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Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): The 2026 Rules

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is New Zealand's main employer-sponsored work visa. The job must be full-time (30+ hours), with an accredited employer holding an approved job check, and paid at least the required rate. INZ showed a fee of NZD 1,540 and 80% of applications within 5 weeks on 9 October 2026. The longest continuous stay is 5 years, or 3 years for skill level 4 or 5 jobs.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the visa most people use to work in New Zealand for an employer. People searching "AEWV", "AEWV requirements" or "AEWV fee" are usually trying to understand what the employer must do first, what the worker must show and how long they can stay.

This guide explains the rules as Immigration New Zealand (INZ) publishes them on its AEWV page, its wage rates page, its employer accreditation and job check pages, its wait times page and its fee finder, all read on 9 October 2026. It describes how the visa works. It does not say whether any reader's job, experience or employer would meet the rules, because applying rules to a person's own facts is immigration advice that only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give in New Zealand.

The guide also covers a point INZ stresses in its own text: New Zealand employers and their agents cannot charge workers for a job. A separate guide covers job offer scams in more detail.

What the visa is, and how it starts

INZ describes the AEWV this way: "Apply for this visa if you have a job offer from an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) accredited employer. The employer must send you a link to the online application form."

That sequence is the key to the visa. The employer comes first. INZ's application steps show the employer offering the job, supplying a job description, an employment agreement and a unique link to the online form, and only then does the worker apply. The employer must be accredited, and must hold an approved job check for the specific job. Employer accreditation and the job check are explained in a separate guide.

The visa links the worker to the employer who offered the job. INZ says: "If your situation changes and you want to change your employer, job, location or a combination of these, you must apply to vary the conditions of your visa or apply for a Job Change, or apply for a new visa." The worker cannot work a second job on an AEWV.

The cost on INZ's page was "From NZD $1540" and the processing time "80% within 5 weeks". INZ's wait times page, updated weekly, breaks the AEWV figures down by skill level and sector.

The job offer

INZ lists what the job offer must be:

  • current at the time of the visa application;
  • for at least 30 hours of work a week;
  • from an employer accredited to hire migrants for the AEWV, with an approved job check for the job; and
  • paid at least the required rate for the job (INZ's wage page uses the term "market rate").

INZ explains the market rate this way: it is "a range of pay that a New Zealander or resident would be paid within to do the job, or equivalent work". At the job check stage INZ approves a pay range, which must be at or above the pay threshold; the actual rate on the visa is set at the visa application stage. The employer must also meet other legal requirements, such as the New Zealand minimum wage.

The application must include a copy of the employment agreement and job description and a signed copy of the job offer. The employment agreement must include, among other things, the employer's details, the job title, place of work, the work and responsibilities, hours and duration, and pay and conditions that comply with New Zealand law. INZ says the agreement cannot include clauses that do not comply with employment law, unlawful deductions, a trial period or unacceptable bonding clauses, which it defines as provisions requiring the worker to repay money to the employer if they leave within a set time. An agreement that fails these tests can lead to the application being declined.

Jobs that cannot use the AEWV: INZ lists planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing crops in horticulture or viticulture, foreign crew of fishing vessels, and self-employed work. A different visa is needed for those.

Skill requirements

INZ sets minimum AEWV skill requirements. The worker must have either 2 years or more of relevant job experience, or a qualification at level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF). The qualification or experience must be in the same field or industry as the job, except that a bachelor's degree or higher can be in any field.

Experience evidence. INZ says it must come from someone other than the applicant and can include certificates of employment, pay slips, tax certificates, and reference letters supported by those. INZ's alert is direct: "Providing a CV or resume is not sufficient." A reference letter or certificate alone, without payslips or tax certificates, "may not satisfy us". Employment certificates should be on letterhead, complete and independently verifiable, showing at least the positions held, the periods of employment and the employer's address and contact details. The 2 years need not be consecutive or full-time, but must add up to 2 years of full-time equivalent work, with evidence of hours.

Qualification evidence. Copies of qualifications are required, and an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA is needed for qualifications below a bachelor's degree gained outside New Zealand.

When evidence of skills is not required. INZ lists situations in which no additional evidence is needed: the job is on the Green List and the Green List requirements are met; the worker has occupational registration that needed evidence of experience or qualifications; the worker is paid at least NZD 67.12 an hour (INZ describes this as 2 times the 2024 median wage); or the evidence was already given with an earlier application. A further exemption applies to some jobs paid below NZD 29.66 an hour that were part of the meat processing, seafood processing or care workforce sector agreements or the tourism and hospitality wage exemption.

Skill level. INZ uses ANZSCO, and the National Occupation List (NOL) for jobs ANZSCO does not cover. Skill levels run from 1 (most skilled) to 5. INZ notes NOL occupations are not currently recognised for other visas such as the Skilled Migrant Category.

