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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.

People searching "job offer NZ scam" or "NZ visa scam" are often holding an offer and a request for money, and trying to find out whether the request is normal. This guide sets out what Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says on the point: what employers can and cannot charge, the signs INZ lists as scam signals, what the offer of money can do to a visa application and who is allowed to give immigration advice.

It draws on INZ's Accredited Employer Work Visa page, its page on protecting yourself from immigration scams, its page on what employers must do on an AEWV and its page on getting immigration advice, together with the Immigration Advisers Authority's page on operating without a licence, all read on 9 October 2026. It reports their rules. It cannot say whether a particular offer, employer or adviser is genuine; that is a judgement on facts this guide cannot see. INZ's own contact team, and a licensed immigration adviser, can help with that.

This is not accusing any recruiter, adviser or employer of anything. Most employers and advisers are legitimate. The rules below are the ones INZ publishes for telling them apart.

The rule: employers cannot charge for a job

INZ's AEWV page states it plainly: "New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay any of their recruitment costs." Its scams page repeats the point and extends it: "This includes indirectly through a third party who then demands you pay them."

INZ's page on what an employer must do on an AEWV goes into detail: "Your employer must pay all costs and fees inside and outside New Zealand for your recruitment. You may have to pay the visa application fee, immigration agent costs if any, and airfares."

Reading those together, INZ separates two kinds of cost:

  • Costs of the employer's recruitment, which the employer must meet. These include any fees charged "for a job", sometimes described as processing or placement fees.
  • Costs of the worker's own move, which can fall on the worker: the visa application fee, the fee of an immigration adviser the worker chooses to hire, and airfares.

Accredited employers also give a commitment to INZ. Under the AEWV system, INZ says, employers who are accredited have committed to "not passing on their accreditation, recruitment or operational costs to you". Employers pay their own accreditation fee and job check fee to INZ; those fees are not a charge on the worker.

What can happen to the visa application

The consequence of paying is not only the loss of money. INZ's AEWV page carries an alert: "Job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. Make sure your job offer is genuine." It continues: "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."

That sentence cuts both ways. A worker who is pressured to pay for an offer may be a victim, and INZ's wording still says it will decline an application where it considers money was offered or promised for the offer. INZ's text says "you or your agent", which means a payment made through a third party counts if INZ considers it was an offer or promise of money for the job.

This guide cannot say how INZ would treat any particular situation. What it can say is that the published rule is about the offer of money in exchange for the job, and that anyone who has been asked for money, or has paid, should get advice from a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer before applying, and can contact INZ.

INZ also separates itself from the payment: "Immigration New Zealand only charges you an application fee. You may need to pay for costs when gathering evidence for your application, such as completing a medical."

The signs INZ lists

INZ's scams page lists signs of a scam. In its own groupings:

You are asked to pay for your job. Fees for a job, sometimes called "processing" or "placement" fees. INZ adds that if using a recruitment agency, a worker should be wary of high fees charged directly, and that "any charges from a recruitment agency should reflect the service they provide you." If using an immigration adviser, "you will need to pay a fair price for their services."

Application priority and access to officers. INZ describes a scam in which an adviser, agent or consultant says they can use connections to guarantee an outcome or a faster decision. INZ says it "will not prioritise your application because you use an adviser" and decides applications by assessing the information against the immigration rules.

You are asked to lie. "It is illegal to lie in order to qualify for a job or a visa." INZ says an adviser or third party who advises it is breaking the law and that this is a sign they may break other laws. False statements affect current and future applications.

You are told you do not have the same minimum employment rights as a New Zealander. INZ says this is not true; migrants have the same minimum rights, including paid holidays and sick leave and the right to complain about unsafe work.

A package deal with accommodation. INZ says accommodation provided with a job is not common, making sense in some situations like farm work or working for an accommodation provider, and that scammers may charge excessive amounts.

You are promised residence. INZ: "there are no guarantees" that a temporary visa leads to residence, and scammers often overstate how likely it is, since residence pathways need certain skills, experience, qualifications or occupations.

