Changing Employers on an Accredited Employer Work Visa
Your Accredited Employer Work Visa names one employer, one job and one location. Changing any of the three needs INZ approval first — a variation of conditions, a job change application, or a new visa. The new employer must already hold current accreditation and a Job Check covering the role.
Quick Facts
| What the visa allows | Work only in the job, for the employer, and at the location stated on it |
| To change any of those | Variation of conditions, job change application, or a new AEWV |
| Variation of conditions fee | NZ$325 (temporary entry class visa) |
| New AEWV fee | From NZ$1,540 — NZ$480 + NZ$1,060 immigration levy |
| Variation processing | 1.5 weeks average, 2 weeks for 80% (as published 20 August 2026) |
| New employer must have | Current accreditation and a Job Check covering the role |
| Job Check timing | Employer must apply within 90 days of the job advertisement closing |
| Job Check validity | 6 months, or until accreditation lapses |
| Second job | Not permitted on an AEWV at any time |
| Interim visas | Since April 2025, interim time counts toward continuous stay and work experience |
Fees unchanged since 1 October 2024 and vary by fee band. Confirm the current amount before paying.
The rule you are working around
An Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a closed work visa. It authorises work in the job, for the employer, and in the location stated on the visa — and nothing else. That is why a job change is an immigration process rather than an employment one. Handing in your notice does not alter your visa, and a new employment agreement does not either.
There is no version of this where you start first and fix the paperwork later. Working for an employer not named on your visa is unauthorised work, and unauthorised work is a breach of conditions and a ground for deportation liability. The whole point of the process below is to make the change lawful before the first day.
Three routes, and how to tell them apart
| Route | Use it when | Fee | Effect on visa expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Variation of conditions | You are changing employer, job or location and your current visa still has useful time on it | NZ$325 | None — expiry date unchanged |
| Job change application | INZ directs you to this route for an AEWV employer or role change | Varies | Depends on the grant |
| New AEWV | Your visa is close to expiry, or the change is large enough that a fresh grant makes more sense | From NZ$1,540 | New visa, new expiry, new maximum stay accounting |
INZ's own framing is that changing employer, job or location "requires a variation of conditions, a job change application, or a new visa". Which one applies to a given change is an assessment of your circumstances — the kind of question a licensed immigration adviser is licensed to answer and a website is not.
What is general information, and worth knowing before you talk to anyone: a variation of conditions does not extend your visa. It modifies the restrictions on the visa you already hold, keeping the same expiry date. If you have four months left, you still have four months left afterwards.
Step 1: Confirm the new employer is accredited
Before anything else, check that the prospective employer holds current accreditation. INZ publishes a list of accredited employers, and checking takes a minute — see how to check if an employer is accredited.
Accreditation is not permanent. First accreditation lasts 12 months; renewals run 24 months for standard and high-volume accreditation and 12 months for triangular employment accreditation. An employer who was accredited when they advertised may not be accredited when you apply.
There is also no franchisee accreditation category — it closed on 16 June 2024. Existing holders may run to expiry, then must move to standard, high-volume or triangular accreditation. An employer who describes their status as "franchisee accreditation" in 2026 is describing something that no longer exists.
Step 2: Make sure a Job Check covers the role
Accreditation is about the employer. A Job Check is about the specific job — its pay, its terms, and, where required, evidence the employer tested the local labour market. Your change cannot be approved unless a valid Job Check covers the role you are moving into.
Key mechanics for the employer:
- Advertising, where required, must run for 14 days (skill levels 1–3, or a job on the National Occupation List usable for the AEWV) or 21 days (skill levels 4–5, plus good-faith engagement with Work and Income).
- The employer must apply for the Job Check within 90 days of the job advertisement closing. Miss that window and the advertising has to be redone.
- The Job Check is valid for 6 months, or until accreditation lapses — whichever comes first.
- Unused job tokens expire when accreditation expires.
- Advertising is not required where the job is on the Green List and meets Green List requirements, or pays at least NZ$70.00 an hour, or is on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa job list for a GWSV hire.
- The migrant may only apply for the AEWV type the Job Check was approved for.
The Job Check costs the employer NZ$735. Job Check explained covers the process end to end.
