07/04/2024
Immigration New Zealand announced changes to AEWV work visas, Job Check and Employer Accreditation.
Changes In Employer Accreditation
1. Employers need to notify Immigration New Zealand of AEWV employee's employment ending within 10 days of the ending of employment. Employment ending could be because of an employee resigning or an employer terminating employment.
2.Immigration now has more powers to suspend employer accreditation if there is potential evidence of non-compliance.
3. Employers must provide 30 hours per week to AEWV visa employees. If an employer does not offer 30 hours per week, Immigration can revoke the employer's accreditation.
4. Employers now have to ensure that prospective migrants are qualified to meet the job check requirements before offering employment to migrant employees.
5. Employers need to ensure that migrant employees meet the minimum skills and experience threshold before supporting them for AEWV visas. These minimum skills include 3 years of work experience or NZ level 4 qualification.
6. The employer needs to see the work experience or qualification documents and keep records of it.
Changes In the Job Check Application
1. In addition to standard evidence of advertising for job checks, Employers now have to advertise ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 roles with Work and Income.
2. Employers also need to declare why New Zealand Citizens/Residents were not suitable or available to do the job at ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5.
3. The ANZSCO Level 4 or 5 advertisement must be advertised for 21 days.
Changes In AEWV Work Visa Conditions
1. All prospective visa employees must meet the new skills and experience requirements to apply for the work visa. The skills threshold includes either 3 years of verifiable relevant work experience or NZQA level 4 equivalent qualification. These requirements are additional to job check skills requirements.
2. For ANZSCO level 4 or 5 roles, Applicants need to pass the English language requirements of IELTS band 4 or equivalent.
3. For ANZSCO level 4 or 5, new work visas will only be issued for 2 years and further 1-year extension is only possible with new job check approval.
Extensions to existing AEWV visa holders
1. AEWV visa holders are eligible for further extension of 2 years for applications lodged between 21 June 2023 to 27 November 2023.
2. ANZSCO level 4 or 5 skill level applicants whose applicants were lodged before 21 June 2023 and after 6 April 2024, will not be eligible to get remaining 2 years extensions.
3. Applicants meeting Green List requirements or paid at twice median wage are eligible to get 5 year work visas.
3. ANZSCO skill level 1-3 are eligible to get 5 years AEWV visas as usual.
Closure of Transport Sector Agreement-
1.From 7/04/2024, there will be no pathway to work to residence pathway under transport sector workforce agreement
INZ link is at
The Government is making changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Find out what these changes mean for employers and visa applicants.
