Employer Immigration Fees in New Zealand
A New Zealand employer hiring a migrant worker pays Immigration New Zealand twice before the worker pays anything. Standard accreditation costs NZ$775, high volume NZ$1,280 and triangular employment NZ$4,060. A Job Check costs NZ$735. The worker's own Accredited Employer Work Visa application then costs NZ$1,540, paid separately.
Quick Facts
| Standard employer accreditation | NZ$775 |
| High volume accreditation | NZ$1,280 |
| Triangular employment accreditation | NZ$4,060 |
| Upgrade standard to high volume | NZ$505 |
| Job Check | NZ$735 |
| Reconsideration (accreditation or Job Check) | NZ$250 each |
| Recognised Seasonal Employer status | NZ$1,040 |
| Typical employer outlay before the worker applies | NZ$1,510 (standard accreditation + one Job Check) |
| Worker's AEWV application | NZ$1,540, paid by the worker |
| Source | Fees Guide INZ 1028, May 2026 edition |
The three-step cost structure
Hiring on an Accredited Employer Work Visa is three separate applications, in order, with three separate fees. The employer pays the first two.
Step 1: Employer accreditation — from NZ$775
The employer applies to become accredited. Accreditation is a status held by the business, not tied to a particular role, and it must be in place before any Job Check is lodged. See employer accreditation explained.
Step 2: Job Check — NZ$735
The employer applies for a Job Check for the specific role, including a labour market test where one is required. Approval issues a job token the worker uses in their own application. A separate Job Check fee is payable for each role. See Job Check explained.
Step 3: The worker applies — NZ$1,540
The worker lodges the Accredited Employer Work Visa application using the job token. That NZ$1,540 is an application fee of NZ$480 plus an immigration levy of NZ$1,060, and it is the worker's cost, not the employer's — unless the employer chooses to reimburse it.
An employer starting from scratch and hiring one person therefore pays NZ$1,510 to INZ, and the worker pays NZ$1,540. The full sequence is set out in the AEWV three-step process.
Accreditation fees by type
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Employer accreditation (standard) | 775 |
| Employer accreditation (high volume) | 1,280 |
| Employer accreditation (triangular employment) | 4,060 |
| Upgrade from standard to high volume | 505 |
| Reconsideration of an employer accreditation application | 250 |
Standard accreditation is the default. High volume applies to employers supporting a larger number of migrant workers. Triangular employment covers arrangements where the worker is employed by one business but placed with and controlled by another — labour hire being the obvious case — and it is priced at more than five times standard accreditation. See triangular employment accreditation explained.
The NZ$505 upgrade fee is the cheapest route from standard to high volume: less than the NZ$1,280 a fresh high-volume application would cost.
The May 2026 fee schedule contains no franchisee accreditation line. Only standard, high volume and triangular employment appear. Content describing a separate franchisee accreditation category is describing a structure that is not in the current fee table. See employer accreditation types and fees.
Job Check and reconsideration fees
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Job Check | 735 |
| Reconsideration of a Job Check | 250 |
A Job Check is per role, not per worker. An employer filling three different positions lodges three Job Checks and pays NZ$735 three times. An employer filling five identical positions covered by one Job Check pays once.
Reconsideration costs NZ$250 for either an accreditation or a Job Check decision. That is a materially cheaper way back into the process than reapplying — a fresh standard accreditation application is NZ$775 and a fresh Job Check is NZ$735. See accreditation and Job Check reconsideration.
Seasonal and industry-specific employer fees
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Recognised Seasonal Employer status | 1,040 |
| Agreement to Recruit under RSE instructions | 280 |
| Approval in principle to recruit foreign crew of fishing vessels | 6,610 |
| Supplementary seasonal employment approval in principle | 335 |
| Entertainment Industry accreditation — first year | 2,310 |
| Entertainment Industry accreditation — second and subsequent years | 650 |
The Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme has its own two-stage structure: NZ$1,040 for employer status, then NZ$280 for each Agreement to Recruit. See the RSE visa explained.
Approval in principle to recruit foreign fishing crew is NZ$6,610, the most expensive single employer application in the schedule and more than eight times standard accreditation.
Entertainment Industry accreditation is unusual in being explicitly annual, at NZ$2,310 in the first year and NZ$650 in each year after — a renewal discount of more than 70%.
What employers do not pay
The worker's visa fee. The NZ$1,540 Accredited Employer Work Visa charge is the worker's application. Employers may choose to cover it, and some do as part of a relocation package, but INZ bills the applicant.
A priority or expedited service. New Zealand sells no faster decision at any price, for employers or workers. What exists instead is structural: Green List roles are processed faster at no extra cost — a Job Check in 2 days on average against 3, and a worker's AEWV in 2 weeks against 4. Health sector roles are faster again. See visa processing times.
A charge to the worker for the job itself. Charging a worker a premium for employment is unlawful, and the Amendment Bill that passed its third reading on 21 November 2025 created a new offence covering it. Commencement dates for that Act were not published, so it should not be described as current law — but the practice was already prohibited under the existing framework and employer accreditation obligations. See migrant exploitation and the Protection Work Visa.
The advice trap that costs employers money
Employers routinely help a worker complete an application. That is permitted only within narrow limits, and getting it wrong is an offence with a fee attached that dwarfs every figure on this page.
