What is AEWV Accreditation

and How Can It Benefit Your Business?

Read More Below

What is AEWV Accreditation and How Can it Benefit Your Business?

Did you know that there is a worldwide skills shortage and it is affecting many businesses? Several
businesses that are unable to find the skilled workers they need locally, resorts to hiring offshore
candidates.

Hiring migrants can help businesses bridge the skills gap and get the talent they need to stay
competitive and so can you. Hiring foreign workers make up a sizable chunk of the employment
landscape in countries all over the world. And while it's true that hiring foreign workers can be more
complicated than hiring employees from your home country, the significant benefits associated with it
make it well worth the effort.

Hiring employees from outside of your home country can bring a wealth of benefits to your organization
– from cultural diversity in the workplace to unique knowledge and varied experiences. Skills are
transferable and you will benefit from these skills. The recruitment process itself can also be an
opportunity to improve productivity and growth by showcasing the best that each candidate has to
offer.

Immigration New Zealand's goal is to make sure that temporary migrant workers are only brought in for
jobs that genuinely need to be filled, while also making sure employers can still get the skills and labour
they need.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa

The government of New Zealand proposed the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) in 2019 with the
intention of reducing application processing times, reducing the reliance on temporary skilled workers
and improving the New Zealand economy.

The AEWV was launched and been open for applications since 4 July 2022 and has replaced six work visa
types in New Zealand. Some of these visas will be phased out prior to 23 May 2022, including the
Essential Skills Work Visa, the Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa, the Long-Term Skill Shortage List
Work Visa, the Silver Fern Job Search Visa and the Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa. The AEWV is a
temporary work visa for people who want to live and work in New Zealand permanently.

These are the FOUR phases of Accreditation and hiring migrants:
Phase 1 – Apply for Accreditation with Immigration New Zealand (INZ)
Phase 2 – Apply for a Job check per role type
Phase 3 – Obtain the job token and apply for the AEWV.
Phase 4 – Supply the migrant with a Relocation assistance pack is an important part of the
process.

Follow this link from our website to learn more about Accreditation.
Why does your business need accreditation?

Now, you might ask. Why do I or my business needs accreditation? Well, as mentioned above there are
a lot of benefits that getting accredited has to offer.

Employers can get accreditation to use the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) to hire migrants on
visas for up to 3 years. You must pay at least the New Zealand median wage, unless the role is on an
exemption list, and show that you cannot find suitable New Zealanders first.
Immigration New Zealand offers companies the opportunity to register as an accredited employer if
they meet all their requirements. This allows the company to hire employees that are integral to the
business from offshore.

Greater opportunities are waiting for your business and you’d also be helping your fellow citizens.

Here are some reasons why you need to get accredited:

To lessen the exploitation of transient foreign employees – More than half of the world
population is transient, meaning they move from place to place in search of work.
Unfortunately, many of these workers are exploited by their employers, who often take
advantage of their lack of legal status and knowledge of their rights. This results in widespread
exploitation, including wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and sexual harassment.
The exploitation of transient foreign employees is a global problem that requires a multi-
pronged approach to address. Thankfully, the government of New Zealand took action for this
to be reduced or better; to have it completely stopped.

– To prioritize employing and training more New Zealanders – Prioritizing employing and training
more New Zealanders can have a number of positive impacts for businesses and the economy. It
is important to support the local economy and to ensure that businesses have the skilled
workers they need to be successful. Additionally, training more New Zealanders can help to
create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

– To guarantee that only temporary foreign workers who are actually needed in New Zealand
are hired – The New Zealand government has put in place a number of measures to ensure that
temporary foreign workers are only recruited for genuine shortages in New Zealand. One of
these measures is the requirement for employers to first advertise the position locally before
they can apply to recruit a foreign worker. This ensures that local workers have the first
opportunity to apply for the position.

 

What are the advantages of being an Accredited Employer?

By this point, you’re probably already aware of what accreditation is and why you need it. Let’s take a
look at the benefits and advantages of getting accredited.

– The accredited employer status binds the employee to the employer work visa – in that theemployee is only authorized to work for the employer who holds the accredited employer status. This status is granted by Immigration New Zealand and is only held by a select few employers who have been assessed as meeting certain standards. This means that if an employee wants to change employers, they will need to apply for a new work visa.

– The accredited employer status will enable your business to recruit the correct skilled
employees if they are not available from within the country at a shorter notice period – If your
business is accredited by the government, you will be able to recruit the correct skilled
employees from overseas if they are not available from within the country. This will enable you
to fill any skills shortages at a shorter notice period, and ensure that your business has the
necessary skills to remain competitive.

– Expand your workforce at shorter notice to meet the demand with offshore skills if required –
This can be a cost-effective way to get the skills you need at shorter notice. There are a number
of reputable agencies that can help you find the right candidates. Make sure you do your due
diligence to avoid any issues further down the line.


Select the best quality skills from a larger pool of talent – This allows you to find the most qualified
employees for your organization, and to ensure that your employees have the skills and abilities that
you need. Additionally, accredited employers can access exclusive resources and support from the
government, which can help you to improve your organization and to better meet the needs of your
employees.


