Renewing an Accredited Employer Work Visa in New Zealand
There is no renewal button. A second Accredited Employer Work Visa is a brand-new application at the full fee of NZ$1,540, and it needs the employer's accreditation to be current plus a valid Job Check covering the role. The rule that catches people out is English: skill level 3 roles need evidence from 1 June 2026.
Quick Facts
| What it really is | A fresh AEWV application, not an extension of the existing visa |
| Cost | From NZ$1,540 — NZ$480 application fee + NZ$1,060 immigration levy |
| Processing | 80% within 8 weeks; Green List roles 6 weeks; health sector roles 4 weeks (as published 20 August 2026) |
| Employer must have | Current accreditation and a valid Job Check covering the role |
| Job Check validity | 6 months, or until accreditation lapses — whichever comes first |
| Job tokens | Unused tokens expire when accreditation expires |
| English | Skill level 3 roles need evidence from 1 June 2026, unless the current visa expires on or before 1 December 2026 |
| Wage | Existing holders do not have to meet a threshold that rose after their visa was granted |
| Ceiling | Maximum continuous stay still applies: 5 years at skill levels 1–3, 3 years at levels 4–5 |
| Coming in 2027 | INZ has announced AEWVs will become extendable by up to 12 months |
Fees unchanged since 1 October 2024, and vary by fee band. Processing times are published weekly by INZ without a timestamp — check them on the day.
"Renewal" is the wrong word, and that matters
An Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) cannot be topped up. When it is close to expiry, the only route to more time is a new application, assessed against the rules in force on the day it is lodged — not the rules that applied when the first visa was granted.
That single fact explains almost every unpleasant surprise on this topic. Requirements move. Between the first grant and the second, the median-wage pay rule was removed and replaced with a market rate test, the experience requirement dropped from three years to two, the National Occupation List replaced ANZSCO for AEWV and Job Check purposes, and English was extended to skill level 3 roles. A worker applying for a second visa is applying under the current system.
The employer side is not automatic either. Accreditation expires. Job Checks expire. Job tokens expire. All three have to be alive on the day the application is made.
Step 1: Check the employer's accreditation is current
The employer must hold current accreditation at the time you apply. First accreditation lasts 12 months; on renewal it runs 24 months for standard and high-volume accreditation, and 12 months for triangular employment accreditation.
Anyone can check an employer's status using INZ's public list — see how to check if an employer is accredited. Do this before you spend anything. An expired accreditation stops the application dead, and no fee is refunded once an application has been processed.
Step 2: Check there is a valid Job Check covering the role
A Job Check is INZ's approval of the specific job — its pay, its terms, and (where required) proof the employer tested the local labour market. One Job Check can cover several positions with the same job, pay, location and minimum requirements.
Two expiry rules apply:
- A Job Check is valid for 6 months, or until the employer's accreditation lapses, whichever is sooner.
- Unused job tokens expire when accreditation expires.
If the existing Job Check has run out, the employer starts again — advertising where required, then applying within 90 days of the advertisement closing, at NZ$735 per Job Check. Green List roles and jobs paying at least NZ$70.00 an hour are exempt from advertising. Job Check explained covers the mechanics; advertising exemptions covers who can skip the labour market test.
Step 3: Meet the current migrant requirements, not the old ones
The worker is re-assessed. The main elements are:
- The job offer — full-time from the accredited employer, at least 30 hours a week, at the required rate of pay.
- Skills — two years or more of relevant experience, or a qualification at NZQCF Level 4 or higher. The experience must be in the same field or industry, except that a bachelor's degree or higher may be in any field.
- English — not required for skill level 1 or 2 roles; required for skill levels 3, 4 and 5.
- Health and character — including a chest x-ray for applicants from high-TB-incidence countries staying more than six months, and a police certificate for stays of 24 months or longer.
Pay is assessed against the market rate for the occupation, with the adult minimum wage as the floor. Since 10 March 2025 there has been no requirement to pay the immigration median wage on this visa. See market rate pay for the AEWV.
Step 4: Apply before the current visa expires
Applying while your existing visa is still valid is what makes an interim visa possible. If your visa runs out while INZ is assessing the new application, INZ will normally grant an interim visa so you remain lawfully in New Zealand. Since April 2025, time on an interim visa counts toward both continuous stay and work experience.
Leaving it until after expiry removes that option entirely, because there is no valid visa to bridge from.
