How to Apply for Employer Accreditation in New Zealand
An employer applies for accreditation through Immigration Online: choose the type, evidence one of four financial viability tests, sign the declarations about how migrant staff will be treated, and pay the fee — NZ$775 for standard accreditation, NZ$1,280 for high volume. A first accreditation lasts 12 months. Only then can a Job Check be lodged.
Quick Facts
| Who applies | The employer. A worker cannot apply on an employer's behalf |
| Where | Immigration Online (RealMe login) |
| Cost | NZ$775 standard · NZ$1,280 high volume · NZ$4,060 triangular employment |
| Term granted | 12 months on a first accreditation |
| Processing (as published 20 August 2026) | 4 days average, 80% within 1.5 weeks |
| Financial test | Meet 1 of 4 viability tests |
| Comes before | The Job Check (NZ$735). Accreditation must be held, not merely applied for |
| If declined | Reconsideration NZ$250, or reapply at full fee |
| Refunds | Fees and levies are not refunded on a decline |
Before you start: what this application is and is not
Accreditation approves the business. It does not approve a job, it does not name a worker, and it does not produce a visa. An employer can be accredited with nobody in mind and no vacancy open.
This trips up both sides of the relationship. Employers assume the accreditation application is where they describe the role and the pay — it is not, that is the Job Check. Migrants assume their name appears somewhere in it — it does not. See the AEWV three-step process for how the pieces fit.
Step 1: Choose the accreditation type
The type is set by how many migrant workers the business expects to hire, with one structural exception.
| Type | Choose it when | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Hiring up to 5 migrant workers | NZ$775 |
| High volume | Hiring 6 or more migrant workers | NZ$1,280 |
| Triangular employment | You employ workers and place them with a controlling third party | NZ$4,060 |
Two things make this decision lower-stakes than it looks. An employer who starts standard and needs to go past five can upgrade to high volume for NZ$505, and the combined cost is identical to starting high volume. And triangular is not really a choice — if the placement structure applies, it is the type that fits regardless of numbers.
Franchisee accreditation is not an option. It closed on 16 June 2024. A franchise business applies as standard, high volume or triangular like anyone else.
Step 2: Assemble the financial viability evidence
The business must evidence one of four tests. Choose the one it can prove most cleanly, then gather documents for that one rather than thin evidence across all four.
| Test | Typical evidence |
|---|---|
| 1. No loss before depreciation and tax in the last 2 years | Financial statements for both years, prepared by the accountant |
| 2. Positive cash flow in each of the last 6 months | Six months of bank statements and management accounts, month by month |
| 3. Sufficient capital or external investment | Loan or investment agreements, shareholder funding records, bank confirmations |
| 4. A credible 2-year business plan | A plan with supported revenue and cost assumptions, contracts or pipeline, and a wage budget |
Test 2 is monthly, not averaged — one negative month breaks it. Test 4 turns on the word credible, which in practice means the numbers must be traceable to something outside the plan itself.
Failing all four ends the application, and the fee is not refunded.
Step 3: Confirm no disqualifier applies
Four situations rule an employer out no matter how strong the finances:
- 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
These are checked, not taken on trust. Applying while one applies wastes the fee. Detail: employer accreditation requirements.
Step 4: Read the declarations before you sign them
The application requires commitments that bind for the whole accreditation term:
- Provide settlement information to migrant workers
- Support workers to settle in New Zealand
- Do not pass recruitment costs on to workers
- Maintain these obligations throughout the accreditation period
These are not formalities. They are the terms INZ audits against afterwards, and breaching them puts the accreditation at risk mid-term. The recruitment-costs commitment in particular is absolute: an accredited employer may not recover the NZ$775 accreditation fee, the NZ$735 Job Check fee, agency fees, or any other recruitment cost from the worker.
More: employer obligations under accreditation.
Step 5: Apply through Immigration Online and pay
Employers apply through Immigration Online, the same environment used for visa applications, with a RealMe login. INZ does not operate a separately branded employer portal.
