Before you apply for employer accreditation

Decide the level of accreditation you need

You can apply for 1 of 4 different levels of accreditation.

• Standard accreditation is for standard businesses hiring up to 5 migrants.
• High-volume accreditation is for standard businesses hiring 6 or more migrants.
• Franchisee accreditation is for businesses that are part of a franchise. There is no limit to how many migrants you can hire.
• Controlling third party accreditation is for businesses who place migrants with third parties while being the direct employer named in the employment agreement. There is no limit to how many migrants you can hire.

Check if you can apply

To apply to be an accredited employer, your business needs to be a viable and genuine business, and must be able to meet at least 1 of these financial requirements.

• Your business has not made a loss over the last 2 years.
• Your business has had a positive cash flow each month for the last 6 months.
• Your business has enough capital or external investment to remain viable.
• Your business has a credible 2-year plan to ensure it remains viable — for example, a revenue forecast or cash flow projection.
• Your business must be registered with Inland Revenue.

You and any key people in your organisation cannot be on the Labour Inspectorate’s stand-down list, on the Immigration stand-down list or permanently banned from hiring migrants. We check if you are.

Legal compliance for AEWV employer accreditation

There are extra requirements if your business is a franchise, placing workers with a controlling third party, or a trust, partnership or sole trader.

If you are a trust, partnership or sole trader

To apply:

• you must not be bankrupt or subject to a No Asset Procedure
• the business entity which has an NZBN must hold the accreditation
• the employer named on the employment agreement must be:
  
  • the sole trader, or
  • 1 or more of the trustees or partners.

No Asset Procedures — New Zealand Insolvency and Trustee Service

If your business is a franchise

To be able to apply for accreditation, you must have:

• been trading as a franchisee for at least 12 months, or
• at least 12 months experience in another business you own which sells the same goods and services.

If you have more than 1 employee, at least 15% of your staff must be New Zealand citizens or residents guaranteed at least 30 hours work each week. If your accreditation is approved you must meet this requirement during your accreditation period.

How we define franchisees and controlling third parties

If you are placing migrant workers with a controlling third party

There are additional requirements and commitments you must meet if you are placing workers with a controlling third party.

Extra requirements for AEWV employers who use controlling third parties

You must have a history of placing staff in New Zealand for the past 12 months.

At least 15% of staff placed must be New Zealand citizens or residents and be guaranteed at least 30 hours work each week. If you are placing migrant workers into some specified construction roles, 35% of your workers must be New Zealand citizens or residents.

NZ workforce requirements for the construction sector

If your accreditation is approved you must meet this requirement during your accreditation period.

How we define franchisees and controlling third parties

Gather your information

You need to have:

• a business IRD number
• a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) that matches the details in the Companies Register — unless you are a foreign diplomatic mission
• your Business Industry Classification (BIC) Code
• the full name, passport number and date of birth of key people in your organisation — you also need their consent to provide this information.

NZ business or organisation IRD number application — Inland Revenue

Applying for an NZBN — New Zealand Business Number

Companies Register — New Zealand Companies Office

Find your BIC — Business Industry Classification Code

Gather documents and evidence

You can upload evidence of your business’ financial position in the further evidence section of the application. For example, a profit and loss statements that cover the last 24 months.

Additional declaration for employees placing migrants with a controlling third party

If you are placing migrant workers with a controlling third party you must upload a declaration to confirm whether or not you are placing any of these workers into 1 or more of the specified construction occupations which require a 35% New Zealand workforce.

If you do not upload the declaration when you submit your employer accreditation application there may be a delay in processing your application.

NZ workforce requirements for the construction sector