Under the new accreditation policy, obtaining a visa for your employees will include three checks:

1. The employer check

Before they can employ a migrant worker on the Accredited Employer Work Visa, a New Zealand employer must submit an application and successfully receive accreditation (AEWV).

The new levels of accreditation are:

  • Standard Accreditation: Employers who desire to employ up to 5 foreign workers must obtain Standard Accreditation.
  • High-volume Accreditation: Employers who want to have six or more migrant employees on AEWVs at once must apply for high-volume accreditation.
  • Franchises and tripartite agreements: More compliance audits will be conducted for franchises and employers seeking to hire foreign labour through third parties (including but not limited to labour hire companies).

Learn more about the various levels of employer accreditation:

Accreditation levels

2. The job check

Before a job may be offered to a foreign worker, it must first pass a job check to ensure compliance with employment regulations and to ensure that no qualified New Zealanders can be found to fill it. This is frequently referred to as a test of the labour market. There are standard requirements for employment offers:

  • The pay must be at least the minimum wage or the going rate, whichever is higher.
  • The employment contract, including the terms of employment, must be in compliance with all applicable employment laws, such as the Employment Relations Act of 2000 and the Holiday Act of 2003.

It may be necessary to take a test of the labour market. The fact that no New Zealanders are available or qualified to fill the position's qualifications shows that the business has legitimately advertised the position to the country's residents. The need for a labour market test can be excused under certain circumstances.

3. The migrant check

Basically, this is your application for a work visa through an Accredited Employer. Your nominee should:

  • Be deemed competent for the role offered, either via a relevant qualification or previous relevant work experience, AND;
  • Be of an Acceptable Standard of Health as defined in Immigration instructions, AND;
  • Be of good character, with no major prior criminal conviction, as defined in Immigration instructions.