCO Level 4-5 roles:Changes to the current Job Check process include:
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If a job check application is approved, it is valid for 6 months from the date of approval. Employers will then be able to issue their migrant candidate(s) with a job token to enable them to apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa.
The Accredited Employer Job Check process has many complexities that if overlooked, can be timely and costly. Some of the job check instructions can be left to interpretation and this is where employers face strife. We encourage the use of a licensed professional to assist with a job check application to avoid an adverse outcome.
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Accredited Employer Work Visa
An Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a temporary visa which allows a migrant to commence employment in New Zealand with an accredited employer. The AEWV is generally issued for the duration of the offer of employment or a maximum of five years, whichever is shorter. Those whose role is exempt from being paid the median wage, will be subject to a lessened maximum visa length and this length depends on the sector of the occupation i.e., care workforce or tourism and hospitality.
Migrant applicants must meet the health and character requirements as set out by INZ, and they must meet the work experience, qualification and/or further requirements of the job that were specified by the employer in the job check application.
The AEWV is an employer specific visa, and the holder may only work for the specified employer, in the specified location, in the specified occupation, and must be paid at or above the specified remuneration. AEWV holders must make an application to INZ if they wish to change their occupation, employer, or location.
Most AEWV holders are able to support visa applications for their partner and dependent children. The exception is when an AEWV has been approved based on an occupation that is exempt from being paid the median wage. Partners and dependent children must also meet INZ requirements including for health and character, and applicants must be able to sufficiently evidence that they are in a genuine and stable relationship. The type of visa a partner is eligible for will depend on whether the AEWV holders’ occupation is listed on the green list and the AEWV holder meets the specified requirements for their occupation.
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Are you an employer looking for skilled migrants?
We partner with a specialist international recruitment company who may be able to assist you with acquiring skilled migrants. We encourage you to get in contact with New Zealand Skills in Demand to discuss how they might be able to help your business with talent acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has changed with Immigration New Zealand’s employer accreditation and work visa scheme?
Immigration New Zealand introduced the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) on July 4, 2022. Since then, all employers in New Zealand looking to hire migrant workers must be accredited and undergo a job check process before offering employment to eligible migrants under this new visa type.
Applications for employer accreditation under the old policy closed on July 3, 2022, and applications under the new policy opened on 23 May 2022.
The new accreditation process is employer-driven, unlike the previous employee-initiated system.
Before hiring a migrant worker on the new AEWV, employers must:
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- Apply for accreditation under the new system and get approved.
- Request a job check to confirm the role cannot be filled by New Zealanders.
- Have the migrant worker apply for a visa, demonstrating the skills and experience matching the job check requirements.
If your business requires skilled overseas workers, you must first obtain accreditation under the new policy before hiring migrants.
What information does my business need to provide to INZ for accreditation?
To employ migrants under AEWVs, employers must meet standard accreditation criteria to support and settle migrants while complying with employment and immigration laws.
Key criteria for standard accreditation include financial viability and compliance with employment and immigration laws.
For third-party employers, additional requirements apply, such as staff composition and trading history.
What is a Job Check and the process to obtain one?
A Job Check application is the second stage of the 3-Gate system. Once you are accredited, you must apply for a Job Check for each role you want to hire a migrant worker for. At this stage, the relevant labour market testing must be submitted. There are new requirements for the advertising that were not in the previous work visa policy. A Job check once approved is valid for 6 months.
What are the minimum requirements to be accredited?
- The minimum requirements are that your business must be:
• viable and genuine (i.e., it is profitable, or have positive cash flow for the last 6 months, etc.),
• compliant with employment and immigration regulations (i.e., you and your key people must not be subject to a stand-down period or permanent ban from hiring migrant workers),
• new obligations to complete the activities to support the settlement of migrant employees.
What is required in terms of remuneration?
Jobs must pay at least the New Zealand median wage, unless exempt.
What do I need to know about being an accredited employer – what can go wrong?
One common challenge for employers is underestimating the process of implementing and proving compliance.
To meet accreditation requirements, you must demonstrate active compliance with employment standards and workplace practices, including safety and fair treatment. This involves maintaining human resources documents, health and safety policies, and updated employment contracts reflecting recent legal changes like the 2020 Privacy Act and Parental Leave Scheme, and Domestic Violence Leave.
It’s crucial to have a dedicated staff member responsible for implementing these policies and ensuring ongoing compliance.
