Employer Accreditation in New Zealand, Explained
Employer accreditation is Immigration New Zealand's approval of a business to hire migrant workers on the Accredited Employer Work Visa. It costs NZ$775 for standard accreditation and lasts 12 months the first time. Without it an employer cannot lodge a Job Check, and without a Job Check no migrant can apply.
Quick Facts
| What it is | INZ approval for a business to hire migrants on the AEWV |
| Who applies | The employer, not the worker |
| Cost | NZ$775 standard · NZ$1,280 high volume · NZ$4,060 triangular employment |
| First term | 12 months |
| On renewal | 24 months (standard and high volume) · 12 months (triangular) |
| Types | Three: standard, high volume, triangular employment |
| Closed type | Franchisee accreditation closed 16 June 2024 |
| Processing (as published 20 August 2026) | 4 days average, 80% within 1.5 weeks |
| Reconsideration if declined | NZ$250 |
| Does it grant anyone a visa? | No. It is step one of three |
What accreditation actually approves
Accreditation is a judgement about the employer, not about a job and not about a person. INZ is asking whether this business is genuine, whether it can pay wages, whether it has complied with employment and immigration law, and whether it will accept a set of ongoing obligations towards migrant staff.
That is why an accredited employer still cannot hire you directly. Accreditation opens the door to the second step — the Job Check — which assesses the specific role. Only after that does a migrant have anything to apply for.
If you are a migrant: the single most useful thing to understand about accreditation is that it is not yours and you cannot influence it. You cannot pay for it, speed it up, or apply on the employer's behalf. What you can do is ask whether the employer holds it, and for which type. An employer who is serious about hiring you will answer that question immediately.
The three types
| Type | Designed for | Migrants covered | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Most businesses | Up to 5 | NZ$775 |
| High volume | Larger or faster-growing employers | 6 or more | NZ$1,280 |
| Triangular employment | Labour hire, recruitment and contracting firms placing workers with a controlling third party | No limit | NZ$4,060 |
An employer that starts on standard and needs to go past five migrants can upgrade to high volume for NZ$505 rather than paying the full high-volume fee again.
Triangular employment accreditation exists because of a structural problem: in labour hire, the business that employs the worker is not the business that directs the work. INZ accredits the employer of record and imposes extra conditions, including a domestic workforce floor. See triangular employment accreditation explained.
Franchisee accreditation is gone
There used to be a fourth type for franchisees. It closed on 16 June 2024. Existing holders were allowed to run to expiry and then move to standard, high volume or triangular employment accreditation. There is no franchisee line in the May 2026 INZ fee schedule.
This matters because a great deal of published material online — including advice pages that were accurate in 2023 — still describes a franchisee category. If a recruiter tells you an employer is "franchisee accredited", that description has been out of date since June 2024.
What INZ requires before it accredits an employer
Two gates. The business must pass one, and must not fail the other.
The financial viability test — meet any one of four:
- No loss before depreciation and tax in the last two years
- Positive cash flow in each of the last six months
- Sufficient capital or external investment
- A credible two-year business plan
The disqualifiers — any one of these ends the application:
- On the employer stand-down list
- On the immigration stand-down list
- Permanently banned from hiring migrant workers
- Bankrupt or under a No Asset Procedure
Failing all four viability tests, or triggering any disqualifier, stops the application. There is no discretion to be argued around on this page — see employer accreditation requirements for the detail.
The obligations that come with it
Accreditation is a set of continuing promises, not a certificate on the wall. Accredited employers must:
- Provide settlement information to migrant workers
- Support workers to settle in New Zealand
- Not pass recruitment costs on to workers
- Maintain those obligations throughout the accreditation period, not just at the moment of application
The third one is the one migrants need to know by heart. An accredited employer may not charge you for the cost of recruiting you. Not for the NZ$775 accreditation fee, not for the NZ$735 Job Check, not for agency fees, and certainly not for the job offer itself.
If a payment is being demanded in exchange for a New Zealand job offer, two separate consequences follow. INZ declines an AEWV where the applicant or their agent offered or promised money to the employer for the job offer. And the Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability and System Integrity) Amendment Bill, which passed its third reading on 21 November 2025, creates an offence of knowingly seeking or receiving a premium for employment, carrying up to seven years' imprisonment or a NZ$100,000 fine. Royal Assent and commencement were not published at the time of writing, so treat that as what the legislation creates rather than as settled law today — check legislation.govt.nz for the current status.
