If you are aiming to live and work in New Zealand, the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is your main doorway in. It is the primary temporary work visa the New Zealand government uses to connect skilled foreign workers with local businesses facing skill shortages.
Landing an AEWV is not a matter of simply filling out an application form on your own. It is a three-way legal partnership between an approved employer, the job role itself, and you. Knowing how the system functions before you start applying for jobs will save you from dead-end interviews with companies that cannot legally hire you.
The Three Stages Behind an AEWV
The Department of Immigration New Zealand processes every AEWV using a strict three-tier check. You cannot complete stage three until your prospective employer successfully clears stages one and two.
1. Employer Accreditation: The business offering you a job must apply to Immigration New Zealand for formal accreditation. This step verifies that the business is financially viable, operating legally, and committed to meeting local employment standards.
2. The Job Check: Once accredited, the employer must submit a specific Job Check for the role they want to fill. They must prove that the role meets market pay standards and that they genuinely advertised locally to try to hire a New Zealand citizen or resident first. When Immigration New Zealand approves the Job Check, it generates a unique Job Token.
3. The Migrant Worker Application: This is where you come in. Once your employer hands you the Job Token, you use it to lodge your individual AEWV application online.
Key Requirements You Must Meet as a Worker
When you submit your application at stage three, officers will focus entirely on your background and character. Meeting the baseline eligibility rules is essential to avoiding delays or rejections.
Work Experience and Qualifications: You must hold at least 2 years of relevant work experience or a formal qualification at level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, unless your role sits on a specific exemption list.
Fair Market Pay: The general blanket median wage requirement was removed from the AEWV system. Your employer must pay you the true New Zealand market rate for the occupation, and your hourly pay must never fall below the national minimum wage. Roles linked to residency pathways, such as the Skilled Migrant Category, still require higher income benchmarks tied to the national median wage index.
Health and Character: You must undergo a comprehensive panel medical examination and provide clean police clearances from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more over the past decade.
Timelines, Costs, and Visa Length
Understanding the administrative timeline helps you set realistic expectations for your relocation.
Visa Duration: An AEWV is generally issued for up to 3 years. Certain high-income roles or occupations on the official Green List can qualify for a maximum continuous stay of up to 5 years.
Processing Times: Once you submit your completed application with your Job Token, typical processing takes between 4 to 8 weeks. However, if your employer needs to secure accreditation or run the Job Check from scratch, add another 4 to 6 weeks to the total timeline before you can lodge your application.
Fee Division: New Zealand employment laws are strict regarding visa fees. The employer must pay all costs associated with Accreditation (NZ $1,280) and the Job Check (NZ $735). They are legally prohibited from deducting these costs from your wage. As the migrant, you cover your personal visa application fee and immigration levy (totaling NZ $1,540), alongside medical checks and police certificates.
How to Find Employers Ready to Sponsor
Sending standard job applications to random companies in New Zealand often leads to ghosting because many businesses do not want to navigate the accreditation process for an unvetted offshore candidate.
To maximize your chances, search for employers who already hold valid accreditation status. You can cross-reference companies on major local employment portals like SEEK New Zealand or Trade Me Jobs against official government employer lists.
Focus your job hunt on roles that match your background line for line. When your experience directly meets the requirements listed on a approved Job Check token, the visa process moves forward cleanly.