What are the costs?
Please refer to Immigration New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa page for applicable fees.
“We have been working with the amazing team at Migration Associates (MA) since early 2022, and they have been an invaluable partner to BUPA. MA have held our hand through major changes at Immigration New Zealand and have provided sound advice to our business. Working in the health care sector and specifically aged care, has immense challenges but having Borey and his team navigate these challenges has been of great value to us at BUPA. We hire a substantial number of migrant workers that requires us to have highly competent, forward thinking Immigration Advisors, and MA have proven to be leaders in their field. We enjoy working with all the MA Advisors and look forward to a continued long-term relationship with the team.”
Borey & the Migration Associates team have been fantastic to deal with.
We have relied heavily on the team’s expertise and professionalism to do an all-end immigration service for us, since the moment an applicant approaches us we need to screen their visa options, through all the stages of the INZ visa application process.
Migration Associates’ team is our right hand for bringing overseas doctors and nurses to New Zealand.
I can’t recommend them highly enough, their overall service and professionalism.
Carlos Jimenez- Senior Talent Acquisition Partner- Tamaki Health
Migration Associates are a well-run, trusted, and efficient advisor. The entire team is active in helping both employees and employers work through immigration matters with the care and attention to detail needed. Pyrotek is very satisfied with the level of service we get and would highly recommend Migration Associates to other businesses.
Sean Dillon. General Manager New Zealand – Pyrotek Products Ltd
“Borey and the team at Migration Associates have been fantastic to deal with and have always delivered for us here at NZ Global Foods. I highly recommend Migration Associates to anyone looking for legal advice and representation in the immigration field”
“The support we get from Migration Associates has been instrumental in the employment success of our skilled migrant work force. The service they provide makes the entire process easy to understand and quick, while keeping us informed all along the way. We would thoroughly encourage anyone to engage Migration Associates.”
Sue Halliday – Powell Fenwick General Manager
“Trusted partner for over 10 years, Migration Associates have assisted us with our INZ Employer Accreditation Applications and have worked with us in developing our international recruitment strategy.”
Janice McNab – Tradestaff NZ General Manager
Online Applications for Employer Accreditation
Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that employers will need to lodge online applications for accreditation. Employers who wish to support a visa application for an Accredited Employer Work Visa will need to have the correct type of accreditation in order to do so.
There will be three types of accreditation:
- Standard accreditation (for employers with up to 5 migrant workers holding an Accredited Employer Work Visa)
- High Volume Accreditation (for employer with more than 5 migrant workers holding an Accredited Employer Work Visa)
- Franchisee/Labour Hire Accreditation
Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that standard accreditation will be processed within 10-20 working days, and that high-volume accreditation, and accreditation for franchisees and labour hire companies will take longer. Initial applications for accreditation will be approved for 12 months, and subsequent applications for standard or high-volume accreditation will be approved for 24 months.
Accredited Employer Work Visas - The Three Stage Process
From mid-2022, the new Accredited Employer Work Visa policy will begin. The Accredited Employer Work Visa policy will introduce a 3-stage process which must be completed before an Accredited Employer Work Visa application will be approved by Immigration New Zealand.
STAGE ONE: THE EMPLOYER CHECK
Employers will need to be accredited with Immigration New Zealand to pass this stage. Employers will need to pay an accreditation fee to INZ.
STAGE TWO: THE JOB CHECK
Immigration New Zealand will complete a ‘job check’ to confirm that the job pays the market rate, and that the terms and conditions comply with New Zealand’s employment law. Immigration New Zealand will also assess whether any required labour market testing has been completed.
A labour market test is not required in the following cases:
- Where the remuneration for job offer is 200% of the median wage;
If the job pays at or above the median wage and is not in a city;
If the job is in a city but pays at or above the median wage and the job is listed on one of the Skills Shortage Lists (and the applicant meets the criteria listed there).
Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that for the purpose of the Accredited Employer Work Visa policy, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin are ‘cities’. Employers are required to pay for the job check, and they can only hire the migrant worker if the Job Check stage is successfully completed.
In addition to completing any labour market testing that is required (including advertising on nationwide platforms, employers will need to pay a ‘job check’ fee to INZ. This a new requirement and an additional fee that employers must pay.
STAGE THREE: WORKER CHECK
Immigration New Zealand will assess that the applicant meets standard policy criteria including health, character and identity checks, and that the applicant is suitably qualified and experienced for the proposed employment.
