Why we ask you to be accredited and do a job check

Accreditation and the job check ensure you hire New Zealander workers first before you consider visa holders and, if you do hire someone on a visa, you are a viable business with good practices.

You are encouraged to hire New Zealanders first

Businesses are encouraged to train, upskill and hire New Zealand workers before they hire migrants.

If you are an employer and you cannot find suitable New Zealanders for a role, you can apply to hire migrants on the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

We ask you to get accredited so we can ensure that your business is viable, meets immigration and employment standards, and will not exploit the migrants you may hire.

Watch the video: Information for employers for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

The purpose of the job check

Once you are accredited we ask you to advertise and get a job check to ensure that there are no suitable New Zealanders you could hire and train before you offer the role to someone from overseas.

The purpose of the job check is to ensure there are no New Zealanders available to do a job. This aims to support local employment opportunities, and ensure employers are offering attractive wages to New Zealanders, before they look to recruit migrants.

The job check will also help ensure migrants recruited into New Zealand on an AEWV are mostly filling higher-skilled roles.

Help for employers

The employer line is open between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Call toll-free from NZ landlines only:

0508 967 569