Promises on future earnings, house buying or government support. INZ says to decide based on what is offered, not on later promises, and notes that in general a house cannot be bought or government financial support accessed without a residence visa.

You are told you must use an adviser. INZ says there is no requirement to use one.

You are not getting application updates. INZ suggests checking processing times on its website and contacting INZ directly to verify an application.

Fake websites, emails and payments

INZ also lists signs about the channel rather than the offer.

Websites and emails. INZ says there are scam emails and websites impersonating its online services. It says to check that the address includes ".immigration.govt.nz" exactly, and notes that scam addresses can look similar. Official INZ email addresses end with "immigration.govt.nz" or "mbie.govt.nz".

Bank transfers. "We will never ask you to pay for visa application fees by depositing money into a bank account." INZ says it only accepts payment through debit or credit card on its online and paper-based forms, and, for people outside New Zealand, at an approved Visa Application Centre.

Medical fees. INZ says only approved panel doctors and other registered doctors in the applicant's home country can accept payment for immigration medicals, and that INZ will never ask for payment for medical checks. Medical payments go to the clinic of the panel doctor or registered doctor.

Fake visas. INZ says scammers sometimes provide fake visas. If an agent or adviser says a visa has been granted, INZ's Visa Verification Service can check whether it is real.

Checking the employer and the job

INZ's list of ways to protect yourself includes steps that are about the offer itself.

Check the employer is accredited. INZ says: "All employers hiring workers on an Accredited Employer Work Visa must be accredited first. Confirm they are using our online tool." The tool is INZ's accredited employer list. An employer not on it cannot offer an AEWV job. Accreditation is also only half of the position: the employer needs an approved job check for the specific job, and the worker's application link comes from the employer.

Speak to the employer directly. INZ suggests an interview, noting that moving countries is a big commitment.

Look at what the offer contains. INZ's AEWV page says the employment agreement must include the employer's name, address and phone number, the worker's details, the job title, the place of work, the work and responsibilities, hours and duration, registration needs, and pay and conditions that comply with New Zealand employment law. It cannot include a trial period, unlawful deductions or unacceptable bonding clauses, meaning provisions requiring the worker to repay money if they leave within a certain time. An agreement that says otherwise is not one INZ's rules allow.

If accommodation is part of the package. INZ suggests asking for photos and comparing market rents on the Tenancy Services website.

Ask others. INZ suggests asking people from the same country who have made the same journey.

If in doubt, contact INZ. INZ says it can explain visa options and whether what a worker has been told is accurate or realistic, and can connect people who do not speak English as a first language with an interpreter.

Who is allowed to give immigration advice

INZ's page on getting immigration advice says that "immigration advice for your visa application must come from a licensed immigration adviser (LIA), or a person who is exempt from being licensed." Anyone can help fill in an application form, using details supplied, but advice is information or assistance tailored to a person's needs, such as "what type of visa you should apply for", "what supporting documents you might need" and "how you should answer a question in the form".

Exempt people. INZ lists, in New Zealand, lawyers with a current practising certificate, Members of Parliament and their staff giving advice as part of their jobs, government employees, and volunteers at Community Law and Citizens Advice Bureau. Outside New Zealand it lists education agents permitted to advise on student visas, New Zealand Government employees and foreign diplomats and consular staff.

Recruiters and employers. A recruitment agency or employer that is neither licensed nor exempt cannot give immigration advice. The Immigration Advisers Authority says anyone who gives such advice without a licence or exemption "could face a fine of up to NZ$100,000 and/or up to 7 years' imprisonment — even if you don't charge a fee for your advice."

Checking. INZ says to check the Immigration Advisers Authority register before asking an adviser for help, to make sure the person has a current licence and the right type. INZ adds: "If an adviser named in an application does not appear on the register of immigration advisers and is not exempt, INZ will refuse to accept or will decline the application." Our guide to checking an adviser's licence explains how to use the register, and the guide to unlicensed advice covers the offences.

Where to report and get help

INZ's text points to several places.