The English trap on skill level 3 renewals
This is the single most consequential change for people renewing in 2026.
From 1 June 2026, the English language requirement was extended to ANZSCO and National Occupation List skill level 3 roles, aligning them with the existing skill level 4–5 requirement. The standard is IELTS General 4.0 or equivalent — described by the government as basic, everyday English for common situations.
Skill level 3 is now the largest part of the AEWV population: around half of AEWV applications are for skill level 3 roles, against 16% for skill levels 4 and 5 combined. The change therefore reaches far more people than the earlier requirement did.
Two exemptions matter for renewals:
| Situation | Effect |
|---|---|
| Your current AEWV expires on or before 1 December 2026 | Transitional exemption applies when you apply for a skill level 3 renewal |
| You already provided English evidence on a previous AEWV application | You remain compliant — you do not re-sit |
| You are applying for a Global Workforce Seasonal Visa or Peak Seasonal Visa | The 1 June 2026 change does not apply to those applications |
Jobs at skill level 1 or 2 need no English evidence at all. English language requirements for work visas sets out which roles are affected and what evidence is accepted.
What a renewal costs
| Item | Amount | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| AEWV application | NZ$1,540 — NZ$480 fee + NZ$1,060 immigration levy | Worker |
| Job Check (if a new one is needed) | NZ$735 | Employer |
| Employer accreditation renewal (if due) | NZ$775 standard · NZ$1,280 high-volume | Employer |
| Variation of conditions (if changing job, employer or location instead) | NZ$325 | Worker |
The AEWV carries no International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, which is why the total is NZ$1,540 rather than NZ$1,640. There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026 — INZ's fee page still states rates as at 1 October 2024. Full breakdown in AEWV cost and fees.
Nothing is refunded if the application is declined. INZ does not refund the fee or levies once an application has been processed.
The wage rule that protects existing holders
If a wage threshold rises after your visa is granted, you do not have to meet the new rate on the visa you already hold. INZ states this directly. It matters because median-wage-derived thresholds re-index — the immigration median wage moved to NZ$35.00 an hour on 9 March 2026 — and those figures feed partner support, dependent children and residence pathways.
What the protection does not do is freeze the rules for a new application. A renewal is a new application.
The ceiling still applies
A renewal cannot take you past your maximum continuous stay: up to five years for skill levels 1–3, three years for skill levels 4–5. INZ counts time already spent in New Zealand on the visa across consecutive grants. Once the maximum is reached, no further AEWV can be granted until normally 12 months in a row outside New Zealand have been served. AEWV maximum continuous stay explains how the allowance is built and spent.
INZ has announced that from 2027, AEWVs will become extendable by up to 12 months. Settings were not published at the time of writing, so it changes nothing about an application made today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an AEWV renewal cost?
From NZ$1,540 — a NZ$480 application fee plus a NZ$1,060 immigration levy — because a renewal is a full new application. The employer may also pay NZ$735 for a fresh Job Check and NZ$775 or NZ$1,280 to renew accreditation.
Can I extend my AEWV instead of reapplying?
Not today. The current system requires a new application. INZ has announced that from 2027 AEWVs will become extendable by up to 12 months, but the detailed settings have not been published and the change is not in force.
Does my employer need a new Job Check for my renewal?
There must be a valid Job Check covering the role. Job Checks last six months, or until accreditation lapses. If the existing one has expired, the employer applies again — and unused job tokens die with the accreditation they were issued under.
Do I need IELTS to renew an AEWV?
Only if your job is at skill level 3, 4 or 5. Skill level 1 and 2 roles need no English evidence. Skill level 3 came into scope on 1 June 2026, with a transitional exemption where the current visa expires on or before 1 December 2026, and no re-testing for people who already provided evidence.
What happens if my visa expires while INZ is deciding?
If you applied before your visa expired, INZ will normally grant an interim visa so you can remain in New Zealand lawfully while the application is assessed. Since April 2025, that interim time counts toward continuous stay and work experience.
Can I change employers at the same time as renewing?
Changing employer, job or location is its own process — a variation of conditions, a job change application, or a new visa. Changing employers on an AEWV explains which applies and when you may lawfully start the new role.
Will I be declined if my pay is below the new median wage?
The immigration median wage is not the AEWV pay test. Pay is assessed against the market rate for the occupation, with the minimum wage as the floor. That has been the position since 10 March 2025 — see the median wage change.
