Every legitimate work visa job offer in New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) system starts with one thing: an employer that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has actually accredited. Understanding how accreditation works — and how to check it yourself — is the single most useful thing a foreign job seeker can do before applying anywhere.
What “Accredited Employer” Actually Means
Since the AEWV system replaced the old work visa categories, any New Zealand business that wants to hire a migrant worker on this visa must first apply to INZ and be approved as an “accredited employer.” Accreditation checks things like the business’s financial position, its compliance history, and whether it genuinely needs to hire from overseas. Accreditation on its own does not guarantee a job — it just means the employer is legally allowed to sponsor an AEWV application if they hire you.
How Employers Get Accredited — and What Changed in 2025
- Standard accreditation: for employers hiring 1–5 migrant workers.
- High-volume accreditation: for employers hiring 6 or more migrant workers, with stricter checks.
- Franchisee and triangular employment accreditation: for specific business structures like franchises or labour-hire arrangements.
A major policy shift took effect on 10 March 2025: employers are no longer required to pay the fixed “median wage” to qualify for most AEWV roles. Instead, they must pay the genuine New Zealand market rate for the job, and that rate must be at or above the minimum wage, which rose to NZD $23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026. This opened up more realistic AEWV roles in sectors like farming, hospitality, and general labour that previously struggled to meet the old median-wage threshold.
How to Verify an Employer Is Actually Accredited
This is the step most job seekers skip, and it’s the one that protects you from scams and time-wasting applications.
- Get the exact legal business name from the job ad or the employer directly — not just a trading name or brand.
- Search Immigration New Zealand’s public accredited employer information (available through the INZ website) to confirm the business holds current accreditation.
- If you can’t verify accreditation, ask the employer directly for their accreditation status before paying any fees or submitting personal documents.
- Be wary of any “employer” or agent who asks for money upfront to secure a job or visa sponsorship — accreditation and job offers should never require a payment from the worker.
Where Accredited Employers Are Actively Hiring Overseas Workers
Roles genuinely open to overseas AEWV applicants are concentrated in sectors New Zealand cannot fully staff locally:
- Agriculture and horticulture: dairy farming, orchard and vineyard work, general farm labour.
- Construction and trades: carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders, machine operators.
- Transport and logistics: truck drivers, particularly those with heavy vehicle experience.
- Healthcare: registered nurses and aged care workers, many of which sit on the Green List.
- Hospitality and tourism: chefs and skilled kitchen staff in regions with labour shortages.
How to Apply the Right Way
- Target real vacancies, not agencies promising visas. A genuine AEWV pathway always starts with a specific job offer from a specific employer.
- Check the employer’s accreditation status before investing time in an application.
- Tailor your CV and application to New Zealand standards — include qualifications, references, and any relevant licences or certifications.
- Be upfront about needing visa sponsorship early in the process so the employer can plan around the accreditation and job check requirements.
- Once you have an offer, the employer lodges a job check with INZ before you apply for the AEWV itself — this sequencing matters and can’t be skipped.
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