How Much an Accredited Employer Work Visa Costs
An AEWV costs NZ$1,540. That is 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 from NZ$775 for accreditation and NZ$735 for each Job Check — those are not your costs.
Quick Facts
| Total you pay | NZ$1,540 |
| Application fee | NZ$480 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$1,060 |
| IVL | None on this visa |
| When you pay | At submission, online |
| Levy basis | Charged per application, not per person |
| Employer accreditation | NZ$775 standard · NZ$1,280 high-volume · NZ$4,060 triangular |
| Job Check | NZ$735 |
| Partner of a Worker Work Visa | From NZ$1,630 (NZ$570 + NZ$1,060 levy) |
| Refund if declined | None |
| Reconsideration of a decline | NZ$220 |
| Last general fee change | 1 October 2024. No general increase in 2025 or 2026 |
The split, and why it is worth publishing
INZ's own visa page shows a single combined figure: "from NZD $1,540". The components are published separately in the INZ fees guide, and they are worth knowing because they behave differently.
| Component | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$480 | The charge for assessing the application |
| Immigration levy | NZ$1,060 | A levy funding immigration system costs, charged per application |
| IVL | NZ$0 | The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is not charged on this visa |
| Total | NZ$1,540 |
Two practical consequences:
- The levy is per application, not per person. Where multiple people are included in a single application, the levy is charged once. That does not usually apply to the AEWV itself, since it is an individual visa, but it matters across family applications. See who can be included in one visa application.
- No IVL means no NZ$100 conservation and tourism levy on this application, unlike a visitor visa. See the International Visitor Levy, explained.
More on how the three charges work across the system: visa fees, levies and fee bands explained.
What the employer pays, and why people get this wrong
A large share of applicants believe the accreditation and Job Check fees are theirs. They are not. They belong to the employer, and accredited employers are expressly prohibited from passing recruitment costs on to workers.
| Employer charge | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard accreditation — up to 5 migrant workers | NZ$775 |
| High-volume accreditation — 6 or more workers | NZ$1,280 |
| Triangular employment accreditation | NZ$4,060 |
| Upgrade from standard to high-volume | NZ$505 |
| Job Check | NZ$735 |
| Reconsideration of a declined accreditation | NZ$250 |
| Reconsideration of a declined Job Check | NZ$250 |
An employer hiring one worker on a standard accreditation is therefore looking at NZ$1,510 in INZ fees, before any advertising cost. See employer accreditation types and fees.
If an employer asks you to reimburse these fees, or to pay a "sponsorship fee" or "processing contribution", that is a compliance problem — and INZ will decline an application where money was offered or promised to the employer in exchange for the job offer. See immigration scams to avoid.
What it costs to bring family
Family members apply for their own visas with their own fees:
| Visa | From | Split |
|---|---|---|
| Partner of a Worker Work Visa | NZ$1,630 | NZ$570 + NZ$1,060 levy |
| Dependent Child Student Visa | NZ$750 | NZ$485 + NZ$265 levy · IVL-exempt |
| Child of a Worker Visitor Visa | NZ$341 | NZ$300 + NZ$41 levy · IVL-exempt |
A worker with a partner and one school-age child is therefore looking at roughly NZ$3,920 in INZ fees for the family group, on top of flights and relocation.
Whether family can be supported at all depends on your job's skill level and pay rate, not on your willingness to pay the fees. See bringing family on a work visa and income thresholds to support a partner visa.
Costs INZ does not charge, but you may still pay
The visa fee is rarely the whole bill. None of the following is an INZ charge, and none of it is refundable through INZ:
- English test fees, where your job is at skill level 3 to 5.
- Police certificates from each relevant country, priced by that country's authority.
- Medical examinations and chest x-rays, priced by the panel physician.
- Document translation, where documents are not in English.
- NZQA qualification assessment, where the framework level of an overseas qualification needs establishing.
- Visa Application Centre service fees, where biometrics or document submission runs through a VAC. These increased on 1 January 2026 across 26 countries, including India, the Philippines, Fiji, Samoa, South Africa, the UK, the US, Vietnam and Nepal. This is a service charge by the centre operator, not an INZ fee increase — a distinction almost nobody explains clearly.
