Employer Accreditation in New Zealand
What employers need to know
Employer Accreditation
Employer Accreditation is often treated as the starting point for hiring migrant workers.
In practice, it usually comes in once a business has already decided the role can’t be filled locally.
At that point, accreditation becomes the first formal step under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) system. Without it, you can’t move to a Job Check application or support a visa application.
What accreditation does is shift the focus onto the business. Immigration New Zealand is not looking at the worker yet. They are looking at whether the employer is set up to hire and employ migrant workers properly.
- What’s changed with INZ’s Employer Accreditation and work visa scheme?
- How long is accreditation valid?
- What information does my business need to provide to INZ in our application for accreditation?
- Do you need to renew accreditation?
- What is the timeframe involved in the employer accreditation process?
- What are the costs?
- What is required in terms of remuneration?
- What is a job check? And what is required for an accreditation job check?
- What labour market testing do I need to do?
- Employment agreements for migrant workers
- If you’re working through Employer Accreditation or planning to hire from overseas, it helps to get the structure right early
What’s changed with INZ’s Employer Accreditation and work visa scheme?
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) has been in place since 2022 and remains the main pathway for employers hiring migrant workers in New Zealand.
The structure is employer-led and runs in stages:
- Employers must first apply for and be approved for accreditation before they can hire migrant workers
- They must then complete a Job Check to confirm the role cannot be filled by New Zealand workers
- Once approved, the worker can apply for a visa, provided they meet the required skills, experience, and other criteria
Each step needs to be approved before the next one can move forward.
In practice, that means the employer and the job are assessed first, and the worker comes later.
The worker still needs to meet visa requirements, including skills, experience, and other criteria linked to the approved role.
Where employers tend to run into issues is not usually the visa itself. It’s earlier in the process, where the role, pay, or documentation doesn’t line up properly.
How long is accreditation valid?
Initial Employer Accreditation is valid for 12 months.
After that, renewal approvals are typically:
- 24 months for standard and high-volume employers (if accreditation has not lapsed)
- 12 months for employers placing workers with controlling third parties
When renewing, Immigration New Zealand may ask for evidence that the business has met the commitments made during the previous accreditation period.
That can include things like settlement support, employment practices, and general compliance.
Renewal is not automatic. Employers need to show they have followed through on what they agreed to when accreditation was first approved.
What information does my business need to provide to INZ in our application for accreditation?
To apply for employer accreditation, businesses need to meet Immigration New Zealand’s standard requirements.
At a practical level, this comes down to three areas:
- The business is real and financially viable
- The business is compliant with employment and immigration law
- The business is set up to employ and support migrant workers properly
For financial viability, employers need to show one of the following:
- The business has not made a loss over the last two years
- There has been positive cash flow over the last six months
- There is sufficient capital or external investment
- There is a credible plan showing how the business will remain viable
Immigration New Zealand also checks compliance history. That includes whether the business and key people involved have been on the Labour Inspectorate stand-down list or banned from hiring migrant workers.
Franchisees
Franchisee accreditation was removed in 2024.
Employers who previously held this type of accreditation can apply for accreditation under standard, high-volume, or triangular (controlling third party) categories moving forward.
Controlling third party (triangular employment)
If you employ workers that are placed with another business (for example labour hire), additional requirements apply.
These include having an established history of placing workers in New Zealand and meeting a minimum of 15% for employing New Zealand citizens or residents who are placed in triangular employment agreements.
The exact requirements depend on the type of work and arrangement, including higher thresholds in some industries such as construction.
These conditions need to be maintained throughout the accreditation period.
Trusts, partnerships, sole traders
For these structures:
- At least one key person must be primarily based in New Zealand
- The accredited entity must match the employing entity
- The business must not be bankrupt or subject to a No Asset Procedure
Do you need to renew accreditation?
If a business plans to keep hiring migrant workers under the AEWV system, accreditation needs to be maintained.
That includes situations where employers:
- Want to hire additional migrant workers
- Are supporting workers already in New Zealand for their residence visa applications
- Need to support visa extensions or ongoing employment
If migrant hiring is no longer part of the workforce plan, renewal may not be necessary.
For most employers actively using the AEWV system, accreditation becomes an ongoing part of how business operations.
Read more about Employer Accreditation Renewal.
What is the timeframe involved in the employer accreditation process?
There are several stages in the process, and each has its own timing. As a general guide:
- 1. Employer accreditation: around 10 working days (can vary)
- 2. Advertising: typically 14–21 days, depending on the role
- 3. Job check: around 10 working days if the application is complete
- 4. Visa application: around 20 working days (varies by case)
For renewals, Immigration New Zealand recommends applying at least six weeks before accreditation expires.
Timeframes can extend if information is missing or if the application raises questions.
What are the costs?
Immigration New Zealand sets the fees for accreditation, Job Checks, and visa applications.
These can change over time, so it’s best to refer to the official AEWV fee schedule.
What is required in terms of remuneration?
Roles need to be paid at the market rate and meet any applicable wage thresholds under the AEWV framework.
In many cases, this includes alignment with the median wage, unless an exemption applies.
What matters in practice is that:
- The pay reflects the role and industry
- The pay is consistent across advertising, Job Check, and employment agreement
- The conditions meet New Zealand employment standards
Misalignment across documents is one of the more common reasons Job Checks get delayed.
What is a Job Check? And what is required for an accreditation job check?
After accreditation, employers need to apply for a Job Check for each role they want to fill.
The Job Check focuses on the role.
Immigration New Zealand looks at whether the job is genuine, the pay and conditions meet requirements and the labour market test has been completed correctly. If multiple roles are identical (same job, pay, location, requirements), they can usually be included under one Job Check.
Once approved, a Job Check is generally valid for six months or until accreditation expires, whichever comes first.
What labour market testing do I need to do?
For most roles, employers need to advertise and show genuine attempts to recruit locally before hiring from overseas.
This is one of the areas Immigration New Zealand looks at closely. The question sitting behind it is simple: could this role have been filled locally?
There are some exceptions.
Highly paid roles (for example, roles paid at 200% of the median wage) may not require advertising, depending on how the role is structured and whether other criteria are met.
For most roles though, advertising is still required.
In practice, that includes:
- Listing the role with clear, accurate details
- Setting a realistic pay range and conditions
- Genuinely considering New Zealand applicants
- Engaging with Work and Income where required
If suitable candidates are referred, they need to be assessed properly.
Going through the motions or rejecting candidates without clear reasons can raise questions later in the Job Check stage. The point of this step is to show that the role has been tested against the local market before turning offshore.
Employment agreements for migrant workers
Employment agreements for migrant workers need to be fully aligned with both employment law and the approved Job Check.
That includes clearly setting out pay and any overtime rates, guaranteed hours, how hours may vary and the actual working conditions of the role.
These details are not always standard in local agreements, but they are expected under the AEWV framework.
If the agreement doesn’t reflect the role properly, it can delay or impact the application.
If you’re working through Employer Accreditation or planning to hire from overseas, it helps to get the structure right early.
That includes how the role is set up, how the process is managed, and how everything lines up across recruitment, employment, and immigration.
Do you need help with the accreditation process?