Step 3: Check the job itself still meets AEWV requirements
The new role has to clear the same bars as an original AEWV job:
- At least 30 guaranteed hours a week.
- Market rate pay for the occupation, with the adult minimum wage as the floor. Piece rates, commission and bonuses count on top of the hourly rate, never toward it.
- Pay must match the advertisement. INZ compares what was advertised with what is offered, and a mismatch is a common reason applications fail.
- Not excluded work. An AEWV job offer cannot cover crop planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing in horticulture or viticulture, foreign fishing crew work, or self-employment.
Skill level matters too, because it drives English requirements and maximum stay. Moving from a skill level 2 role to a skill level 4 role changes both. AEWV skill levels explained covers how a role is classified under ANZSCO and the National Occupation List.
Step 4: Apply, and do not start work until it is approved
Lodge the application before your current visa expires. Keep working in your existing approved role, if you still hold it, until the change is granted.
If your visa expires while INZ is deciding, INZ will normally grant an interim visa so you remain lawfully in New Zealand. Conditions on an interim visa depend on the visa you held and the visa you applied for. Since April 2025, time on an interim visa counts toward continuous stay and toward the work experience you can claim later — a change that removed a real disadvantage for people mid-transition. See interim visas explained.
Timing: the gap between jobs
The awkward part of a job change is the middle. Your old role has ended or is ending, the new one is not yet approved, and rent is still due.
The verified position is narrow but clear:
- Your visa authorises work only in the job it names. If that job has ended, the visa does not transfer to a new one by itself.
- A variation of conditions takes around 1.5 weeks on average and two weeks for 80% of applications.
- Applying before your current visa expires is what makes an interim visa possible.
- There is no priority processing. Nobody can move an application up the queue at any price, and anyone offering to arrange it for money is running a scam — see paid priority visa processing.
Anything beyond that — how long you personally may remain, what you may do in the meantime — depends on your visa, its conditions and the dates on it. That is exactly the kind of tailored question that requires a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer.
If the change is not voluntary
Redundancy, dismissal and employer failure are a different situation with different options, including the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa where the employer's conduct is the problem. Losing your job on a work visa deals with that directly.
If the employer loses accreditation, that is different again. See what happens when an employer loses accreditation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change jobs while on a work visa in New Zealand?
Yes, but not unilaterally. An AEWV names one employer, one job and one location, and changing any of them requires INZ approval first — through a variation of conditions, a job change application, or a new visa. The new employer must hold current accreditation and a Job Check covering the role.
How much does it cost to change employers on an AEWV?
A variation of conditions on a temporary entry class visa costs NZ$325. If the route is a new AEWV instead, the cost is from NZ$1,540. The employer pays NZ$735 for a Job Check if one is needed, and NZ$775 or more if accreditation must be renewed.
How long does a variation of conditions take?
INZ publishes 1.5 weeks as the average and two weeks for 80% of applications, as published 20 August 2026. Those figures are updated weekly without a timestamp, so check them on the day rather than relying on a number quoted anywhere — including here.
Can I start the new job while my application is being processed?
Your visa authorises work only in the job it names, and that does not change until INZ approves the change. Whether an interim visa gives you any work rights in the meantime depends on the visa you held and the one you applied for, so confirm your own position with INZ or a licensed adviser before your first day.
Does changing employers reset my maximum continuous stay?
No. Maximum continuous stay counts time in New Zealand on the AEWV across consecutive grants — up to five years at skill levels 1–3 and three years at levels 4–5. Changing employers does not restart it. AEWV maximum continuous stay explains the accounting.
Can I work for two employers at once if both are accredited?
No. You cannot work a second job on an AEWV, regardless of whether the second employer is accredited.
What if my new employer is not accredited yet?
Then there is nothing for INZ to approve. Accreditation is the employer's application, not yours: NZ$775 for standard accreditation covering up to five migrants, NZ$1,280 for high-volume. See employer accreditation explained.
Do I need a new medical or police certificate?
It depends on what you have already provided and how long you are staying. Police certificates are required where you plan to stay 24 months or longer, and must be less than six months old when you submit. See police certificates for NZ visa applications.
