New Zealand Work Visa (AEWV) Guide for Indian Professionals

Complete guide to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) — New Zealand's primary work visa for skilled migrants — covering employer accreditation, Job Check, application steps, residence pathways, and common pitfalls for Indian professionals.

Overview

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is New Zealand's primary temporary work visa for skilled migrants from outside Australia. Introduced in July 2022 to replace the earlier Essential Skills Work Visa, the AEWV places the compliance burden firmly on the employer: they must become formally accredited with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) before they can hire any migrant worker on this pathway. For Indian professionals, the AEWV is typically the first step in the New Zealand immigration journey — providing a legal right to work for up to three years, and in many cases serving as the bridge toward permanent residence through the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) or the Green List.

Understanding the AEWV requires understanding the three-tier structure that distinguishes it from the old system: employer accreditation, Job Check, and the individual visa application. Each stage has distinct requirements, processing timelines, and conditions. The process is designed so that INZ vets both the employer and the specific role before a single worker visa is granted — a model that puts more upfront effort on the employer but offers migrant workers stronger employment protections once they arrive.

New Zealand actively competes with Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom for skilled Indian professionals, particularly in technology, healthcare, engineering, and construction. The Green List — introduced alongside the AEWV in 2022 — creates an accelerated residence pathway for occupations in high demand, covering most ICT roles, registered nurses, engineers, and teachers. If your occupation appears on the Green List, your residence options are significantly faster than the standard SMC track.

How the System Works

The AEWV operates through three tiers that must be completed in sequence:

Tier 1 — Employer Accreditation. The employer must apply for and receive accreditation from INZ before advertising the role or making a formal offer to a migrant worker. Standard accreditation covers employers hiring 1–5 migrant workers per year; high-volume accreditation applies to employers hiring 6 or more. Accreditation requires the employer to demonstrate: financial stability and solvency, compliance with New Zealand employment and immigration law, a written commitment to migrant worker wellbeing (including providing settlement information), and evidence of genuine business operations. Accreditation is granted for 12 months and must be renewed. The INZ Accredited Employer Register is publicly searchable at immigration.govt.nz — always verify your prospective employer's accreditation status and expiry date before accepting an offer.

Tier 2 — Job Check. Once accredited, the employer applies for a Job Check for the specific role they wish to fill with a migrant worker. The Job Check verifies: the offered salary meets or exceeds the median wage threshold (or the relevant occupational minimum, whichever is higher), the employment agreement complies with the Employment Relations Act 2000, and the employer has genuinely attempted to recruit from the resident labour market before turning to international recruitment. For most roles, a 2-week advertising period (Jobs Online, Seek, LinkedIn) with evidence that no suitable New Zealand resident applied is sufficient. Once INZ approves the Job Check, the employer receives a Job Check token valid for 6 months, which the worker then uses in their visa application.

Tier 3 — Individual AEWV Application. The worker applies online via the INZ portal, attaching the Job Check token, passport, qualifications evidence, police clearance (apostilled, from India and any country where they lived for 12+ months in the past 10 years), medical examination results from an INZ-approved physician, and any additional documents INZ requires. The visa, if granted, specifies the employer, role, and location conditions.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Verify employer accreditation. Search immigration.govt.nz/employ-migrants/employer-accreditation-and-the-accredited-employer-work-visa/accredited-employer-register. Confirm the employer is listed as active and that accreditation does not expire before your planned start date.

Step 2: Receive and review the employment agreement. The employer should provide a draft employment agreement before the Job Check is submitted. Review salary (must be at or above the current median wage threshold), role description, hours, leave entitlements, and termination provisions.

Step 3: Employer submits the Job Check. The employer uploads the employment agreement, evidence of the salary rate, and labour market advertising documentation. Standard Job Check processing: 3–5 business days.

Step 4: Receive the Job Check token. The employer provides you with the approved Job Check token. You cannot submit your AEWV application without this token.

Step 5: Prepare your documents. Gather: passport, Job Check token, qualifications certificates (with INZ-approved translations if not in English), Indian police clearance (apostilled via Ministry of External Affairs), medical examination certificate from an INZ-approved physician (book early — some clinics have 2–3 week waits), proof of settlement funds if required for your situation.

Step 6: Submit AEWV application online. Apply via immigration.govt.nz. Pay the application fee online at time of submission. Standard processing: 4–8 weeks. Priority processing is available at additional cost.

Step 7: Post-approval actions. On arrival in New Zealand: apply for your IRD number immediately via myIR at ird.govt.nz (do not wait — missing IRD number means emergency tax rates apply from day one), enrol in KiwiSaver through your employer, register with a GP (general practice clinic) in your area, and open a New Zealand bank account.

Key Rules and Constraints

Median wage requirement. The AEWV requires the role to pay at or above the median wage as determined by INZ.

[CAUTION_FLAG: The New Zealand median wage threshold for AEWV eligibility is reviewed periodically by INZ based on Statistics New Zealand wage data and may change. As of 2024, the figure was NZD 29.66/hour (approximately NZD 61,693/year for a standard 40-hour week), but this is subject to revision. Verify the current threshold at https://www.immigration.govt.nz/employ-migrants/employer-accreditation-and-the-accredited-employer-work-visa/accredited-employer-work-visa/pay-and-job-requirements before making any application or financial decisions.]