The fee is paid at submission — NZ$775, NZ$1,280 or NZ$4,060 according to type. Fees and levies are not refunded if the application is declined, so it is worth being decision-ready before submitting. See applying online for NZ visas and how to pay NZ visa fees.
Step 6: Wait for the decision, then move to the Job Check
As published on 20 August 2026, accreditation took 4 days on average, with 80% decided within 1.5 weeks. INZ refreshes that page weekly and does not date it, so check the live figure. There is no expedited service and no fee that buys one.
A first accreditation is granted for 12 months. From the date it is granted, the employer can lodge a Job Check at NZ$735 for a specific role — and only from that date. Accreditation must be held, not merely applied for, before a Job Check can be filed.
The sequencing mistake that costs employers the most
Advertising early.
The advertising requirement belongs to the Job Check, and the Job Check must be lodged within 90 days of the advertisement closing. An employer who advertises while the accreditation application is still pending starts that 90-day clock too soon, and can find the window has closed before there is an accreditation to file a Job Check against.
The safe order is: accreditation granted → advertise (14 or 21 days, per skill level) → lodge the Job Check within 90 days of the ad closing → the migrant applies. Full detail: advertising a job before a Job Check.
What this costs an employer, end to end
| Item | Fee | When |
|---|---|---|
| Standard accreditation | NZ$775 | Step 1 |
| Job Check | NZ$735 | Step 2, per check |
| Employer total, one hire | NZ$1,510 | — |
| AEWV — paid by the migrant | From NZ$1,540 | Step 3 |
There has been no general INZ fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026. Full list: employer immigration fees in New Zealand.
What the migrant should be watching
If you are the worker in this process, five things are worth knowing while the employer works through it:
- You have nothing to file yet. Any "visa application" being discussed at this stage is the employer's application, not yours.
- You do not pay any of it. Requests to reimburse accreditation or Job Check fees breach the employer's obligations.
- Ask for the accreditation type and expiry date. A genuine employer will tell you. Expiry matters, because a Job Check dies with the accreditation.
- Ask whether the role will need advertising. If it does, add 14 or 21 days to your timeline before the Job Check can even be lodged.
- Payment demanded for a job offer is the clearest warning sign there is. Read how to check if an employer is accredited and immigration scams to avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for employer accreditation in New Zealand?
Through Immigration Online with a RealMe login. Choose the accreditation type, evidence one of four financial viability tests, complete the declarations about settlement support and recruitment costs, and pay the fee — NZ$775 for standard accreditation.
Can a worker apply for employer accreditation on the employer's behalf?
No. Accreditation is an employer application about the employer's business, finances and compliance history. A worker has no standing in it and no way to speed it up.
What documents does an accreditation application need?
Evidence for whichever financial viability test the business relies on — financial statements, six months of bank and management accounts, capital or investment records, or a supported two-year business plan — plus company details and the completed declarations.
How long does an employer accreditation application take?
As published on 20 August 2026, 4 days on average and 80% within 1.5 weeks. INZ updates its wait-times page weekly without a visible date, so check the current figure before planning around it.
Do I need accreditation before I advertise the job?
Advertising is a Job Check requirement rather than an accreditation requirement, but the practical answer is yes — advertise after accreditation is granted. The Job Check must be lodged within 90 days of the advertisement closing, and that clock starts whether or not you hold accreditation yet.
What happens if the accreditation application is declined?
Fees are not refunded. The employer can request reconsideration for NZ$250, or apply again at full fee. Reconsideration suits a decision believed to be wrong; a fresh application usually suits a decline caused by insufficient evidence. See if your accreditation or Job Check is declined.
How long does accreditation last once granted?
Twelve months for a first accreditation. On renewal, 24 months for standard and high volume, and 12 months for triangular employment. See renewing employer accreditation.
General information only. This page describes published Immigration New Zealand process. It does not assess whether any business meets the criteria and is not immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. Fees and processing times as published 20 August 2026 — confirm current figures with INZ before paying.