Employing an unlicensed immigration adviser is an offence carrying up to NZ$10,000 and two years' imprisonment. So is falsely claiming to be licensed. Providing immigration advice without a licence carries up to NZ$100,000 and seven years' imprisonment, and the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 applies whether or not the advice is given for payment.
An employer or education provider may complete an application on someone's behalf only where doing so is part of their job, they record only information the applicant gave them, and they provide no immigration advice. Choosing a visa category for a worker, assessing whether they qualify, or advising how to answer a question crosses that line.
If the situation needs judgement rather than form-filling, that is the point to engage a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer. See what counts as immigration advice and how to check an adviser's licence.
What the fee buys, and how long it lasts
An accreditation fee is not a per-worker charge. It buys a status the business holds, and that status then supports as many Job Checks as the accreditation type allows.
That produces a cost curve worth planning around. The first hire carries the full NZ$1,510. The second hire under the same accreditation and a new role costs NZ$735. A third worker filling a position already covered by an existing Job Check costs the employer nothing further.
| Scenario | Employer cost to INZ |
|---|---|
| First hire, new accreditation, new role | NZ$1,510 |
| Second hire, existing accreditation, different role | NZ$735 |
| Additional worker, existing accreditation, role already Job Checked | NZ$0 |
| Renewing accreditation | The applicable accreditation fee again |
Accreditation is time-limited and must be renewed, at the fee for the type held at renewal. An employer that has grown past the standard threshold pays NZ$505 to upgrade to high volume rather than NZ$1,280 for a fresh high-volume application. See employer accreditation renewal.
Entertainment Industry accreditation is the only line that is explicitly annual, at NZ$2,310 in year one and NZ$650 in each subsequent year.
What accreditation costs in time, not money
The fee is rarely the binding constraint. The wait usually is, and INZ publishes it.
| Application | Average (50%) | Most completed within (80%) |
|---|---|---|
| Employer accreditation | 4 days | 1.5 weeks |
| Job Check (all roles) | 3 days | 2 weeks |
| Job Check (Green List roles) | 2 days | 4 days |
| Worker's AEWV (all roles) | 4 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Worker's AEWV (Green List roles) | 2 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Worker's AEWV (health sector roles) | 2 weeks | 4 weeks |
At the 80% figures, a first hire from a standing start involves about 11.5 weeks of decision time before the worker can travel — and that assumes each application is lodged the day the previous one is granted. A Green List role runs at roughly half that. See visa processing times.
Those figures were published on 20 August 2026 and INZ shows no last-updated date on its wait-time pages, so re-check them before committing to a start date.
Total cost planning for a first hire
| Item | Who pays | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Employer accreditation (standard) | Employer | 775 |
| Job Check | Employer | 735 |
| Employer subtotal | 1,510 | |
| AEWV application (fee + levy) | Worker | 1,540 |
| Combined | 3,050 |
Costs that sit outside this table and are frequently missed: advertising to satisfy the labour market test where one applies, a licensed adviser's professional fee if one is engaged, any Visa Application Centre service fee in the worker's country, and the worker's medical and police certificate costs. None of those is an INZ fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does employer accreditation cost in New Zealand?
NZ$775 for standard accreditation, NZ$1,280 for high volume and NZ$4,060 for triangular employment. Upgrading from standard to high volume costs NZ$505. All figures as at August 2026.
How much does a Job Check cost?
NZ$735, charged per role rather than per worker. A single Job Check can cover multiple identical positions; different roles require separate Job Checks and separate fees.
Who pays for the AEWV — the employer or the worker?
The worker pays the NZ$1,540 visa application, which is a NZ$480 fee plus a NZ$1,060 immigration levy. The employer pays for accreditation and the Job Check. Employers may reimburse the worker voluntarily, but INZ bills the applicant.
What does it cost an employer to hire one migrant worker?
NZ$1,510 to INZ for a first hire — standard accreditation at NZ$775 plus one Job Check at NZ$735. Subsequent hires under the same accreditation cost NZ$735 per new role. Advertising, adviser fees and the worker's own costs are additional.
Can an employer pay to speed up a visa?
No. There is no expedited service for any New Zealand visa at any price. Green List and health sector roles are decided faster, but that is applied automatically by INZ and cannot be bought.
How much does it cost to reconsider a declined Job Check?
NZ$250, and the same for reconsideration of a declined accreditation application. Both are considerably cheaper than starting again.
Is there a franchisee accreditation fee?
No line for franchisee accreditation appears in the May 2026 fee schedule. The three types listed are standard, high volume and triangular employment.
What are the RSE fees for employers?
NZ$1,040 for Recognised Seasonal Employer status, then NZ$280 for each Agreement to Recruit under RSE instructions. A supplementary seasonal employment approval in principle is NZ$335.
Can an employer fill in a worker's visa application?
Only in narrow circumstances: where doing so is part of their job, where they record only the information the applicant gave them, and where they give no immigration advice. Employing an unlicensed adviser carries up to NZ$10,000 and two years' imprisonment.
Primary source: Immigration New Zealand, Fees Guide INZ 1028, May 2026 edition, and INZ's guidance on who can give immigration advice. All figures verified 20 August 2026 and stated in New Zealand dollars.
This page is general information about published fees. It is not immigration advice and does not assess your circumstances.
