New Zealand · Work

Accredited Employer Work Visa

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is issued by Immigration New Zealand. VisaAI tracks 18 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.

Last verified against the official source on .

VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.

Requirements change. Confirm every item on Immigration New Zealand’s own page before you apply.

Each requirement below is written in plain English by VisaAI. The indented text beneath it is quoted from Immigration New Zealand’s own page, so you can check what we say against what they say. Where a quotation shows “ ... ”, text has been left out.

Conditions you must meet

  • A full-time job offer from an accredited employer
    have an offer of full-time work from an accredited employer
  • The offer must be current, at least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer with an approved job check
    Your job offer must be: current at the time you apply for your visa for at least 30 hours of work a week from an employer who is accredited to hire migrants for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and has an approved job check for your job
  • Meet INZ's skill requirements for your jobANZSCO/NOL skill levels are defined on separate INZ pages that are not registered sources, so no threshold is recorded.
    meet our skill requirements meet the requirements of your job's ANZSCO or NOL skill level and qualifications have the skills and experience your employer requires
  • Hold occupational registration, if your job requires it in New ZealandDepends on the occupation; INZ does not list the registered occupations on this page.
    have occupational registration, if your job requires it to work in New Zealand
  • Time spent outside New Zealand may be required before another AEWVApplies only to repeat AEWV holders. VisaAI holds no record of prior AEWV stays, so no rule is attached.
    have spent the required time outside New Zealand if applying for another Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) after staying for as long as you can on previous AEWVs
  • Show you can speak and understand English, if your job is skill level 3 to 5Quoted as INZ writes it, including the doubled verb ('your job is skill level is'). An excerpt is a quote, not a correction.
    speak and understand English, if your job is skill level is 3 to 5
  • Be in good health
    be in good health
  • Have a good character
    have a good character
  • Have a genuine reason for coming to New Zealand
    have a genuine reason for coming to New Zealand.
  • The employment agreement must name employer and employee, job title, workplace and duties
    The employment agreement must include: your employer's name, address and phone number your name and address your job title the address for your place of work the kind of work you will be doing and your responsibilities at work
  • An application is declined if money was offered or promised for the job offerINZ pairs this with a warning that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. Recorded because the consequence is refusal, not merely advice.
    We will decline an application for an AEWV if we consider you or your agent has offered or promised money to the employer (or their agent) in exchange for a job offer.
  • Stay of up to 5 years, based on the job offered
    Length of stay Up to 5 years based on the job offered
  • Study limited to 3 months in any 12-month period
    study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period, or do any study required as part of your employment
  • The visa ties you to the employer; changing employer, job or location needs a variationExcerpt truncated where INZ's own sentence continues into a link. Recorded because a work visa silently tied to one employer is a condition people are caught by.
    If your situation changes and you want to change your employer, job, location or a combination of these, you must apply to vary the conditions of y

Documents you must provide

  • A copy of the employment agreement and job description
    a copy of the employment agreement and job description
  • A signed copy of the job offer
    a signed copy of the job offer.

Steps in the process

  • Your employer sends you the link to the online application formStructural, like the Dutch student permit: the applicant cannot start this application unaided.
    The employer must send you a link to the online application form.

Government fees

  • Application feefrom NZD 1,540INZ publishes this as a 'from' price; the final fee depends on where the application is made.
    Cost From NZD $1540

Official sources

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