Visa options for hiring migrants

Find out what visa options are available for hiring migrants.

Accredited Employer Work Visa

You can get accreditation to use the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) to hire migrants on visas for up to 3 years.

You must:

  • pay at least NZD$29.66 an hour (the February 2023 median wage) unless the role is on an exemption list, and
  • show that you cannot find suitable New Zealanders first.

Accreditation for AEWV
AWEV roles exempt from paying the February 2023 median wage rate

Other options for hiring migrants

Find out what other visa options are available that allow migrants to work in New Zealand.

Visas that allow migrants to work in New Zealand

Hiring migrant workers often or in high volumes

If you hire overseas workers frequently or have many jobs to fill, there are several options for making the process more efficient.

Hiring migrant workers often or in high volumes

Support a worker's visa application

You may also need to support their visa application. Use our tool to find out which visas you need to support and what you need to do.

Support a worker's visa application