Accredited Employer Work Visa and Green List roles in New Zealand

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is New Zealand’s main employer-sponsored work visa. To apply, you need a job offer from an employer that is accredited with Immigration New Zealand. If your job is on the Green List and you meet the Green List requirements for that role, you may be able to support certain visas for your partner and dependent children, and your job may be recognised at a higher skill level for AEWV purposes. The AEWV 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. The employer must send you a link to the online application form. You cannot apply for an AEWV without that link and a job offer from an accredited employer.

What the AEWV is and who can apply

The AEWV is one of several work visas available in New Zealand. It is designed for people who have a job offer from an employer that has been accredited by Immigration New Zealand. The employer must send you a link to the online application form — you cannot submit an AEWV application without that link.

The visa duration ranges from 7 months to 5 years. The exact length depends on your job, the skill level of your occupation, how much you are paid, and when you applied for your visa. Your visa conditions will specify what work you can do, for which employer, and in which location.

You do not need a visa to work in New Zealand if you are a New Zealand or Australian citizen. For everyone else, the AEWV is one of the main routes to work in New Zealand on a temporary basis. Some work visas can lead to residence, and the AEWV can be a stepping stone to residence visas such as the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, the Straight to Residence Visa, or the Work to Residence Visas for care workforce or transport roles.

The Green List and how it affects your AEWV

The Green List is a list of jobs that New Zealand needs people for. If your job is on the Green List and you meet the job’s Green List requirements, this affects what you can do on your AEWV and what visas you can support for your family.

If your job is on the Green List and you meet the Green List requirements, you can support the following visas for your family:

• a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
• a Dependent Child Student Visa
• a Child of Worker Visitor Visa

If your job is on the Green List, you meet the Green List requirements, and you are paid at least NZD $35.00 an hour, you can also support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa.

Being on the Green List can also affect how your job is treated for other purposes. For example, if you work in an ANZSCO level 5 job and your job is on the Green List, you may be able to support your family even though the general rule for ANZSCO level 5 jobs would not allow it. Immigration New Zealand advises that if more than one scenario applies to your job, you should use the scenario that is most favourable to your situation.

Family visas you can support with an AEWV

If you have an AEWV, you may be able to support visas for your partner and dependent children. The type of visa you can support depends on several factors:

• how much you earn
• the skill level of your occupation
• if your job is on the list of National Occupation List (NOL) occupations recognised for an AEWV
• if your job is on the list of approved transport jobs for the Transport Work to Residence Visa
• if your job is on the list of approved care workforce jobs for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa
• if your job is on the Green List and you meet the job’s Green List requirements
• if you supported a visa for your family before 26 June 2024

The visas you may be able to support are:

• a visitor visa for your partner
• a work visa for your partner
• visitor visas for your dependent children
• student visas for your dependent children

If you and your partner both have an AEWV, you can combine your incomes to meet the minimum income threshold requirement to support dependent children.

Income thresholds for supporting family visas

The income thresholds you need to meet depend on your job’s skill level and whether your job is on a recognised list. The following table summarises the key thresholds from the official Immigration New Zealand guidance.

Your job situation	Income threshold	Family visas you can support
Any AEWV job	At least NZD $52.50 an hour	Partner of a Worker Work Visa, Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa, Dependent Child Student Visa, Child of Worker Visitor Visa
ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3	Less than NZD $28.00 an hour	Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa only
ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3	NZD $28.00 an hour or more	Partner of a Worker Work Visa, Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3	At least NZD $58,240 a year	Dependent Child Student Visa, Child of Worker Visitor Visa
NOL occupation for AEWV	Less than NZD $28.00 an hour	Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa only
NOL occupation for AEWV	NZD $28.00 an hour or more	Partner of a Worker Work Visa, Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
NOL occupation for AEWV	At least NZD $58,240 a year	Dependent Child Student Visa, Child of Worker Visitor Visa
Green List job, meeting requirements	Any pay level	Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa, Dependent Child Student Visa, Child of Worker Visitor Visa
Green List job, meeting requirements	At least NZD $35.00 an hour	Also Partner of a Worker Work Visa
ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5	At least NZD $28.25 an hour	Partner of a Worker Work Visa, Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5	At least NZD $58,240 a year	Dependent Child Student Visa, Child of Worker Visitor Visa

There are also transitional provisions. If you earn at least NZD $43,322.76 a year, you can support a Dependent Child Student Visa or a Child of Worker Visitor Visa if, on or before 9 March 2025, your dependent child had been approved for a visa or had applied for a visa based on their relationship to you, and you had an AEWV or had applied for an AEWV that was later approved. This provision applies to jobs at ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3, and to ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 jobs.

