Wondering if you will be able to work in New Zealand? Here’s what you need to know about NZ work visas.
Accredited Employer Work Visa
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is now the main Work Visa in New Zealand.
In order to be eligible to apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa you need:
- an offer of employment with an Accredited Employer who has had a Job Check approved
- your offer of employment will need to be full time, paid at the market rate and at or above the New Zealand adult minimum wage.
- Unless your occupation is on the New Zealand Green List or pays at least twice the median wage, your employer will need to prove that they weren’t able to find a suitable and available New Zealand candidate for the role you have been offered.
- You must be qualified for the position offered by meeting the requirements specified in the Job Check
- You must also prove you are qualified by providing evidence of either 2 years or more relevant work experience or a qualification at Level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF)
- If your qualification is lower than a Bachelor’s degree, it must be relevant to the job offered and you must provide an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) with your application
- You must have and acceptable standard of health and character
- You will need to obtain occupational registration for your role (if required)
- In addition, if your role is classified as Skill Level 4 or 5, you will also need to meet a minimum standard of English.
You can currently be granted an Accredited Employer Work Visa for up to 5 years for Skill Level 1-3 roles.
For Skill Level 4 and 5 roles, you can be granted an Accredited Employer Work Visa for up to 3 years.
If your role is on the Green List or pays at least 1.5 times the median wage, currently NZ$47.41 per hour, your AEWV can be granted for up to 5 years (regardless of your Skill Level).
Bringing your family with you
Depending on your role, your partner and dependent children may be able to apply for a relevant visa (e.g. work visa, student visa or visitor visa) based on their relationship with you.
The following Accredited Employer Work Visa holders will be able to support visas for their partners (as long as they have been living together with their partner in a genuine and stable relationship for 12+ months):
- Those working in a role classified as ANZSCO skill level 1,2 or 3 who are earning at least 80% of the New Zealand median wage (NZ$26.85 per hour)
- Those working in a role on the Green List (who meet the Green List requirements) and who are earning at least NZ$33.56 per hour
- Those paid at least NZ$50.34 per hour in any role
- Those in acceptable employment under the Transport Sector or Care Sector Work to Residence policies
The partners of an AEWV holder who meet the criteria above will be granted a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with open work rights. This means they can work for any employer on any salary, and don’t need to get a job before arriving in New Zealand.
The following Accredited Employer Work Visa holders will be able to support Student or Visitor Visas for their dependent children (as long as they are being paid at least NZ$55,844 per annum):
- Those working in a role classified as ANZSCO skill level 1,2 or 3
- Those working in a role on the Green List (who meet the Green List requirements)
- Those paid at least 1.5 times the New Zealand median wage
- Those in acceptable employment under the Transport Sector or Care Sector Work to Residence policies
The Immigration New Zealand website has a handy tool to check if you are able to support partners and children.
Pathways to residence from an Accredited Employer Work Visa
There are a number of Skilled Residence Pathways for holders of Accredited Employer Work Visas.
The Skilled Migrant Category is a points system, where you need to claim 6 points to be eligible.
If your role is on the Green List, there are two possible pathways:
There is also a Work to Residence pathway for those working in the Care Workforce Sector and Transport Sector. Where eligible applicants will be able to apply for residence after working for two years in New Zealand in certain roles within this industry.
