To hire migrants on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), including seasonal AEWVs, your business must be accredited by INZ. Accreditation is also needed to support some resident visas, such as Work to Residence and Skilled Migrant Category applications. Once you're accredited, each job needs a job check before you can offer it to a migrant.
Checked with INZ on 29 October 2026.
Who needs accreditation
Any New Zealand employer who wants to:
- hire someone on an AEWV, Global Workforce Seasonal Visa or Peak Seasonal Visa
- support an employee's Skilled Migrant Category, Straight to Residence or Work to Residence application.
You don't need it for staff who already have open work visas (partner, post-study, working holiday) or who are residents or citizens.
Which type
| Type | For | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Up to 5 migrants on AEWVs at a time | NZ$775 |
| High-volume | 6 or more | NZ$1,280 |
| Triangular employer | Labour hire, placing workers with third parties | NZ$4,060 |
See accreditation types and costs.
Requirements
- Your business is viable and genuinely operating (for example, no loss in the last 2 years, 6 months' positive cash flow, enough capital, or a credible business plan).
- You and key people haven't employed migrants without the right visa, given INZ false information, been involved in businesses with immigration breaches, been banned as a director, or been on a stand-down list.
- You commit to complying with employment law and the Immigration Act, and to the AEWV employer commitments, including settlement information for workers in their first month and not passing recruitment costs to workers.
How to apply
- Get ready: your NZBN, business industry classification (BIC) code, IRD number, and financial evidence of viability (uploading it up front avoids delays).
- Log in to Immigration Online with RealMe, go to Employ migrants → My accredited organisations → Get Accreditation, complete the form and pay.
- INZ assesses your declarations against its own records and public information, and may ask for more.
- Decision by email. Most accreditations are decided within 1 week.
You can share the application with a licensed adviser through your Immigration Online network.
Where an adviser helps: accreditation is quick when your business is simple and profitable. It gets harder with a new business, losses, a trust or group structure, labour hire, or any past employment or immigration issue involving a key person. A licensed adviser can prepare the viability evidence and explain history before INZ asks.
After accreditation
- Advertise and, for skill level 4 and 5 jobs, engage with Work and Income, then apply for a job check. See job check guide.
- Give the migrant the job token so they can apply for an AEWV.
- Tell INZ if an AEWV worker stops working for you, key people change, or the business restructures, goes into liquidation or bankruptcy.
- Expect post-accreditation checks, desk-based or site visits. See INZ compliance visits.
How long it lasts
Your first accreditation lasts 12 months; renewals last 24 months (standard and high-volume) or 12 months (triangular). Renew before it expires. See renewal.
If it's declined or revoked
You can ask INZ to reconsider within 14 days (if INZ assessed it wrongly) or apply again. If accreditation is suspended or revoked, you can't hire new migrants, unused job tokens are cancelled, but AEWV workers already in New Zealand can keep working for you. See accreditation declined.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does employer accreditation take?
INZ's average is 2 days; most are decided within 1 week.
How much does accreditation cost?
NZ$775 for standard, NZ$1,280 for high-volume, NZ$4,060 for triangular.
Do I need accreditation to hire someone on a partner or post-study work visa?
No. Open work visa holders can work for any employer.
Can I charge the migrant for accreditation costs?
No. You can't pass recruitment, accreditation or job check costs on to workers.
What is INZ's employer helpline?
0508 967 569, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
Getting help
Many established businesses accredit themselves. A licensed immigration adviser helps with new businesses, complex structures, high-volume or triangular accreditation and declines. If INZ is investigating your business or has revoked accreditation, talk to an adviser or immigration lawyer promptly.
Tell us about your business and we'll connect you with a licensed adviser or immigration lawyer. It's free to ask.
Sources: Immigration New Zealand, "Employer accreditation for the AEWV", "Applying for AEWV employer accreditation: process steps", "Meeting your AEWV accredited employer requirements" and wait times (immigration.govt.nz), read 28–29 October 2026.