You can Apply for 1 of 4 Different Levels of Accreditation
– Standard accreditation is for standard businesses hiring up to 5 migrants.
– High-volume accreditation is for standard businesses hiring 6 or more migrants.
– Franchisee accreditation is for businesses that are part of a franchise. There is no limit to how
many migrants you can hire.
– Controlling third party accreditation is for businesses who place migrants with third parties
while being the direct employer named in the employment agreement. There is no limit to how
many migrants you can hire.

When hiring migrants for a third party, the company must ensure that the third party is

compliant with all employment laws. This includes ensuring that the third party is not on a
stand-down list for breaching employment standards and they have no past history of non-
compliance issues.

Your initial accreditation lasts for 12 months before you need to renew it.
Once you renew it will last for:
– 24 months for standard businesses, as long as it has not lapsed for 12 or more months
– 12 months for franchisees and employers placing migrants with controlling third parties.

When you renew we may ask for evidence you have completed activities you committed to do during
the previous accreditation period, You can also check it out on our website.

The Challenge:

PHASE 1 – Apply for Accreditation with Immigration New Zealand (INZ)

This goes without saying that there are a couple of things that you need to secure, in order for you to
get accredited.
This requirement for Accreditation has been implemented on 4 th of July 2022 have made it difficult for
businesses to attract and retain skilled migrants as employees in various sectors including construction,
trades and others.
With that said the Accredited Employer process includes the following company checks:
1. Must be in a sound financial position to determine that the employment is indeed sustainable
2. Must comply with labour legislation
3. Must have a good health and safety record
4. Must be in good standing with IRD
5. Training that needs to be completed by the company and the candidate
6. Must provide relocation advice and assistance to migrant employees which needs to be
documented and recorded – this is crucial for renewing your accreditation in a year’s time and
we have the perfect solution for you!

The Job check – PHASE 2- Apply for a Job check per role type

Immigration New Zealand will only grant you accreditation once you’ve advertised the job (except for
Green List roles) and done a job check to ensure that there are no qualified New Zealanders who could
fill the role.
The job check is mandatory in order to help support local employment opportunities and ensure that
employers are offering competitive wages to New Zealanders before looking overseas for employees. By
only allowing migrants to fill higher-skilled roles, the job check will also help ensure that those recruited
into New Zealand are contributing to the economy in a meaningful way.
Even if the role is on the GREEN LIST – the company still needs to do a job check – but no advertising
evidence is required.

PHASE 3 – Applying for the Accredited employer work visa

If the job check is approved then a Job Token number is sent to the migrant. The migrant then uses this
number to apply for their Accredited Employer work visa.

Migrant requirements:
To be eligible to work in New Zealand under an accredited employer, the overseas worker must meet
the following criteria:
1. Be at least 55 years old or below
2. Be able to qualify with the health and character requirements
3. Be an authentic applicant who intends to obey the conditions of their visa.
4. Have the required skills and qualifications for the position

PHASE 4 – Supplying the migrant with relocation assistance – A CRUCIAL part
of the process!!

It is crucial that the company supplies the migrant with settlement information for New Zealand.
Evidence of supplying the migrant with settlement information is required by INZ and is crucial when
wanting to renew your Accreditation in12 months’ time. The list is quite extensive and takes time to
draw up the information.

This is where Network Migration can save you a lot of time and resources. We have a ready to use and
exhaustive relocation assistance pack which can easily be placed on your company letterhead.
Our relocation pack includes extra modules and videos over and above the INZ requirements. For
example, there is a module on the stress of Immigration and how to deal with this stress. Another
module teaches migrants on how to socialize and make new friends. This gives you a more relaxed,
motivated and socially adapted family and employee. They will integrate quicker and settled into their
environment quicker.
If you are already Accredited and need this relocation pack only – contact Network Migration now or go
to our website as we will supply this separately if needed.

The Preparations you’ll need

Announced by Immigration New Zealand, the application process will now be declaration-based instead
of the traditional method of supplying all pre-prepared documentation in advance.
Although this speeds up the process, it’s essential to understand that you must still have the required
documentation that proves you have met all processes and criteria for accreditation at the time of
applying. You may also be asked to provide this information during INZ’s assessment of your application.
If an employer wishes to apply for accreditation, the New Zealand government suggests that they start
preparing and collecting all required documents well in advance – at least 3 to 6 months before the

accreditation is set to expire. Given that it can take some time to gather all the pertinent documents,
starting the process early will help ensure that everything is submitted on time and avoid any potential
disruptions to your business.

If you’re looking for help with getting your business accredited, look no further than Network Migration!
In a highly competitive marketplace, it is essential to get professional services that will make you stand
out from the competition. Get started here and book a consultation with our experts to learn more
about what employer accreditation requirements are necessary in order to hiring migrant workers. With
years of experience in catering to the needs of both indigenous New Zealanders and migrant laborers,
our team of experts have a wealth of knowledge in the area and can provide insights into various facets
of employer accreditation.

Network Migration Services has been specialising in assisting our clients with accreditation services for
over 5 years. We have a team of experienced professionals who are well-versed in the accreditation
process and can help you with all aspects of your application. We understand the importance of
accreditation and the impact it can have on your business, so we will work closely with you to ensure
that your application is complete and accurate.

Peter Lemmer
Managing Director, Network Migration Services New Zealand Limited
P.S. For a free, no-obligation consultation, follow think link to our website or contact Peter today at
peter@networkmigration.com
Set aside just 45 minutes and discover how you can get Accreditation process underway.

Scroll to Top