More on the employer side of this: employer obligations under accreditation.
How long accreditation lasts
| Situation | Duration granted |
|---|---|
| First accreditation | 12 months |
| Renewal — standard or high volume | 24 months |
| Renewal — triangular employment | 12 months |
| Renewal more than 12 months after expiry | 12 months |
One INZ employer page frames accreditation as lasting "up to 5 years". The renewal instructions give 12 and 24 months. The two are not obviously reconcilable and INZ does not explain the relationship on either page. Plan against the 12/24-month figures, which are the granular published terms, and confirm your own expiry date in your Immigration Online account rather than relying on either framing. See renewing employer accreditation.
What accreditation costs, in full
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard accreditation | NZ$775 |
| High volume accreditation | NZ$1,280 |
| Upgrade standard → high volume | NZ$505 |
| Triangular employment accreditation | NZ$4,060 |
| Reconsideration of a declined accreditation | NZ$250 |
| Job Check (step two, per check) | NZ$735 |
| Reconsideration of a Job Check | NZ$250 |
All of these are employer fees. The migrant's own visa, from NZ$1,540, is separate and is the only one of these the worker pays. There has been no general INZ fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026. A full breakdown sits on our employer immigration fees reference page.
How long it takes
As published on 20 August 2026, employer accreditation took 4 days on average, with 80% decided within 1.5 weeks. INZ noted in December 2024 that median accreditation processing had fallen from 62 calendar days to 14 — the current figures reflect that improvement.
INZ refreshes its wait-time pages weekly and puts no date on them, so check the live page before making a hiring plan around it. There is no paid fast-track at any price.
What this means if you are the migrant
Five practical consequences:
- You cannot start. Until the employer is accredited and the Job Check is approved, you have no application to make.
- You do not pay for it. If you are being asked to, something is wrong.
- Accreditation is time-limited. If it expires, the Job Check and any unused job tokens go with it. That is a real risk in a slow hiring process.
- Accreditation is not a quality rating. It means the business met INZ's criteria on the day it applied. It is not a guarantee of a good workplace, and it does not mean the employer has a job for you.
- Employment law protects you regardless. Minimum wage, holiday pay, written employment agreements and rest breaks apply to migrant workers exactly as they apply to New Zealanders, and Employment New Zealand, not INZ, is the authority on those. See New Zealand employment rights for migrant workers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an accredited employer in New Zealand?
A business that Immigration New Zealand has approved to hire migrant workers on the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Accreditation is granted to the business after a check on its finances, its compliance history and its commitment to a set of ongoing obligations towards migrant staff.
How do I become an accredited employer in New Zealand?
The employer applies to INZ through Immigration Online, chooses the accreditation type by expected hiring volume, meets one of four financial viability tests, declares the ongoing obligations, and pays the fee — NZ$775 for standard. Step-by-step: how to apply for employer accreditation.
How much does employer accreditation cost in NZ?
NZ$775 for standard accreditation (up to 5 migrants), NZ$1,280 for high volume (6 or more), and NZ$4,060 for triangular employment. Upgrading from standard to high volume costs NZ$505. Reconsideration of a decline costs NZ$250.
How long does employer accreditation last?
Twelve months for a first accreditation. On renewal it runs 24 months for standard and high volume accreditation, and 12 months for triangular employment. Renewing more than 12 months after expiry gives 12 months only.
Does an accredited employer mean I will get a visa?
No. Accreditation approves the business, not the job and not the person. The employer still needs an approved Job Check for your specific role, and you still need to meet the AEWV requirements on skills, English, health and character in your own right.
Is there still franchisee accreditation in New Zealand?
No. Franchisee accreditation closed to new applications on 16 June 2024. Existing holders ran to expiry and then had to move to standard, high volume or triangular employment accreditation. Any source still describing it as available is out of date.
Can my employer charge me for their accreditation fee?
No. Accredited employers must not pass recruitment costs on to workers. Being asked to pay the accreditation or Job Check fee — or anything at all for the job offer — is a warning sign worth acting on. See how to check if an employer is accredited.
General information only. This page explains published Immigration New Zealand rules and does not assess anyone's circumstances. It is not immigration advice. Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, only a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer holding a current practising certificate may give New Zealand immigration advice — find one through the Immigration Advisers Authority register. Fees and processing times are as published on 20 August 2026.
