The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the main temporary work visa in New Zealand. It is an employer-led work visa process for hiring foreign workers. It is intended to put New Zealanders first in line for jobs while also making it simpler for firms to hire talented foreigners in areas where true skill or labor shortages exist. It also aids in the fight against migrant exploitation by requiring only accredited firms to hire migrant workers.
To apply for the Accredited Employer Work Visa, the applications have to be made through Immigration Online. Once the applicants submit applications, the automated checks for example, medical, character, and Police checks take place before the application is considered by an immigration officer.
The AEWV has replaced the previous Essential Skills work visa, which required checks on the employer when a migrant applied for a visa. As of 24 October 2023 Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has approved 92,342 AEWV applications, and there are 29,549 accredited employers.
Accreditation process
Employers must apply to the New Zealand Immigration Department for employer accreditation before inviting a worker to apply for an AEWV, promote the position if necessary, and apply for a Job Check. Most applications take more than 10 days to process.
The AEWV includes a number of verification steps during the application process, including accreditation, job check, and work visa steps, as well as post-accreditation checks.
The 15% post-accreditation checks are a combination of random selection and targeted checks on a sample of all accredited employer types, as well as checks on all franchisees and controlling third-party business models and any businesses referred through a complaint or issue raised.
Post-accreditation checks are a routine process introduced as part of the new scheme, and they are unrelated to investigations into potential employers of concern involving migrant workers with an AEWV. Also, under the Job Change application process, AEWV holders can apply to change their employer, job, or location. This allows AEWV migrants greater certainty, including if they lose their job.
