The Job Check, Explained
The Job Check is step two of New Zealand's work visa process. The employer pays NZ$735 to have a specific role approved — its duties, hours, pay and labour market test. It is valid for 6 months or until accreditation lapses, must be lodged within 90 days of the job advertisement closing, and produces the job tokens migrants need to apply.
Quick Facts
| What it approves | A specific job, not a business and not a person |
| Who applies | The employer |
| Cost | NZ$735 per Job Check · reconsideration NZ$250 |
| Prerequisite | Current employer accreditation |
| Lodgement deadline | Within 90 days of the job advertisement closing |
| Validity | 6 months, or until accreditation lapses — whichever is first |
| Covers | Multiple positions where job, pay, location and minimum requirements are the same |
| Processing (as published 20 August 2026) | 3 days average, 80% within 2 weeks · Green List roles: 2 days average, 80% within 4 days |
| Occupation list | The National Occupation List applies to Job Checks submitted on or after 3 November 2025 |
| Job floor | At least 30 guaranteed hours a week |
What a Job Check is for
Accreditation approves the employer. The Job Check approves this job.
INZ is deciding three things:
- Is the job genuine and compliant? Real duties, at least 30 guaranteed hours a week, a proper employment agreement, a stated location.
- Is the pay right? The market rate for the occupation, and at least the adult minimum wage.
- Were New Zealanders given a fair chance? Advertising and, for lower-skilled roles, engagement with Work and Income — unless an exemption applies.
An approved Job Check produces job tokens, one per approved position. The token is what the migrant uses to make their own visa application. Without it there is no AEWV application to submit.
If you are a migrant: the Job Check is where your job offer is tested, and it is the step where most things go wrong. A failed Job Check means your visa never happens — not "is delayed", never happens, unless the employer fixes the problem and pays again. That is why the advertising rules on the next page matter to you even though you have no part in them.
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Job Check | NZ$735 |
| Reconsideration of a Job Check decision | NZ$250 |
| (Employer accreditation, step one) | NZ$775 / NZ$1,280 / NZ$4,060 |
| (The migrant's AEWV, step three) | From NZ$1,540 |
The Job Check fee is an employer cost. Accredited employers must not pass recruitment costs on to workers, so a request to reimburse the NZ$735 is a breach of the employer's accreditation obligations, not a normal cost-sharing arrangement.
Fees are not refunded if the Job Check is declined. There has been no general INZ fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026.
One Job Check, several positions
A single Job Check can cover multiple positions where the following are the same:
- The job
- The pay
- The location
- The minimum requirements
An employer hiring six identical warehouse roles at one site files one Job Check for NZ$735, not six. Change any of those four variables — a different city, a different pay band, a different qualification requirement — and it is a different job needing its own check.
Each approved position produces its own job token, so six approved positions means six tokens and six possible migrant applications.
The two deadlines that decide everything
90 days from the advertisement closing
A Job Check must be applied for within 90 days of the job advertisement closing. Miss it and the advertising has to be redone — the full 14 or 21 days again — before a Job Check can be lodged.
This is why advertising before accreditation is granted is a false economy. The clock runs regardless of whether there is an accreditation to lodge against.
6 months, or until accreditation lapses
Job Checks are valid for 6 months, or until accreditation lapses, whichever comes first. And unused job tokens expire when accreditation expires.
The second half of that rule catches people. A Job Check approved in November with an accreditation expiring in March dies in March, not in May. Anyone relying on that token — a migrant gathering documents, an employer holding a role open — loses it.
For migrants: ask two dates. When was the Job Check approved, and when does the employer's accreditation expire? The earlier of those two, plus six months for the first, is your real deadline.
Which occupation list applies
New Zealand runs two occupation classification systems at once, and confusing them is a common cause of Job Check problems.
| System | Used for |
|---|---|
| National Occupation List (NOL) | The AEWV and the Job Check, for Job Checks submitted on or after 3 November 2025 |
| ANZSCO | The Green List and skilled residence pathways, including the Skilled Migrant Category |
So a single hire can touch both. The Job Check is assessed against the NOL. If the same worker later claims residence through the Green List, that claim is assessed against ANZSCO. They are different lists with different skill levels, and a role can sit differently on each.
The NOL was expanded on 9 March 2026, adding 47 occupations at skill levels 1 to 3 and moving three roles — pet groomer, nanny and kennel hand — down from level 3 to level 4. See the National Occupation List explained and ANZSCO vs the National Occupation List.
