NZ Accredited Employer Work Visa Checklist
The New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) lets you work for an accredited employer. This checklist covers who can apply, the 30-hour job-offer rule, how long you can stay, the documents and the job-scam warning. Based on the official Immigration New Zealand page.
Three quick facts
- Up to 5 years for most jobs, or 3 years if your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5.
- The job offer must be at least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer whose job check covers the role.
- No dependants included — you cannot include a partner or dependent children in this visa.
Who can apply
- You have a full-time job offer from an accredited employer.
- You meet the skill requirements — the job’s ANZSCO/NOL skill level and qualification requirements.
- You have the skills and experience the employer needs, and any occupational registration the role requires.
- If you have already used the maximum time on an AEWV, you have spent the required time outside New Zealand.
- If the job is skill level 3 to 5, you can speak English.
- You cannot include a partner or dependent children — they apply under their own routes.
- You are in good health and of good character, and your reason for coming to New Zealand is genuine.
The checklist — documents
| Employment agreement | A copy, including the employer’s name, address and phone number; your name and address; the job title; the location; and the type of work and duties. |
| Job description | A copy of the job description. |
| Signed job offer | A copy of the signed offer, valid when you apply and for at least 30 hours a week. |
How long you can stay
The total time you can stay in New Zealand on one or more Accredited Employer Work Visas depends on when you applied for your first AEWV, the skill level of your job on the National Occupation List, and how much you are paid. It can be 5 years for most jobs, or 3 years if your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5.
Protect yourself from job-offer scams
The official page warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia, and to make sure your job offer is genuine. If you or an agent gives, or promises to give, money to an employer (or their agent) in exchange for a job offer, your application will be declined.
For a related New Zealand route see the New Zealand Post Study Work Visa documents checklist (on the checklists hub), and the wider visitor route in the New Zealand visitor visa documents checklist. Check the destination photo on the NZ passport photo page and the passport photo checker.
What is not published
The visa page does not give the application fee, the exact salary threshold figures, or the full item-by-item upload list (some was truncated at retrieval). Because these are not published on the page, none is asserted here — confirm them on the Immigration New Zealand pages for your case.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay on an AEWV?
Up to 5 years for most jobs, or 3 years if your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5.
How many hours must the job offer be?
At least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer whose job check covers the role.
Can I bring my partner and children?
No - you cannot include a partner or dependent children in this visa.
Do I need English?
If your job is skill level 3 to 5, you need to be able to speak English.
What documents do I provide?
A copy of your employment agreement, the job description and the signed job offer, meeting the content requirements above.
What about job-offer scams?
If you or an agent gives, or promises to give, money for a job offer, your application will be declined; the page warns scams are common in India and South Asia.
Source: Immigration New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz) — Accredited Employer Work Visa page, retrieved 2026-09-28. Requirements change, so confirm the current position before you apply.