The New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), Explained
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is New Zealand's main employer-sponsored work visa. It costs NZ$1,540, and 80% of applications are decided within eight weeks. It requires a full-time job offer of at least 30 hours a week from an accredited employer. Since 10 March 2025 the pay test has been market rate, not the median wage.
Quick Facts
| What it is | A temporary work visa tied to one employer, one job and one location |
| Who it is for | People holding a full-time job offer from an employer that Immigration New Zealand has accredited |
| Total cost to the applicant | NZ$1,540 — a NZ$480 application fee plus a NZ$1,060 immigration levy. No IVL is charged |
| What the employer pays separately | Accreditation from NZ$775, plus NZ$735 for each Job Check |
| Minimum hours | 30 hours a week, guaranteed in the employment agreement |
| Pay | The market rate for the job, and never below the adult minimum wage of NZ$23.50 an hour |
| Experience or qualification | Two years of relevant experience, or a qualification at NZQCF Level 4 or above |
| English | Not required at skill levels 1 and 2. Required at skill levels 3, 4 and 5 |
| Maximum continuous stay | 5 years at skill levels 1–3 · 3 years at skill levels 4–5 |
| Stand-down after that | Normally 12 months outside New Zealand |
| Age limit | None stated by INZ for this visa |
| Processing | Average 4 weeks · 80% within 8 weeks (as published 20 August 2026) |
| Leads to residence | Sometimes. It depends on the occupation and the residence category, not on the AEWV itself |
What the AEWV actually is
The AEWV is a temporary, employer-assisted work visa. "Employer-assisted" means the visa exists because a specific New Zealand employer wants to hire a specific person. It is not an open work visa. It names your employer, your job title and your work location, and those three things are conditions of the visa rather than details on it.
It replaced the Essential Skills Work Visa, which closed on 4 July 2022, and the Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa, which closed on the same day. If you are reading older material that refers to either of those, it is describing a system that no longer exists. See closed and legacy New Zealand visas.
The design principle is that the employer is checked before the worker is. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) accredits the business, then approves the individual role, and only then looks at the person. That is why an AEWV application can feel slow to start: two of the three stages happen before you can touch the form.
How the three-step model works
The AEWV is described by INZ as a three-check process. Two of the three checks belong to your employer. Full detail sits in the AEWV three-step process.
Step 1: The employer gets accredited
Accreditation is a check on the business, not on any job. INZ looks at whether the employer is financially viable, whether it is on a stand-down list, and whether it commits to its obligations — including providing settlement information and not passing recruitment costs on to workers.
| Accreditation type | Who it covers | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Hiring up to 5 migrant workers | NZ$775 |
| High-volume | Hiring 6 or more migrant workers | NZ$1,280 |
| Triangular employment | Placing workers with a controlling third party, no limit on numbers | NZ$4,060 |
| Upgrade from standard to high-volume | — | NZ$505 |
A franchisee accreditation category used to exist. It closed on 16 June 2024. Existing holders could run to expiry and then had to move to standard, high-volume or triangular accreditation. Any guide still listing franchisee accreditation as an option is out of date.
A first accreditation lasts 12 months. On renewal, standard and high-volume accreditation last 24 months, and triangular accreditation lasts 12. See employer accreditation types and fees.
Step 2: The employer passes a Job Check
The Job Check approves the specific role — its pay, its hours, its location, and whether New Zealanders were given a fair chance at it. It costs NZ$735.
For most roles the employer must advertise first. The minimum advertising period is 14 days for skill level 1, 2 or 3 roles, and 21 days for skill level 4 or 5 roles, which also require good-faith engagement with Work and Income (MSD). Since the March 2025 changes, that labour market test is declaration-based: the employer advertises and engages, then declares it, rather than obtaining a separate sign-off.
Advertising can be skipped entirely if the job is on the Green List, if it pays at least NZ$70.00 an hour, or if it is on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list. See Job Check advertising exemptions.
Two timing rules matter to you as the worker, because they control your window:
- The employer must apply for the Job Check within 90 days of the job advertisement closing.
- An approved Job Check is valid for six months, or until the accreditation lapses.
Step 3: You apply for the visa
Only after the Job Check is approved can you apply. You may only apply for the AEWV type the Job Check was approved for — the regular AEWV, the Peak Seasonal Visa or the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa. Applying for the wrong one wastes the fee.
Your application is assessed on your job offer, your skills, your English where required, your health and your character. The walkthrough is in how to apply for an AEWV, step by step.