Immigration New Zealand. INZ asks anyone who sees the signs of a scam to "stop and take extra precautions, ask questions and seek official advice", and invites contact. If a worker is already in New Zealand and thinks they are being exploited, INZ says not to be afraid to ask for help and that INZ and Employment New Zealand can help and take action if needed.

Employment New Zealand. INZ links its migrant worker exploitation page. INZ's worker rights page says a worker can complain about treatment without affecting their visa.

Police and cyber support. INZ says to report scams to the local authorities in the worker's country, such as the police, and that someone in New Zealand can report online scams on the Own your online website, run by the New Zealand Government.

Immigration Advisers Authority. The IAA investigates complaints from the public about unlicensed advice about New Zealand immigration matters, and a worker who thinks an adviser acted unlawfully can contact it. Our complaint guide explains what to expect.

This guide does not tell a reader what to do about a payment they have made or been asked for. A licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer can look at the documents and the sequence of events and explain the position under the rules.

Reading the rule in practice

Three points come out of INZ's published text.

First, the employer's costs and the worker's costs are different categories. A request that is described as a recruitment, placement or processing cost for the job falls on the employer's side under INZ's rules. A visa application fee paid to INZ, a chosen adviser's fee and airfares fall on the worker's side.

Second, the worker's side of the line has its own safeguards. INZ says licensed immigration advisers must meet competency standards and follow a Code of Conduct set by the Immigration Advisers Authority. A person who gives immigration advice and is neither licensed nor exempt commits an offence, according to the Authority, even if no fee is charged.

Third, the check that matters first is whether the employer is accredited and the job has an approved job check. Everything else in the offer depends on it, and INZ makes the list public.

If any of these points does not match what a worker has been told, the sensible next step under INZ's own guidance is to contact INZ or a licensed immigration adviser, and not to pay while the position is unclear.

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

Can a New Zealand employer charge for a job offer?

INZ says no: New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge fees for a job or make the worker pay any of their recruitment costs, including indirectly through a third party. The worker may have to pay the visa application fee, immigration adviser costs if any, and airfares.

What happens to an AEWV application if money was paid for a job offer?

INZ says it will decline an AEWV application if it considers the applicant or their agent has offered or promised money to the employer or their agent in exchange for a job offer. Anyone in this position should get advice from a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer.

How can a worker check that an NZ employer is genuine?

INZ says to confirm the employer is accredited using its online accredited employer list, to speak to the employer directly, and to contact INZ if in doubt. The employer also needs an approved job check for the specific job.

Will INZ speed up an application if an adviser asks?

INZ says it will not prioritise an application because an adviser is used and that it decides applications by assessing the information against the immigration rules. It lists a promise of guaranteed outcomes or faster decisions as a scam sign.

Does INZ take visa fees by bank transfer?

No. INZ says it will never ask for visa fees to be deposited into a bank account and only accepts payment by debit or credit card on its forms, or at an approved Visa Application Centre outside New Zealand.

Who can give advice about a New Zealand work visa?

A licensed immigration adviser, or a person exempt from licensing such as a lawyer with a current practising certificate. INZ says to check the Immigration Advisers Authority register for a current licence before asking an adviser for help.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Unlicensed Immigration Advice in NZ: How to Spot It — Anyone who gives New Zealand immigration advice, in NZ or overseas, must be licensed by the IAA or exempt (for example, a lawyer with a current practising certificate). Unlicensed advice can lead INZ to return an application, and the adviser faces up to NZ$100,000 and/or 7 years' imprisonment, even without charging. Complaints go to the IAA and do not affect your immigration status.
  • How to Check an NZ Immigration Adviser's Licence — Search the adviser's name or licence number on the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) public register and confirm the status reads current. The record also shows whether the licence is full, provisional or limited. Lawyers are not on that register; check them on the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Complaining About an NZ Immigration Adviser: How the Process Works — Complaints about a licensed immigration adviser go to the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA), which can close them or refer them to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal. There is no cost, anyone can complain from anywhere, and the IAA says a complaint does not affect the complainant's immigration status.
  • 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.