Accredited Employer Work Visa - You have a job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer
The Accredited Employer Work Visa is for overseas workers with a job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. The worker must also have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job.
Learn more about the Accredited Employer Work Visa
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a temporary work visa. You can apply for it if you have a job offer from an accredited employer, and you may be able to fast-track to residence or gain it after two years.
The AEWV came into effect on 4 July 2022, and it replaced six work visas that were previously available:
- Essential Skills Work Visa
- Essential Skills Work Visa — Approved in principle
- Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa
- Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
- Silver Fern Job Search Visa
- Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa
What are the requirements of the Accredited Employer Work Visa?
You must meet these basic requirements to apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa:
- You must have an offer of full-time work (at least 30 hours a week) from an accredited employer
- Your employer must pay you at least the New Zealand median wage unless your occupation is exempt
- There must be no New Zealanders available do the work you've been offered unless a waiver applies
- You must have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job you've been offered
- You must meet New Zealand's health and character requirements
What can you do on an AEWV?
With an Accredited Employer Work Visa, you can:
- Work in New Zealand for an accredited employer
- Live and work in New Zealand for up to three years if you're paid at or above the New Zealand median wage, and for up to 2 years if you are paid below the median wage
- Study for up to 3 months in any 12 month period, or do any study required as part of your employment
- Support your dependent child's visitor or student visa if you earn at least NZD $43,322.76 each year
- Only work for the employer who offered you the visa application for the length of your visa — if your situation changes you must vary the conditions of your visa or apply for a new visa.
Your dependent spouse or partner will get a visitor visa to enter New Zealand. Most spouses and partners who then want to work in New Zealand must apply for an AEWV in their own right. These applications open from December 2022.
You could qualify for a fast-track to residence or have a work-to-residence pathway
Immigration New Zealand has issued a new skills shortage list called the Green List with 85 hard-to-fill roles in critical sectors of New Zealand’s economy.
You don’t have to work in a Green List occupation to apply for an AEWV, but if you do you could fast-track your residence or have a work-to-residence pathway.
AEWV holders who qualify for work-to-residence cannot apply for residency immediately but can do so after two years of working in New Zealand.
1. Fast-track to residence
Occupations on the Green List that offer a fast track to residence are in:
- Construction
- Engineering
- Health and social services
- Primary industries and sciences
- ICT, electronics, and telecommunications
2. Work-to-residence pathway
Occupations on the Green List that offer a work-to-residence pathway are in:
- Health and social services
- Trades
- Agriculture
The Employer's role in applying for an Accredited Employer Work Visa
New Zealand employers can get accreditation to use the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) to hire migrants from overseas for up to three years.
1. apply for accreditation
New Zealand employers can apply for one of four different levels of accreditation:
- Standard accreditation: Standard businesses hiring up to 5 migrants
- High-volume accreditation: Standard businesses hiring 6 or more migrants
- Franchisee accreditation: Franchise businesses, with no limit on how many migrants the business can hire
- Controlling third party accreditation: Businesses who place migrants with third parties while being the direct employer named in the employment agreement, with no limit on how many migrants the business can hire
Without accreditation, the employer can't proceed with the process or employ migrants with an AEWV.
2. Advertise the position
Immigration New Zealand requires the employer to check there are no suitable New Zealand citizens or residents available for the position before recruiting from overseas.
The employer must do this by means of a job ad that meets Immigration New Zealand's requirements.
3. Apply for a job check
Once the employer is accredited and have a job ad, they must apply for a job check. Immigration New Zealand will assess the job offer, the employment agreement and the advertisement with the job check.
4. Ask the migrant to apply for an AEWV visa
The employer can instruct the migrant to apply for their visa as soon as the job check is approved. If their visa is approved the migrant can take up the job under the terms of their visa.
Good news - The AEWV has job advertisement and median wage exemptions!
Employers have to advertise the position and pay at least New Zealand's median wage unless the position or the pay qualifies for an exemption:
- Employers don't have to place an ad for jobs that:
- pay at least twice the New Zealand median wage; or
- is an occupation on the Green List.
- Employers don't have to pay the median wage for specific occupations in construction and infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, and in the care workforce sector.
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