Accreditation Levels for Employers in New Zealand

If you're an employer in New Zealand looking to hire migrant workers, it's important to understand the different accreditation levels available. The right accreditation level for your business will depend on the number of migrant workers you plan to employ and the nature of your business.

Accreditation Tiers

The two main accreditation tiers are standard and high volume, with additional requirements for labour hire/tripartite/franchises.

Standard Employer Accreditation

Standard employer accreditation is for businesses employing or planning to employ 1 to 5 migrant workers. This streamlined process is designed for low-risk, standard employers, including small businesses. Before hiring migrant workers, businesses must undergo checks to ensure compliance with minimum employment standards.

Initial standard accreditation is granted for 12 months, with 24-month renewals.

High Volume Employer Accreditation

The premium high volume employer accreditation is for companies planning to recruit six or more employer-assisted migrants in a year. The accreditation process is similar to standard accreditation but with higher standards for attracting and retaining New Zealand workers. Additional checks are conducted to ensure compliance with employment standards.

Initial high volume accreditation is granted for 12 months, with 24-month renewals.

Labour Hire/Tripartite/Franchises Accreditation

Labour hire companies, tripartite agreements, and franchises have additional requirements for employer accreditation. These requirements include higher standards to meet and more checks involved, with a focus on recruitment practices, training New Zealanders, and potentially including site visits.

Initial employer accreditation and renewals are granted for 12 months.

Accreditation Fees

The following are the fees for each type of accreditation:

  • Standard accreditation (up to 5 migrants at any one time) - NZD $740.
  • High-volume (6+ migrants at any one time) - NZD $1220.
  • Upgrade fee (upgrade from standard to high-volume accreditation) - NZD $480.
  • Employers wanting to place migrants with controlling third parties (tripartite agreements) - NZD $3870.
  • Franchisees - NZD $1980.
  • Reconsideration (for declined employer accreditation application) - NZD $240.

It's important to note that employer accreditations under AEWV will be automatically extended by 12 months if their first accreditation is applied for by 4 July 2023, as announced by Immigration in December 2022.