Overview of AEWV employer accreditation and job check

How to apply for employer accreditation and a job check

1. 1

   Step 1: Apply for employer accreditation

   You can apply for 1 of 3 different types of accreditation depending on your business and how many migrants you want to hire on a regular or seasonal AEWV:

   • standard accreditation is for New Zealand businesses who want to hire up to 5 migrants
   • high-volume accreditation is for New Zealand businesses who want to hire 6 or more migrants
   • accreditation is for New Zealand businesses who place migrants with while being the — there is no limit to the number of migrants you can hire.

   Check if you can apply for AEWV employer accreditation and what type

   Before you apply you need to ensure:

   • your business meets our accreditation rules
   • you have all the information and documents you need, including a New Zealand Business Number, Business Industry Classification code and Inland Revenue number.

   Applying for AEWV employer accreditation: process steps

   You will pay a fee when you apply for employer accreditation.

   Paying for AEWV employer accreditation and job checks

   We process your employer accreditation application

   We email you when we have processed your application.

   If your AEWV employer accreditation or job check application is declined

2. 2

   Step 2: Advertise the job and engage with Work and Income

   If your application is approved, before you can apply for a job check (step 3), you may need to:

   • advertise the job to make sure no New Zealand citizens or residents are available – you do not need to advertise if hiring workers on a Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV)
   • engage with Work and Income if the job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5
   • get an endorsement from Work and Income if you are eligible, instead of engaging with them when hiring workers on a Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV).

   How to find your job's skill level

   Advertising the job before you apply for a job check

   Engaging with Work and Income before you apply for a job check

3. 3

   Step 3: Apply for a job check

   Once your accreditation is approved, you can apply for a job check. The job check application can include multiple positions for the same job, pay, location and minimum requirements.

   If you advertised the job, you have to apply for a job check within 90 days of your job advertisement closing.

   Job checks are valid for 6 months or until you no longer have accreditation.

   You will pay a fee for each job check you apply for.

   Paying for AEWV employer accreditation and job checks

   Note

   Before you apply for a job check, you must check if there are suitable and available New Zealanders to do the job. To be suitable and available they must:

   • be qualified for the job or able to be trained on the job
   • live close to where the job is or be able to move there
   • have a practical way of travelling to the job, like a bus or their own car
   • be available for full-time work in the hours you need.

   You must make genuine attempts to attract and recruit New Zealand workers. When you apply for a job check, we make sure you advertised the job, unless you are exempt.

   Job check for a regular Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) or seasonal AEWV

   You will need to apply for a job check to hire a worker on all AEWV visas: regular AEWV, or seasonal AEWV — the Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV) and Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV).

   A migrant worker can only apply for the type of AEWV that your job check is approved for. For example, if your job check is approved for a PSV, you can only hire someone who is applying for a PSV.

   Most of the same job check requirements apply regardless of which AEWV visa you are applying for. The main differences are:

   • if you are hiring a worker on a GWSV, then you do not need to advertise or engage with Work and Income
   • if you are hiring workers on a PSV, then you can get an endorsement from Work and Income, instead of regular engagement with Work and Income.

   For more information on endorsement and the job check process:

   Applying for a job check: process steps

   Engaging with Work and Income before you apply for a job check

   We process your job check application

   We email you when we have processed your application.

   Check our wait times page to find up to date information on how long we are taking to process applications.

   Employer accreditation, job check and AEWV wait times

   If your AEWV employer accreditation or job check application is declined

4. 4

   Step 4: Ask the migrant worker to apply

   Once the job check is approved, you can:

   • check the migrant has the required skills, work experience or qualification for the job
   • offer them the job and ask them to apply for their AEWV using Immigration Online.

   Check if a migrant is suitably qualified for an AEWV

   Recruiting and supporting a migrant worker to apply for an AEWV: process steps

5. 5

   Step 5: Meet your obligations and help your migrant workers to settle

   You must: 

   • give your workers information about living and working in New Zealand
   • support your workers to settle in New Zealand
   • not pass on any recruitment costs to your workers
   • continue to meet your obligations as an employer during your accreditation.

   Accredited employer requirements to help AEWV workers settle in New Zealand

   Meeting your AEWV accredited employer obligations

   Renew your accreditation

   Your initial accreditation lasts for 12 months before you need to renew it.

   Renewing your AEWV employer accreditation

6. 6

   Step 6: If things change

   If your circumstances change, you can apply to change your accreditation type at any time, for example if you need to upgrade from standard to high-volume accreditation.

   If you have already applied to renew your accreditation, and you need to change your accreditation type, you can withdraw your application if we have not made a decision yet.

   Renewing your AEWV employer accreditation

   If we suspend or revoke your employer accreditation:

   • you cannot hire new AEWV or seasonal AEWV migrants — we contact any affected migrants who are not in New Zealand as they may not be able to travel here on their visa
   • any workers that you currently employ, and who are already in New Zealand, can continue to work for you.

   If you are placed on the Employer or Immigration stand-down lists, we try to contact any affected workers if we have their current contact information.

   Employers on stand-down — Employment New Zealand

   Immigration stand-down list

   If you have been given interim employer accreditation but then withdraw your renewal application, you will keep your interim accreditation until it expires.