English, health and character

English. Required if the job is ANZSCO or NOL skill level 3 to 5; not required for levels 1 and 2. It can be shown through citizenship, where the worker studied and the qualifications gained, or through an English test. Test results must meet INZ's minimum and be no more than 2 years old at the application date. INZ notes exemptions: a worker who showed English in a previous AEWV application, or whose job is skill level 3 and whose AEWV expires on or before 1 December 2026. INZ has a separate English page for the AEWV.

Health. The applicant needs good health. For a stay of more than 6 months, a chest X-ray is needed for citizens of countries without a low incidence of tuberculosis and for anyone who spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in such a country. A new X-ray certificate is needed if 6 months in a row were spent in such a country since the last certificate. Evidence must be less than 3 months old when INZ receives it.

Character. Police certificates less than 6 months old are required if the applicant is 17 or older and the total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer, counting past time on other visas. They come from countries of citizenship and countries where the applicant spent more than 5 years since turning 17. INZ says a receipt for a certificate is not accepted (with exceptions for Fiji, Hong Kong and Israel), and missing a valid certificate may lead to a decline. INZ names the NBI clearance as the acceptable certificate for the Philippines.

Genuine intentions. INZ requires that the applicant genuinely intend to meet the visa conditions, and considers all the information provided and held.

How long a worker can stay

INZ calls the total time that can be spent in New Zealand on one or more AEWVs the maximum continuous stay. It depends on when the first AEWV was applied for, the skill level of the job and how much the worker is paid. INZ says the total "can be 5 years for most jobs, or 3 years if your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5".

If a visa is shorter than the maximum stay, further AEWVs can be applied for to reach it. After staying for the maximum, INZ says the worker must leave New Zealand for a required period, "normally 12 months in a row", before being eligible for another AEWV. INZ has an online tool for working out a maximum continuous stay. The separate guide to maximum continuous stay covers the rules in more detail.

The AEWV can lead to residence depending on the job. INZ points to its skilled residence pages: Green List routes, the Skilled Migrant Category and others. This guide does not say whether any job leads to residence; the guides to Straight to Residence, Work to Residence and the side-by-side rules explain the published requirements.

Family on an AEWV

INZ states that an AEWV holder "cannot include your partner and dependent children" in the visa. Instead, the holder may be able to support a visitor visa or a work visa for a partner, and visitor or student visas for dependent children. Whether that is possible depends on how much the worker earns and the skill level of the job. INZ's wage page names the Partner of a Worker Work Visa as the partner work option for AEWV holders, and says there is no income requirement when the supporting partner holds a different work visa.

The visa conditions also affect study. INZ says an AEWV holder can study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period, or do study that is required as part of the job, and that the employer must pay for work-related study. Longer study needs a variation of conditions.

Anyone planning for a family to join needs to check the specific family visa on INZ's site, because the support rules are separate from the AEWV rules. They depend on the worker's job and pay.

Fee, processing time and the application steps

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 1,540 on 9 October 2026 for Indian, Philippine and South African passport holders applying from their own countries, and for an Indian passport holder applying from within New Zealand, with 80% of applications completed within 5 weeks. INZ describes the cost as the charge to process the application, says it does not refund the cost if the application is declined, and says a non-refundable immigration levy is included. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay. Fees vary by passport and place of application, so the finder is the reference.

INZ's wait times page, for applications processed in the last 4 weeks, showed that AEWV applications (all roles) had an average wait of 2 weeks, with most completed within 5 weeks. The figures vary by skill level and sector; for example INZ listed most completed within 4.5 weeks for ANZSCO skill level 1, 6 weeks for skill level 3, and 7 weeks for construction sector roles at that reading. The figures use working days and change weekly.

The application steps INZ lists:

  1. The employer offers the job and sends the job description, employment agreement and application link.
  2. The worker gathers documents: signed job offer, employment agreement and job description, passport scan, one photo, evidence of experience, skills and qualifications, occupational registration if applicable, English evidence if applicable, police certificates and health evidence if required, and translations.
  3. The worker applies online and pays.
  4. INZ decides; it may ask for the original passport, a medical examination or X-ray, or more evidence of English.
  5. If approved, an eVisa is issued.

A person already in New Zealand needs a valid visa while waiting. INZ says it will normally issue an Interim Visa if a temporary visa will expire during processing.

What employers must and must not do

INZ's AEWV page and its worker rights page set out the employer side that matters to the worker.

Costs. "New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay any of their recruitment costs." INZ's worker rights page adds that the employer must pay all costs and fees, inside and outside New Zealand, for the worker's recruitment, while the worker may have to pay the visa application fee, any immigration adviser costs and airfares. To be accredited, employers commit to not passing on their accreditation, recruitment or operational costs.

Pay. The employer must continue to pay the amount offered in the job offer throughout the employment, and that amount is listed in the visa conditions.

