Accredited Employer Work Visa: who can apply and how it works

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the main temporary work visa for people who have a job offer from a New Zealand employer that holds accreditation. You can only apply if an accredited employer sends you a link to the online application form. The visa lets you stay in New Zealand from 7 months to 5 years, depending on your job, skill level, how much you are paid and when you applied for your visa. You must work only under the conditions specified on your visa, which can include who you work for, the occupation, the location, your pay and your hours.

What the AEWV is and who can apply

The AEWV is a temporary work visa. It is not a residence visa, although some residence pathways — such as the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, the Straight to Residence Visa, and the Care Workforce, Transport and other work-to-residence visas — require you to work for an accredited employer. To apply for the AEWV itself, you need a job offer from an employer that is accredited with Immigration New Zealand.

The employer must send you a link to the online application form. You cannot start an AEWV application without that link. The employer also needs a valid job check for the role they are offering you. If you are changing to a new job on an AEWV, the new employer must be accredited and must have a valid job check for that job.

Length of stay on an AEWV

The AEWV allows you to stay in New Zealand for a period between 7 months and 5 years. The length is not fixed for everyone. Immigration New Zealand states that it depends on your job, your skill level, how much you are paid and when you applied for your visa. Because the official guidance does not give the specific formula or the exact thresholds for each length, you must check the official AEWV page for the current rules that apply to your circumstances.

Your visa will also carry an expiry date travel condition, which is the last day you can enter New Zealand using that visa. If you are outside New Zealand and your expiry date travel has passed, the visa expires. There is also a “first entry before” condition on many work visas: if you do not enter New Zealand before that date, the visa is no longer valid.

Conditions that come with an AEWV

Every work visa carries conditions, and the AEWV is no exception. Conditions tell you what you can and cannot do. You can find your conditions in your online account, on a visa label in your passport if you have one, in the letter Immigration New Zealand sent you, or online using the Visa Verification Service.

Common conditions on work visas include:

Condition	What it means
Visa expiry date	The last day you can stay in New Zealand on your visa
First entry before	You must arrive in New Zealand before this date or the visa is no longer valid
Number of entries	If you have multiple entries, you can leave and return before your expiry date travel
Expiry date travel	The last day you can enter New Zealand using this visa
Work conditions	Who you can work for, the occupation, location, pay, hours and employment arrangement
Study conditions	Some visas allow study for a set time, but only under the conditions specified

Unless your visa states “Return/onward travel not required”, you must also have a ticket to leave New Zealand, enough money to buy one, or an acceptable sponsor who can pay for it.

Changing employer, job or location

If your AEWV lets you work in any job, for any employer and in any location, you do not need to apply for a variation of conditions or a Job Change. If your visa restricts you to a particular employer, job or location, you will need to change those conditions if you want to move.

For an AEWV, the mechanism for changing employer, job or location — or a combination of these — is a Job Change. A Job Change is only available for the AEWV, the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV) and the Peak Seasonal Visa (PSV). To apply, your new employer must be an AEWV accredited employer and must have a valid job check for the new role. You will need the job check number for your application.

Your job token must be for the same type of visa you currently hold. For example, if you hold an AEWV, you cannot use a job token issued for a PSV or GWSV to apply for a Job Change. If you hold a GWSV, you can only change to a job on the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa jobs list; if you hold a PSV, only to a job on the Peak Seasonal Visa jobs list.

The time left on your visa does not change when you get a Job Change. If you are changing jobs, you must also meet any qualification or work experience requirements that your new employer listed in the job advertisement.

What happens if your employer loses accreditation or the business is sold

If your employer loses accreditation, you can continue working for them until your visa expires. If you choose to find a job with a new employer instead, you can apply for a Job Change.

If your employer transfers you to another business because of a business sale or restructure, you will need to apply for a Job Change. A business sale or restructure occurs when the legal owner of the business changes. If only the reporting line changes but the organisation and the main duties of your job stay the same, you do not need to apply for a Job Change.

Staying longer or applying for another visa

You cannot extend a work visa. If you are in New Zealand and want to stay past your visa expiry date, you must apply for another temporary visa — to visit, study or work — before your current one expires. To apply for another temporary visa while you are in New Zealand, you must hold a current visa that is not a limited visa, Interim Visa or Transit Visa. Immigration New Zealand advises applying at least one month before your current visa expires.

If your current temporary visa is going to expire while you are waiting for a decision, Immigration New Zealand will normally issue an Interim Visa so you can stay lawfully. The conditions on an Interim Visa depend on the visa you previously held and the new visa you have applied for. If your visa expires and you remain in New Zealand without a new visa or an Interim Visa, you will be here unlawfully and may be deported.

What to do next and what to verify

Before you apply for an AEWV, confirm three things on the official Immigration New Zealand pages. First, check that your employer is on the accredited employer list. Second, confirm that the employer has a valid job check for your role and that they will send you the link to the online application form. Third, check the current AEWV page for the length of stay rules that apply to your job, skill level and pay, because the official guidance does not give the specific thresholds.

If you already hold an AEWV and want to change employer, job or location, check whether your visa conditions restrict you. If they do, you will need a Job Change, and your new employer must be accredited with a valid job check. Verify the job check number and confirm that your job token matches your current visa type before you apply.