Accredited Employer Work Visa

The Accredited Employer Work Visa, or AEWV, is New Zealand's principal temporary work visa for skilled migrants with a job offer. Introduced as a deliberate redesign of the country's employer-sponsored system, it places employer accreditation at the centre of the process.

The defining feature of the AEWV is its three-check structure. Before a worker can be granted the visa, the employer must be accredited by Immigration New Zealand, the specific job must pass a job check confirming it is genuine and pays at least the required rate, and the worker themselves must pass an individual check covering skills, identity and character.

The AEWV can be granted for up to five years depending on the role and the employer's accreditation type. For migrants, its real significance is as a launchpad: time spent working in New Zealand on the AEWV builds the work experience and the points that feed into the Skilled Migrant Category for residence. In 2026 the AEWV remains New Zealand's most-used route for skilled workers entering the labour market with a confirmed employer.

You must have a genuine job offer from an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand, and that job must pass the job check. The role must pay at least the relevant wage threshold and meet the conditions tied to the employer's accreditation.

As the worker, you must pass the individual check: you generally need the skills, qualifications or work experience appropriate to the role, and you must meet health and character requirements. For some occupations and longer visa durations, minimum skill and pay levels apply, and certain lower-paid roles carry stand-down conditions. English language ability is assessed in line with the job's requirements. Always confirm the current wage thresholds and skill rules, as Immigration New Zealand updates these in response to labour-market conditions.

The AEWV runs through three sequential checks. First, your prospective employer must hold accreditation with Immigration New Zealand - without an accredited employer, no AEWV can proceed.

Second, the employer completes a job check for the specific role you have been offered. This confirms the job is genuine, pays at least the required rate, and, where relevant, that the labour market has been tested. The job check produces a token that links to your application.

Third, you lodge your own AEWV application - the worker check. You provide identity documents, evidence of the skills or experience needed for the role, your job offer, and you complete health and character requirements. Immigration New Zealand assesses whether you are suitable for the position and meet immigration standards.

Because the employer and job checks happen before yours, much of the groundwork is done by the time you apply, which can make the worker stage relatively straightforward for a well-prepared applicant. Once granted, the AEWV authorises you to work in the checked role for the accredited employer.

The AEWV application carries an Immigration New Zealand application fee plus an Immigration Levy, payable by the worker for the individual check. Employers bear the cost of accreditation and of each job check, and these are legally the employer's responsibility - they cannot lawfully pass certain recruitment costs to the worker. Beyond government fees, budget for medical examinations and chest x-rays where required, police certificates from countries you have lived in, and certified translations of documents not in English. If you use a licensed immigration adviser, professional fees are an additional cost.

Processing of the AEWV depends on which check you are at. Employer accreditation and the job check are completed before your application, and their timeframes are published separately by Immigration New Zealand. The worker stage - your individual application - is generally processed within the published indicative timeframes for the AEWV, and a complete application with clear evidence of skills, a valid job check token and finalised health and character documents moves through fastest. Incomplete applications that trigger requests for further information take considerably longer.

On arrival you can begin work for your accredited employer in the role that passed the job check. The AEWV ties you to that employer and role; moving to a different employer generally requires a new job check and a variation or fresh application.

Use your time on the AEWV deliberately. Skilled work in New Zealand builds the experience and the points that feed the Skilled Migrant Category resident visa, so keep employment agreements, payslips and tax records carefully. Depending on your visa length and your partner's situation, family members may be able to join you, with partners potentially eligible for work rights and dependent children for schooling. Enrol with a general practitioner, and check your eligibility for publicly funded health services, which can depend on holding a work visa of a qualifying duration.