Market Rate
Market rate is the pay test that applies to the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Immigration New Zealand defines it as "a range of pay that a New Zealander or resident would be paid within to do the job, or equivalent work". It replaced the median wage as the AEWV pay requirement on 10 March 2025.
What market rate replaced, and when
Until 10 March 2025, an employer recruiting under the Accredited Employer Work Visa had to pay at or above the immigration median wage. That threshold was removed on that date. The Government's stated reason was that a single national wage figure was being used as a proxy for skill and did not work as one.
Since then the test has two limbs:
- the worker must be paid the market rate for the occupation, and
- the worker must be paid at least the minimum wage, which is the statutory floor for all employment in New Zealand.
The median wage did not disappear from the system. It still indexes thresholds elsewhere — skilled residence, Green List pay rates, partner support and dependent-child income. It is simply no longer what an AEWV worker must be paid. See the immigration median wage and AEWV pay and wage requirements.
Why it matters
Market rate matters because it moves the burden of proof. A fixed number is easy to check: you either pay it or you do not. A range has to be evidenced, occupation by occupation, and the person expected to evidence it is the employer, at the Job Check stage.
For a migrant, that has a practical effect. Two people doing similar work in different industries or different regions can lawfully be on different pay and both meet the requirement. There is no single figure you can look up and compare your offer against.
It also matters because a very large amount of published material is still wrong about it. Guides, recruiters and AI answers continue to describe a median-wage requirement on the AEWV that was removed in March 2025. If a page tells you a fixed hourly figure is what the work visa demands, it is out of date.
The three threshold types in the system
INZ operates three kinds of pay threshold, and confusing them is the root of most of the errors in this area.
| Threshold type | What it is | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Median wage rate | A single indexed hourly figure, updated annually | Skilled residence pathways, Green List pay rates, partner support thresholds, dependent-child income |
| Market rate | A range a New Zealander or resident would be paid within for the job or equivalent work | The AEWV pay test since 10 March 2025 |
| Other rates | Minimum wage, or occupation-specific rates such as pay equity settlement rates | Sector-specific and as a statutory floor everywhere |
How employers are expected to evidence it
Market rate is tested through the employer-side process rather than the migrant's application. The relevant stage is the Job Check, where the employer submits the role and its pay for assessment before any migrant applies.
Two published rules shape what the evidence looks like:
- The job advertisement must state the minimum and maximum rate of pay, or estimated actual earnings. Advertising a role without a pay range is not compliant.
- The pay offered must match what was advertised. An employer cannot advertise one band and contract at another.
Pay must also be guaranteed. Piece rates, commission and bonuses have to be paid in addition to the hourly rate rather than counted towards it. Practical guidance for employers is at market rate pay for the AEWV.
What people get wrong about market rate
Treating it as a number. It is a range, and INZ's wording says so. There is no published "market rate table" you can look your occupation up in.
Assuming the old threshold still applies. The AEWV median-wage requirement was removed on 10 March 2025 and replaced by market rate. Any source still describing it as current is out of date, and this is the single most repeated error about New Zealand work visas.
Confusing market rate with the residence thresholds. Residence categories still run on median-wage multiples. A job that satisfies market rate for a work visa may sit well below what a skilled residence pathway would require of the same role. The two tests are answering different questions.
Assuming market rate means "whatever the employer says". It does not. It is assessed, and a Job Check can be declined. A declined Job Check can be reconsidered for NZD $250.
Assuming higher pay removes every other requirement. Pay interacts with the rest of the AEWV rules — skill level, English evidence, advertising exemptions — but it does not replace them. Advertising, for example, is not required where a role is on the Green List, or pays at least NZD $70.00 an hour, or is on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is market rate for a New Zealand work visa?
Market rate is INZ's pay test for the Accredited Employer Work Visa. INZ describes it as a range of pay that a New Zealander or resident would be paid within to do the job, or equivalent work. It applies alongside the statutory minimum wage.
When did market rate replace the median wage on the AEWV?
10 March 2025. From that date, employers recruiting under Accredited Employer Work Visa and seasonal Specific Purpose Work Visa policies were no longer required to pay the median wage.
Is there a published market rate figure for my job?
No. INZ publishes a definition, not a table. Because market rate is a range and varies by occupation, industry and location, there is no single hourly figure to check an offer against. That is a deliberate feature of the design, not a gap in the documentation.
Does the median wage still exist in New Zealand immigration?
Yes. It still indexes thresholds across skilled residence, Green List pay rates, partner support and dependent-child income. It is no longer the AEWV pay requirement. See the immigration median wage for the current rate and what it governs.
Who has to prove market rate — the worker or the employer?
The employer, through the Job Check, before the migrant applies. The job advertisement must state a pay range, and the pay actually offered must match what was advertised.
What happens if the pay is below market rate?
The Job Check can be declined, which stops the migrant's visa application before it starts. Reconsideration of a declined Job Check costs NZD $250. Employers in this position generally take licensed advice rather than resubmitting on the same evidence.