Miscoding is a real decline risk
Applying at skill level 1–3 for a job INZ assesses as level 4–5 can lead to decline and re-application. The consequences run further than the NZ$735:
- Level 4–5 roles need 21 days of advertising, not 14, plus good-faith engagement with Work and Income. If the employer advertised for 14 days on a level 1–3 assumption, the labour market test has failed as well.
- Level 4–5 roles get a 3-year maximum AEWV, extended from 2 years in the March 2025 package, rather than the 5 years available at levels 1–3.
- English applies at skill level 3 and below, so the level also decides whether the migrant needs an IELTS 4.0 or equivalent result.
See AEWV skill levels explained.
"Suitable and available New Zealanders" — INZ's definition
The labour market test turns on whether a suitable and available New Zealander could do the job. INZ defines that person as someone who is:
- A New Zealand citizen or resident
- Qualified or trainable for the role
- Living near the job, or able to move to it
- Able to get there — with a practical way to travel
- Available for full-time work in the hours needed
Each limb narrows the pool. A candidate who is qualified but lives at the other end of the country with no realistic way to get to work is not "available" in this sense. See the labour market test and the MSD declaration.
Advertising, in brief
Advertising is a Job Check requirement, and it has its own page. In summary:
- 14 days for skill level 1, 2 or 3 roles, and for jobs on the National Occupation List usable for the AEWV or the seasonal Specific Purpose Work Visa
- 21 days for skill level 4 or 5 roles, plus good-faith engagement with Work and Income
- On a general, national job platform where New Zealanders are likely to apply — INZ names Seek and TradeMe as examples
- The advertisement must state duties, the minimum and maximum pay or estimated earnings, the type of work and minimum guaranteed hours, and the minimum skills, experience and qualifications
- Pay offered must match what was advertised
Three exemptions remove advertising entirely: Green List roles meeting Green List requirements, jobs paying at least NZ$70.00 an hour, and jobs on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa list where the hire is on that visa. See advertising a job before a Job Check and job check advertising exemptions.
The visa type is locked at the Job Check
The migrant may only apply for the AEWV type the Job Check was approved for — a regular AEWV, a Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV) or a Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV).
That means the employer's choice at the Job Check decides what the worker can apply for months later. A Job Check approved for a Peak Seasonal Visa does not support a regular AEWV application, and no amount of goodwill at step three can convert it. The two seasonal visas have different durations and different time-outside-New-Zealand requirements — see peak seasonal visa explained and global workforce seasonal visa explained.
How long a Job Check takes
As published on 20 August 2026:
| Job Check type | Average (50%) | Most completed within (80%) |
|---|---|---|
| All roles | 3 days | 2 weeks |
| Green List roles | 2 days | 4 days |
Green List roles are materially faster at every stage of the three-step process. That is the closest thing New Zealand has to prioritised processing — it is driven by the occupation, not by a payment. INZ publishes no expedited service and charges no fee for one.
INZ refreshes its wait-times page weekly without dating it, so treat these as a snapshot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Job Check in New Zealand?
The second step of the Accredited Employer Work Visa process, in which an accredited employer pays NZ$735 to have a specific role approved by INZ — its duties, guaranteed hours, pay rate and labour market test. It produces the job tokens migrants need in order to apply.
How much does a Job Check cost?
NZ$735, paid by the employer. Reconsideration of a declined Job Check costs NZ$250. The fee is not refunded if the Job Check is declined.
How long is a Job Check valid?
Six months, or until the employer's accreditation lapses, whichever comes first. Unused job tokens expire when accreditation expires, even if the Job Check's own six-month window has not run out.
Can one Job Check cover more than one job?
It can cover multiple positions for the same job, where the pay, location and minimum requirements are also the same. Different roles, different pay bands or different sites need separate Job Checks.
How long after advertising can a Job Check be lodged?
Within 90 days of the job advertisement closing. After that the advertising has to be run again before a Job Check can be filed.
Does the National Occupation List or ANZSCO apply to a Job Check?
The National Occupation List, for Job Checks submitted on or after 3 November 2025. ANZSCO still applies to the Green List and to skilled residence pathways such as the Skilled Migrant Category, so one worker can be assessed under both at different stages.
What happens if my employer's Job Check is declined?
There is no visa application for you to make. The employer can seek reconsideration for NZ$250 or fix the problem and file a new Job Check at NZ$735. See if your accreditation or Job Check is declined.
Does a Job Check guarantee my visa?
No. It approves the job. You still have to meet the AEWV requirements yourself — work experience or qualification, English where the skill level requires it, health and character. See AEWV eligibility requirements.
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. Fees and processing times as published 20 August 2026.