For approved transport jobs, the requirements are different. If your job is an approved transport job and you meet the ‘acceptable employment’ requirements, you can support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa and a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa. To meet acceptable employment requirements, your job must pay at least NZD $35.00 an hour, be with an accredited employer, be at least 30 hours each week, be permanent or a fixed-term job lasting at least 12 months from when you make your application, and be a genuine job or job offer — for example, you did not pay the employer to get the job offer. If you earn at least NZD $58,240 a year and meet the acceptable employment requirements, you can also support a Dependent Child Student Visa and a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.

For approved care workforce jobs, Immigration New Zealand advises you to check whether you can support visas for your family while you gain work experience on an AEWV to be able to apply for a Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa. If your job is ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3, the general ANZSCO skill level rules apply. If your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5, the ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 rules apply.

How ANZSCO skill levels work

ANZSCO grades jobs according to skill level. ANZSCO skill levels range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most skilled and 5 being less skilled. Your ANZSCO skill level affects the income thresholds you need to meet to support family visas.

If your job is ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3, you can support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa if you earn NZD $28.00 an hour or more. If you earn less than NZD $28.00 an hour, you can only support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa. To support a Dependent Child Student Visa or a Child of Worker Visitor Visa, you need to earn at least NZD $58,240 a year.

If your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5, the thresholds are different. You can support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa if you earn at least NZD $28.25 an hour. To support a Dependent Child Student Visa or a Child of Worker Visitor Visa, you need to earn at least NZD $58,240 a year.

If your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 but is recognised at a higher level under ANZSCO for an AEWV, the higher skill level rules apply.

The National Occupation List (NOL)

NOL is replacing ANZSCO. Some NOL occupations can now be used for an AEWV. If your job is on the list of NOL occupations recognised for an AEWV, the income thresholds are the same as for ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3 jobs:

• If you earn less than NZD $28.00 an hour, you can only support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.
• If you earn NZD $28.00 an hour or more, you can support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa and a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.
• If you earn at least NZD $58,240 a year, you can support a Dependent Child Student Visa and a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.

Immigration New Zealand provides a specific page listing the National Occupation List occupations used for an AEWV. You should check that page to confirm whether your occupation is on the list.

What to do next and what to verify

Before you apply for an AEWV, you need a job offer from an accredited employer. The employer must send you the link to the online application form. You cannot apply without that link.

To check whether your job is on the Green List, review the Green List roles page on the Immigration New Zealand website. That page lists the jobs New Zealand needs people for and the requirements for each role. You must meet the specific Green List requirements for your job, not just have a job title that appears on the list.

To check your ANZSCO skill level, use the ANZSCO skill level finder on the Immigration New Zealand website. If your job is on the NOL, check the NOL occupations page for AEWV purposes.

To check the income thresholds that apply to your situation, review the family visa support page for AEWV holders. The page sets out scenarios based on your job, skill level, and pay. Use the scenario that is most favourable to you if more than one applies.

If you are not sure whether your job qualifies, or whether your employer is accredited, check the accredited employer list on the Immigration New Zealand website. Your employer must be accredited before they can offer you an AEWV.

Finally, remember that the AEWV is a temporary visa. If you want to stay in New Zealand longer term, you may need to apply for a residence visa, such as the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, the Straight to Residence Visa, or a Work to Residence Visa. Your AEWV can be a pathway to these, but you must meet the specific requirements of each residence visa.

All information in this article comes from Immigration New Zealand’s official website. Fees, processing times, and other requirements can change. Always check the official Immigration New Zealand pages for the most current information before you apply.