- Licensed immigration adviser or lawyer fees, if you use one. See immigration adviser fees in New Zealand.
What renewal costs
A renewal is a new application, at the same NZ$1,540. There is no discounted renewal rate.
The employer side may or may not repeat. If the accreditation is still current and an approved Job Check still covers the role, those costs do not recur. If accreditation has expired, it must be renewed — standard and high-volume renewals run for 24 months, against 12 months for a first accreditation.
INZ has said the AEWV will become extendable by up to 12 months from 2027, which would change this picture. Until that is in force, an extension means a fresh application. See AEWV renewal and extension.
Refunds, and the absence of them
INZ does not refund the application fee or the levies if an application is declined. The assessment was performed, and the fee paid for the assessment rather than for a grant.
If a decline is disputed, the route is reconsideration, which costs NZ$220 and is available only where you applied while in New Zealand, are still here, hold a valid visa, and INZ receives the request within 14 calendar days of your receiving the decision. You get one reconsideration only. Confirm your own deadline from your decision letter. See reconsideration of a declined temporary visa and NZ visa fee refunds explained.
Other fees that can come up later
| Situation | Fee |
|---|---|
| Variation of conditions on a temporary visa | NZ$325 |
| Transferring a visa into a new passport | NZ$225 (Band A) |
| Confirmation of immigration status | NZ$225 |
| Special direction | NZ$260 |
Changing employer, job or location requires a variation of conditions, a job change application or a new visa — so the NZ$325 figure is the one AEWV holders meet most often. See variation of conditions explained and changing employers on an AEWV.
The fees have not gone up since 1 October 2024
The last general fee and levy increase took effect on 1 October 2024, when fees rose by an average of NZ$81 and the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy was lifted to NZ$100. INZ's fees page still describes its rates as current "as of 1 October 2024".
There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026. That is worth saying plainly, because a great deal of published content implies annual rises that have not happened. One item to watch: legislation passed on 21 November 2025 enables a broader levy payer base, with no implementation announced at the time. Fee schedules do change, so check INZ before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is an AEWV in NZ?
NZ$1,540 in total — a NZ$480 application fee plus a NZ$1,060 immigration levy. No International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is charged on this visa.
What is the AEWV fee for 2026?
NZ$1,540, unchanged since the 1 October 2024 fee revision. There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026.
Do I have to pay for my employer's accreditation or Job Check?
No. Accreditation from NZ$775 and the Job Check at NZ$735 are the employer's costs, and accredited employers must not pass recruitment costs on to workers. INZ will decline an application where money was offered or promised to an employer in exchange for a job offer.
How much does an AEWV renewal cost?
The same NZ$1,540, because a renewal is a new application rather than an extension. INZ has said the visa will become extendable by up to 12 months from 2027, which would change how this works.
Is the AEWV fee refundable?
No. The application fee and the levy are not refunded when an application is declined. A reconsideration request costs a further NZ$220 and is subject to strict eligibility and a hard deadline.
How much does it cost to bring my family on an AEWV?
A Partner of a Worker Work Visa is from NZ$1,630, a Dependent Child Student Visa from NZ$750, and a Child of a Worker Visitor Visa from NZ$341. Whether family can be supported depends on your job's skill level and pay rate as well as on the fees.
Why do NZ visa fees have two parts?
New Zealand charges an application fee for the assessment and a separate immigration levy that funds system costs. Some visas add a third charge, the IVL. Publishing only the combined figure hides the fact that some travellers are exempt from one component and not another.
Does the fee change depending on where I apply from?
INZ operates fee bands, and some visa types are priced differently by band. The AEWV is published as a single figure of NZ$1,540. Separately, Visa Application Centre service fees vary by country and rose across 26 countries on 1 January 2026 — those go to the centre operator, not to INZ.
Can I pay extra to have my visa processed faster?
No. New Zealand has no priority or expedited service at any price. Anyone offering one is selling something that does not exist. See can you speed up a NZ visa application?
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.