What the job has to pay
This is where most published guidance is wrong. Until 10 March 2025, an AEWV job had to pay at or above the immigration median wage. That rule was removed on 10 March 2025. Two tests replaced it:
- Market rate. INZ defines this as "a range of pay that a New Zealander or resident would be paid within to do the job, or equivalent work".
- The adult minimum wage, which is NZ$23.50 an hour from 1 April 2025. No AEWV job may pay below it.
There is no single dollar figure that all AEWV jobs must now meet. The rate depends on the occupation and the region, and the employer has to evidence it at the Job Check stage.
Pay must also be guaranteed. Piece rates, commission, tips and bonuses count only in addition to a guaranteed hourly rate, never instead of one. And the pay you are offered must match what was advertised.
Full detail: AEWV pay and wage requirements and why the median wage no longer applies.
What you have to show
| Requirement | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Job offer | Full-time, at least 30 guaranteed hours a week, from an accredited employer, in an approved role |
| Skills | Two years of relevant work experience or a qualification at NZQCF Level 4 or higher |
| Field match | Experience must be in the same field or industry. A bachelor's degree or higher may be in any field |
| English | Required if the job is skill level 3, 4 or 5. Not required at skill levels 1 and 2 |
| Health | Good health. A chest x-ray is required for applicants from high-TB-incidence countries staying more than six months |
| Character | Good character. A police certificate is required for stays of 24 months or longer |
The two-year experience figure is itself a 2025 change: it was three years until the March 2025 package cut it to two. See AEWV work experience and qualification requirements.
Four exemptions remove the skills test entirely, including occupational registration that itself required the experience, and pay of at least NZ$67.12 an hour.
Some jobs cannot support an AEWV at all. The job offer cannot be for self-employed work, for planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing crops in horticulture or viticulture, or for foreign crew on fishing vessels. And INZ will decline the application if you or anyone acting for you offered or promised money to the employer in exchange for the job offer. That is not a technicality — paying for a job offer is the single fastest way to lose both the money and the visa. See how to spot a fake New Zealand job offer.
How long you can stay
Your maximum continuous stay depends on the skill level of your job.
| Job skill level | Maximum continuous stay |
|---|---|
| 1, 2 or 3 | 5 years |
| 4 or 5 | 3 years |
The three-year figure for lower-skilled roles is itself recent — it was two years until the March 2025 package extended it.
After you reach your maximum continuous stay, a stand-down applies: normally 12 months in a row outside New Zealand before you can hold another AEWV.
The "three-year stand-down" is a myth. A great deal of published material describes a three-year period outside New Zealand. It does not exist. Three years is the maximum continuous stay for skill level 4–5 roles, a rule introduced on 7 April 2024. The stand-down is, and remains, normally 12 months. The two numbers got welded together and the mistake has been repeating ever since. See the AEWV stand-down period, explained and AEWV maximum continuous stay.
What the visa lets you do, and what it does not
You can:
- Work in the job, for the employer, and at the location stated on your visa.
- Study for up to three months in any 12-month period, plus any study your employment requires.
- Bring family, if you meet the income thresholds that apply to your job's skill level.
You cannot:
- Work a second job. The AEWV does not allow it.
- Change employer, job or location without a variation of conditions, a Job Change application or a new visa. See changing employers on an AEWV.
- Be self-employed, or run a business, on this visa.
Losing the job is therefore a visa event, not just an employment event. What happens next is set out in losing your job on a work visa.
How much is an AEWV in NZ, and who pays what
| Charge | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| AEWV application fee | NZ$480 | The applicant |
| Immigration levy | NZ$1,060 | The applicant |
| AEWV total | NZ$1,540 | The applicant |
| Employer accreditation | NZ$775 standard | The employer |
| Job Check | NZ$735 | The employer |
INZ publishes only the combined "from NZ$1,540" figure on its visa page. The split matters because the two components behave differently, and because a great many applicants believe they are also liable for the NZ$775 and NZ$735. They are not. Those are the employer's costs, and employers are prohibited from passing recruitment costs on to workers.
There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026. INZ's fee page still reads "as of 1 October 2024". Full breakdown: how much an AEWV costs.
How long it takes
As published on 20 August 2026:
| 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 |
| AEWV, all roles | 4 weeks | 8 weeks |
| AEWV, Green List roles | 2 weeks | 6 weeks |
| AEWV, health sector roles | 2 weeks | 4 weeks |
Those are the two percentiles INZ publishes — the point at which half of applications are done, and the point at which 80% are. Neither is a promise about any single application. INZ updates the figures weekly and prints no last-updated date on the page.
