WORKING IN NZ

Your work visa, sorted properly the first time

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is the main way skilled migrants come to work in New Zealand. It sounds straightforward, the details are where applications succeed or fail, and that's not something you have to work out alone.

Talk to us about your work visa

If you have a job offer from a New Zealand employer who holds Accreditation, the AEWV is most likely the visa that gets you here. It sounds straightforward. In practice, the details are where applications succeed or fail, the skill level of your role, the pay rate, the evidence of your experience, and how all of that lines up with what you'll want to do next.

Get those right at the start and everything that follows is easier. Get them wrong and you can find yourself stuck, unable to renew or unable to move toward residence.

What the AEWV gives you

With an Accredited Employer Work Visa, you can:

Work in New Zealand for your Accredited employer, in the role your visa was approved for
Stay for between three and five years, depending on your role's skill level and pay
Build the New Zealand work experience that many residence pathways are based on
Bring your partner and children in many cases, more on that below

Your visa is tied to your employer, your role, and your location. If any of those change, you'll usually need to apply to vary your visa, which is its own piece of work, and one we handle often.

Warehouse worker in a high-visibility vest carrying a box, an example of a role covered by an Accredited Employer Work Visa

How long your visa lasts, and why it matters now

How long your AEWV lasts depends mainly on the skill level of your role and what you're paid. Higher-skilled or more highly paid roles can lead to a visa of up to five years. Many lower-skilled roles have a maximum continuous stay of three years.

Once you're at maximum continuous stay, you may need to leave New Zealand for twelve months before you can apply again, unless you've moved onto a residence pathway in the meantime. We frequently help clients navigate a pathway to residence which swaps between partners as the principal applicant while they accrue eligibility.

These thresholds change regularly, sometimes with only days' notice. Talk to us for the figures that apply to your role today, rather than relying on a number you've seen elsewhere.

This is exactly why the start matters so much. The skill level of your role doesn't just decide which visa you can get, it can decide whether you'll ever be able to apply for residence, and which pathway you can use. We'll help you understand what your role means for your future here, not just for the next twelve months.

Person studying with an English dictionary and notebook, preparing for the AEWV English language requirement

The English language requirement

From 2025, migrants in lower-skilled roles have needed to meet an English language requirement, and in 2026 this extended further. Whether it applies to you depends on your role and when your visa is granted or renewed.

If you're worried about an English test, talk to us early. There's often more flexibility than people expect, and where a test is needed, knowing that well ahead of time means you can prepare rather than scramble.

Changing your job or employer

Life changes. You might be offered a better role, your employer's circumstances might shift, or you might simply want a fresh start with a different Accredited employer.

Because your AEWV is tied to a specific employer, role, and location, moving usually means applying for a variation of conditions, often called a Job Change. Some employers aren't aware they need Accreditation and an approved Job Check to facilitate this, worth knowing if you're the one driving the conversation with them. There are fast-track procedures if the Job Change is due to a sale or restructuring of a business.

If you've been offered a new role and you're not sure what it means for your visa, that's the moment to get in touch.

Job candidate and employer shaking hands across a desk after agreeing a new role

What we'll do for you

A plain-English approach, and a Licensed Immigration Adviser in your corner

An honest assessment first

If your application is strong, we'll tell you and get on with it. If there's a gap, we'll tell you that too, and work out how to fix it.

Plain-English answers

Not a wall of immigration jargon, straight answers about what your situation actually means.

Your Licensed Adviser

Dealing with Immigration New Zealand on your behalf, and keeping you updated, so you can focus on your work and your family.

Get in touch

A note on cost

Your employer covers Accreditation and the Job Check that approves your role, and they may pay for the AEWV itself. If you're engaging us directly for a Job Change, a family visa, or a residence application, we'll be clear about the cost before we start.

If your employer is a Neazor Brady client, ask us about flexible payment terms.

YOUR WORK VISA

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring my family on an Accredited Employer Work Visa?

In many cases, yes. Your partner and dependent children may be able to join you, and depending on your role and pay, your partner may be able to work here too, not just visit. The detail depends on your specific situation, so it's worth getting advice early.

Bringing your partner & family →

What happens when my visa is about to expire?

That depends on where you are in your journey, whether you're renewing, moving toward residence, or reaching the limit of your stay. The worst thing is to leave it to the last minute; the best thing is to plan the next step well before your visa runs out. Talk to us in good time and we'll map your options so there's no nasty surprise.

Can I change employers or roles?

Usually yes, but because your visa is tied to a specific employer, role, and location, you'll generally need to apply to vary your visa first, often called a Job Change. There may be some things for your employer to work through too (Accreditation and a Job Check). Don't start the new role before the change is approved.

Do I have to pass an English test?

It depends on your role and when your visa is granted or renewed, English requirements now apply to some roles and not others, and the rules have been changing. If you're worried about it, talk to us early, there's often more flexibility than people expect. Thresholds and rules change regularly, talk to us for the figures that apply to your situation today.

Will my time on this visa count towards residence?

Often, yes, many residence pathways are built on New Zealand work experience, and time on your work visa can count towards that. But it depends on your role, your pay, and the pathway, which is exactly why it pays to think about residence from the start rather than at the end.

Living in New Zealand →

Do I have to be on an AEWV to apply for residence?

Not necessarily, depending on your situation you may be able to apply for residence while on a Post Study Work Visa, Partnership Open Work Visa, Specific Purpose Work Visa, or even a Working Holiday Visa. We can help you figure it out.

Post Study Work Visa, on our Studying in New Zealand page →

Who pays for my work visa, me or my employer?

Your employer covers Accreditation and the Job Check, and often pays for the work visa itself. If you're arranging a Job Change, a family visa, or residence yourself, we'll be clear about the cost before we start, and if your employer is a Neazor Brady client, ask us about flexible payment terms. If your employer pays, they may bond you to work for them for a minimum period or ask you to repay some or all of your visa application costs. This is lawful, but they can't ask you to pay for Accreditation, Job Check, or recruitment costs.