Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
The Accredited Employer Work Visa is the main temporary work visa for people with a job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. Immigration New Zealand describes it this way: “Apply for this visa if you have a job offer from an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) accredited employer. The employer must send you a link to the online application form.” It costs from NZD $1,540. INZ publishes a processing time of 80% within 7 weeks.
Checked against immigration.govt.nz on 2026-09-15
What Immigration New Zealand publishes
- Length of stay
- Up to
- 5 years based on the job offered
- Cost
- From
- NZD $1540
- Processing time
- 80% within
- 7 weeks
- Residence option
- Can lead to a resident visa
- Yes
Copied from the Accredited Employer Work Visa page at immigration.govt.nz on 2026-09-15. Figures change without notice.
To apply you must
- have an offer of full-time work from an accredited employer
- meet work experience and/or qualification requirements depending on your job
- meet other requirements depending on the skill level required for your job
- have spent the required time outside New Zealand, after staying for the maximum time allowed, if applying for another Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
- show you can speak and understand English, if your job is skill level 3 to 5
- meet the other requirements of this visa.
INZ’s own wording, unedited.
This visa lets you
- work in New Zealand for an accredited employer who has offered you at least 30 hours work a week
- study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period, or do any study required as part of your employment
- stay in New Zealand for up to 5 years — depending on your job, skill level, how much you are paid and when you applied for your visa.
INZ’s own wording, unedited.
Where to apply
You apply to Immigration New Zealand, not to us. The Accredited Employer Work Visa page carries the application link, the full requirements and the current fee.
Questions about the Accredited Employer Work Visa
What does the Accredited Employer Work Visa cost?
Immigration New Zealand publishes a cost of NZD $1,540 for this visa, as the "from" figure — the lowest published amount. Medicals, police certificates, translations and any adviser's fee are separate. Checked on 2026-09-15; confirm on the INZ page.
How long does the Accredited Employer Work Visa take?
Immigration New Zealand publishes 80% within 7 weeks for this visa. That is a published average, not a promise about any one application. Checked on 2026-09-15; the current figure is on the INZ page.
Who can apply for the Accredited Employer Work Visa?
INZ's own summary is: "Apply for this visa if you have a job offer from an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) accredited employer. The employer must send you a link to the online application form." The published criteria are listed above, word for word. Whether any particular person meets them is a question for Immigration New Zealand, or for a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer — not for this site.
Where do I apply?
On Immigration New Zealand's own website. Start at Accredited Employer Work Visa. Applying through this site is not possible: we are an information site and we cannot lodge or handle an application.
Can NZ Visas tell me whether I qualify?
No, and we would be breaking the law if we did. Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, telling somebody how the rules apply to their own immigration matter is licensed work. We republish the published rules and stop there. More on where that line sits.
Sources
Read on 2026-09-15. Immigration rules change: if this page and the source disagree, the source is right.
Once you have a decision
Getting the visa is one job; landing here is another. Our settling-in guides cover the IRD number, a bank account, a rental, schools, a doctor and a driver licence — all free, and all separate from anything to do with your visa.