Visa is employer-tied. The AEWV specifies the employer, role, and work location. Working for a different employer without a variation of conditions approval is a visa breach. If you change jobs, your new employer must be accredited, must complete a Job Check for the new role, and you must apply for a variation of conditions — and receive approval — before your first day with the new employer.

Path to residence. The AEWV is temporary. Residence pathways include: (1) Skilled Migrant Category — points-based, requires employment in a skilled role at or above median wage.

[CAUTION_FLAG: The Skilled Migrant Category points threshold and selection pool criteria are reviewed and adjusted by INZ. The SMC was suspended in 2020–2022 and relaunched with revised criteria in 2023. INZ may change the threshold or pause selection rounds at any time. Verify current SMC eligibility criteria at https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visa-lists/skilled-migrant-category-resident-visa before any residence planning.] (2) Green List — direct residence for Tier 1 occupations; work-to-residence for Tier 2. Check the current Green List at immigration.govt.nz.

Maximum duration and extension. Most AEWVs are granted for up to 3 years. Extensions are available and common. Some roles have a 5-year maximum stay limit — check with INZ or an immigration lawyer for your specific situation.

Partner and dependent children. Spouse or de facto partner of an AEWV holder can apply for an open work visa (linked to your visa), allowing them to work for any employer. Dependent children under 20 (unmarried) can be included on the family application.

Costs and Timelines

AEWV application fee: Approximately NZD 790 (online application). Additional fees apply for each accompanying dependent. Fee structures are subject to INZ revision — verify at immigration.govt.nz at the time of application.

Medical examination: INZ-approved physician required. Typical cost: NZD 250–450 depending on clinic and additional tests required. Book early — demand is high.

Indian police clearance: Obtain from the Superintendent of Police or Passport Seva Kendra. Must be apostilled through the Ministry of External Affairs (India). Timeline: 3–6 weeks total. Plan well in advance.

Job Check: No fee paid by the worker. Employer pays approximately NZD 610 per Job Check submission.

Priority processing: Available at additional cost to expedite AEWV processing to approximately 5–10 business days.

Total timeline from job offer to visa grant: Typically 8–16 weeks for a well-prepared application, accounting for employer Job Check (1 week), police clearance preparation (4–6 weeks), and standard AEWV processing (4–8 weeks). If the employer needs accreditation first, add 4–8 additional weeks.

Common Pitfalls

Accepting a job offer before confirming employer accreditation status. Some employers — particularly smaller firms — believe they can sponsor migrant workers without first confirming their accreditation. An expired or lapsed accreditation will cause the Job Check to fail, potentially leaving you in limbo after resigning a previous role.

Salary below the threshold. A salary offer that does not meet the current median wage or occupational threshold will fail the Job Check. This is particularly common in hospitality, early-stage tech startups, and roles where the employer uses a base salary plus commission structure. Ensure your guaranteed base salary meets the threshold independently of any variable components.

Submitting un-apostilled Indian documents. INZ requires police clearance certificates from India to be apostilled via India's Ministry of External Affairs. Unapostilled documents are regularly rejected, adding 3–6 weeks of delay.

Delaying IRD number application. Every week you work without an IRD number, your employer must deduct income tax at the no-notification rate (currently 45% on all earnings). Apply via myIR at ird.govt.nz on arrival day if possible.

Changing employers without a variation of conditions. This is the single most common AEWV compliance breach. Even if your new employer is already accredited and the new role pays above threshold, you must receive INZ variation approval before you begin working for them. Breaching this condition can jeopardise your resident visa pathway.

Practical Tips for Indian Professionals

Before starting your job search, spend time on the INZ Green List (immigration.govt.nz/employ-migrants/green-list). If your occupation is listed — most ICT professionals, engineers, registered nurses, and several specialist trades are included — you may qualify for a direct residence pathway that avoids the SMC points system entirely and provides significantly faster certainty of residency.

Prioritise employers who already appear on the Accredited Employer Register. A quick search before applying narrows your list to employers who can move quickly once an offer is made, eliminating the 4–8 week accreditation wait.

Connect with the Indian professional community in Auckland (particularly Manukau, Papatoetoe, Henderson) and Wellington before and after arrival. New Zealand's Indian diaspora is well organised and frequently shares practical employer-specific guidance about which companies offer genuine career progression versus contractor-only arrangements.

Engage a licensed immigration adviser or immigration lawyer for your AEWV if your situation involves any complexity — change of status from another visa, criminal history, or gaps in employment. The cost (typically NZD 500–2,000) is a small fraction of the financial risk of a declined application.

Begin your KiwiSaver enrolment in your first week of employment. Your employer must contribute a minimum of 3% of your gross salary to your KiwiSaver fund — this is additional income you receive on top of your salary. Delaying enrolment means permanently forfeiting those employer contributions for the period you were not enrolled.