Have you been offered the opportunity to work in New Zealand?

If so, you will need to apply for a work visa and be issued that visa before you can commence in the offered role. 

An accredited employer work visa (AEWV) is likely to be the most appropriate option for working in New Zealand. To submit an AEWV, the offer of employment must come from an employer who has been vetted by INZ (an accredited employer) and the role needs to have been signed off by INZ (a job check). An approved job check provides the employer with one or more "job tokens" and one of these is needed to commence an AEWV application. 

For most positions, payment at or above the median wage is required for an AEWV to be granted. There are however wage exemptions for certain occupations in certain sectors, pursuant to agreements with that industry. We further explain sector agreements and obtaining visas to work on those sectors here. 

While there are other categories of work visa available under INZ policy, they are typically narrow in scope. Determining your eligibility for a work visa, and the duration of visa available to you, requires an analysis of both the job on offer and your existing experience and qualifications.

Applying under the wrong category can result in a shorter visa, delays in becoming eligible for residence, or can even result in your application being declined, which can jeopardise your ability to remain in New Zealand.

We can advise you, and your employer, as to what category of work visa is going to be most appropriate for your circumstances, taking into consideration the level of urgency, cost and any long term goals. We will also be able to clearly outline the requirements under each category and work with you and your employer to ensure those requirements are met before any application is lodged.

Where needed, we can also assist employers with becoming accredited and obtaining sign-off on the positions they are looking to fill with migrant workers.