New Zealand's Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the main temporary work visa for foreign workers, tied to an employer that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has already approved. If you plan to work in New Zealand for a company, this is almost always the visa you will be on. Here is how it is structured.
Every AEWV application flows through three checks, in order.
All three have to pass for an AEWV to be granted. If the employer is not accredited, there is no point starting the process.
Accreditation comes in four flavours, chosen by the employer based on how they hire.
See the INZ employer accreditation page for full details.
Once the employer and job checks are done, the focus moves to you.
Most Job Checks require the employer to advertise the role in New Zealand for a minimum period before it can be approved. There are exemptions, including for Green List roles and certain other categories where the labour-market test is not applied. The INZ Job Check page lists the current rules.
The maximum length of an AEWV depends on the role's skill level and the employer's accreditation type, and can stretch to several years. INZ updates these settings over time, so the current duration rules are on the INZ AEWV page.
Partners of AEWV holders can usually apply for an open work visa, and dependent children can usually attend New Zealand schools at domestic student rates.
The AEWV is a temporary visa, but it is often the first step on a residence pathway.
Other residence categories exist, including partnership-based visas, but they are outside the scope of this post.
If you want to know whether the AEWV route is likely to work for you, start with the role: pin down your ANZSCO skill level, then check whether any Green List or SMC route applies.
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