Support. Within one month of the worker starting, the employer must provide work-related settlement information, including how to get an Inland Revenue number, training options, hazards, accommodation and transport options, cost of living, healthcare access, Citizens Advice Bureau services and community groups.

Money for a job offer. INZ's alert says: "We will decline an application for an AEWV if we consider you or your agent has offered or promised money to the employer (or their agent) in exchange for a job offer." This is the reason the guide on job offer scams matters: a payment for a job can end an application as well as the loss of the money.

Rights. INZ says migrant workers have the same rights as New Zealand workers, and that complaining about treatment will not affect the visa.

Where applications tend to go wrong

From INZ's published rules, the issues that most often matter are: an employer that is not accredited or has no approved job check for the job; an employment agreement that contains a trial period, bonding clause or unlawful deduction; pay below the required rate; experience evidence that is a CV rather than independently verifiable records; missing police certificates; and a job that falls in an excluded category.

Whether a particular offer, worker and employer meet those tests is for a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer. If an application is declined, the options include reconsideration and a new application, covered in the guide to AEWV declines. Changing job during the visa has its own process, covered in the AEWV job change guide.

INZ's page on getting immigration advice says that an applicant is not required to use an adviser, but that advice must come from a licensed immigration adviser or someone exempt from being licensed. It also says that if an adviser named in an application is not on the register and not exempt, INZ will refuse to accept or will decline the application.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or pathway fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

What is the AEWV in NZ?

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is INZ's main employer-sponsored work visa. The worker needs a full-time offer (at least 30 hours a week) from an accredited employer with an approved job check, and the employer sends the link to apply.

How much does the AEWV cost?

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 1,540 on 9 October 2026 for the passports queried, including a non-refundable immigration levy. The fee varies by passport and place of application and is not refunded if the application is declined.

How long does an AEWV take?

INZ showed 80% of applications completed within 5 weeks on 9 October 2026. Its wait times page gives figures by skill level and sector and is updated weekly.

How long can someone stay on an AEWV?

INZ says the maximum continuous stay is 5 years for most jobs, or 3 years for ANZSCO or NOL skill level 4 or 5 jobs. After the maximum, the worker must normally spend 12 months in a row outside New Zealand before another AEWV.

Can an AEWV holder bring a partner and children?

INZ says the partner and children cannot be included in the AEWV. The holder may be able to support a visitor or work visa for a partner and visitor or student visas for children, depending on pay and job skill level.

Can an employer charge for an AEWV job?

INZ says no: New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge fees for a job or make the worker pay recruitment costs. INZ will decline an AEWV application if it considers the applicant or their agent offered or promised money for a job offer.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • AEWV Employer Accreditation and Job Check: How They Work — To hire a migrant on an Accredited Employer Work Visa, a New Zealand employer first gets accredited (NZD 775 standard, 1,280 high-volume), usually advertises the job, then pays NZD 735 for each job check. INZ's wait times page showed accreditation averaging 2 days and job checks about 2 days, with most done within 1 to 1.5 weeks.
  • Paying for an NZ Job Offer: What INZ Says — Immigration New Zealand says New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge a worker fees for a job or make them pay recruitment costs, and that it will decline an Accredited Employer Work Visa application if the applicant or their agent offered or promised money for a job offer. INZ calls job offer scams common in India and South Asia.
  • AEWV Maximum Continuous Stay: How the 3 and 5 Year Caps Work — INZ caps the total time a person can stay in New Zealand on one or more Accredited Employer Work Visas at 5 years for most jobs and 3 years for ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 jobs unless a pay or list exception applies. After reaching the cap, a person must spend 12 months in a row outside New Zealand before another regular AEWV.
  • AEWV Job Change and Variation of Conditions: The Rules — An Accredited Employer Work Visa holder who wants a different employer, job or location applies online for a Job Change, which needs an accredited employer and a valid job check for the new job. It does not change the visa's expiry date, and the new job's maximum continuous stay can block a move.
  • AEWV Declined: What the Options Are — A declined AEWV can be reconsidered by INZ for NZD 220 if the worker applied in New Zealand and meets the 14-calendar-day rule; a declined employer job check or accreditation can be reconsidered for NZD 250 within 14 days of the day after the decline. Otherwise INZ describes a new application.
  • NZ Interim Visas: When They Start and What They Allow — INZ normally grants an Interim Visa automatically, for no fee, if a temporary visa expires while a new temporary visa application is being assessed. It starts the day after the old visa expires, lasts up to 6 months, ends if the holder leaves New Zealand, and its work and study conditions depend on the old and new visa types.
  • Work to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 2): How It Works — The Work to Residence Visa is for people aged 55 or younger who have worked 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 job in New Zealand within the 30 months before applying, and who hold or are offered a job with an accredited employer. INZ showed a fee of NZD 6,450 on 9 October 2026. The wage rate that counts is the one in force when the work experience started.