AEW Visa: Job check applications opened 20 June

Tuesday 5 July, 2022

The second stage of Immigration New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) opened on 20 June 2022.  This is the Job Check stage, which allows employers to have roles they wish to fill with migrants checked by Immigration New Zealand before a migrant applies for the final visa.  Job check approvals will last for six months.  Migrants will be able to apply for the actual AEWV from 4 July onwards.

Employers must be accredited before being able to submit roles for a Job check.  More than one role can be submitted including multiple roles of the same kind.  Key to passing the Job check stage is the “labour market test”.  This is not a new requirement by Immigration New Zealand.  It requires an employer to show that there are no New Zealand citizens or residents available to fill the role. 

This is achieved by advertising the role, and in the case of roles paid below the median wage, to check with Work and Income as well.  However, the advertising requirements are now much stricter, with a prescribed minimum advertising period and compulsory advertising requirements which include detailing the wage or salary to be paid.

In a twist away from the originally published exceptions to the labour market test, only roles on Immigration New Zealand’s “Green List” of scarce roles or those paid over $55.52 an hour are exempt.  Regional New Zealand locations no longer has a general exemption for roles over the median wage as was first indicated.

The Job Check stage also requires employers to satisfy Immigration New Zealand that the proposed employment agreement for the role to be filled meets the relevant set of requirements and complies with New Zealand employment law and standards.  This will require a well-drafted proposed employment agreement and job description to be submitted with the job check application.

If you have identified a potential opportunity to employ a migrant in a particular role in your business – either onshore or off-shore – the time is right to begin the process of accreditation and the job check stages.  Even if your business has employed migrants before, you should check the labour market test and your employment agreements again, as there are key changes that may mean delays to any plans to offer roles to migrants.

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