New Zealand has no priority or expedited service, at any price. Anyone offering to speed up a decision for a fee is describing something that does not exist. See paid priority visa processing in New Zealand.
Bringing family
Partners and dependent children apply for their own visas, and whether they can depends on your job's skill level and your pay rate. Partners of AEWV holders in skill level 1–3 roles can generally be supported at a lower pay threshold than partners of workers in skill level 4–5 roles.
Partner of a Worker Work Visas granted since 2 December 2024 carry open work rights — any job, any employer, anywhere in New Zealand. That is a significant difference from your own visa. See bringing family on a work visa and income thresholds to support a partner visa.
Does the AEWV lead to residence?
Sometimes, and the AEWV is not what decides it. Residence depends on your occupation and on the residence category you qualify under:
- Green List Tier 1 roles can go straight to residence.
- Green List Tier 2 roles can go to work to residence after a qualifying period of employment.
- The Skilled Migrant Category is a points-based route that many AEWV holders use, and it is restructured from 24 August 2026.
- Sector-specific routes exist for care workforce and transport roles.
Some occupations have no residence pathway at all, which is worth knowing before you build a five-year plan around one. See AEWV to residence pathways.
What changed, and when
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 4 July 2022 | AEWV replaces the Essential Skills and Long Term Skill Shortage List work visas |
| 16 June 2024 | Franchisee accreditation closes to new applications |
| 10 March 2025 | Median wage removed as the pay test; experience cut from 3 years to 2; skill level 4–5 duration extended from 2 years to 3; labour market test becomes declaration-based |
| 3 November 2025 | The National Occupation List applies to Job Check and AEWV applications submitted from this date |
| 9 March 2026 | 47 more occupations recognised at NOL skill levels 1–3; three roles move down to skill level 4 |
| 1 June 2026 | English language requirement extended to skill level 3 roles |
| 2027 | INZ has said the AEWV will become extendable by up to 12 months |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the AEWV work?
Your employer gets accredited, then passes a Job Check for the specific role, then you apply for the visa. Each stage has its own fee and its own processing time. You cannot start your part until the Job Check is approved, and you may only apply for the visa type the Job Check covered.
What is the AEWV visa in NZ?
It is the Accredited Employer Work Visa — New Zealand's principal temporary work visa for people with a job offer. It ties you to one employer, one job and one location, costs NZ$1,540, and lasts up to five years for skill level 1–3 roles or three years for skill level 4–5 roles.
Is the median wage still required for an AEWV?
No. It was removed on 10 March 2025. The job must pay the market rate — the range a New Zealander or resident would be paid for that work — and at least the adult minimum wage. The figures you may have seen quoted as an AEWV pay floor are residence thresholds, not work-visa ones.
How much does an AEWV cost?
NZ$1,540 for the applicant: a NZ$480 application fee plus a NZ$1,060 immigration levy. There is no International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy on this visa. Your employer separately pays NZ$775 or more for accreditation and NZ$735 for the Job Check.
How long does it take to get a work visa for New Zealand?
For the AEWV, half of applications are decided in about four weeks and 80% within eight weeks, as published on 20 August 2026. Green List roles are faster at 80% within six weeks, and health sector roles faster again at four weeks. Add the employer's accreditation and Job Check time before that.
Does the AEWV lead to residency?
It can, but not automatically. Residence depends on your occupation. Green List roles have direct pathways; other occupations may qualify under the Skilled Migrant Category; some occupations have no pathway at all. The AEWV is the work visa that gets you here, not the residence decision.
Is there an age limit for the AEWV?
INZ states none on its AEWV page. Several residence categories do cap at 55 — including Straight to Residence, Work to Residence and the Talent visas — so an applicant over 55 may be eligible for the work visa while being outside the age range for some residence routes.
Can I apply for an AEWV without a job offer?
No. The job offer from an accredited employer is the foundation of the visa; there is no version of the AEWV that works without one. Options that do not require a job offer are set out in New Zealand visas that don't need a job offer.
Do I need IELTS for an AEWV?
Only if your job is at skill level 3, 4 or 5. From 1 June 2026 skill level 3 roles were brought into the requirement, at IELTS 4.0 or an accepted equivalent. Skill level 1 and 2 roles require no English evidence. See English language requirements for work visas.
How do I check that an employer is really accredited?
INZ publishes a list of accredited employers that you can search before you accept an offer or pay anyone anything. A job offer that cannot be matched to an accredited employer cannot support an AEWV. See how to check if an employer is accredited.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and we do not assess anyone's individual circumstances. For advice about your own case, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer, and check the licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register.
