AEWV: Employers Road to Successful Job Check

August 17, 2022

All three stages of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) policy are now active, with applications open for employer accreditation, job checks, and work visas.

As has been informed by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) through multiple platforms, the AEWV policy is an employer-led work visa approach, which is new to employers and requires a different approach to the hiring process. Therefore, New Zealand employers must learn how to navigate the new AEWV policy and know how the visa officers now process the new visa category.

This article aims to make our clients aware and lessen their frustration with the new policy, especially when the current labour market situation is unprecedented by way of shortages.

While the first stage of the new policy involving employer accreditation seems to be working well, the second and third stages present a challenge to the processing. INZ officers have identified and conveyed some omissions and errors in the submitted applications, which in turn are impacting quick decision-making at their end.

Potential Pitfalls in Job Check Applications

Briefly speaking, at the job check stage, applicants are missing out on certain critical information in two of the essential assessment submissions:

• Advertisement: After checking if you are required to advertise, you must advertise for at least two weeks. The advertisement should not be more than 90 days old and must cover the job description, pay range, location, work hours, skills, qualifications, and experience where needed. Use ANZSCO that best matches the job you are offering. If you are using the advertisement for multiple roles must ensure that the job details are the same and covered by the same advertising and employment agreement. For example, the location, job title, and terms of work would need to be the same; if you are including multiple roles in one job check.
• Employment Agreement: You must double-check clauses in the employment agreement like minimum and maximum hours of work, provisions relating to overtime, and job description. Although the assessing INZ officers are not employment experts, this information is required to demonstrate that the employer’s AEWV policy requirements are being met.

Important Technical Considerations

Suppose an application has been declined, and a decision is yet to be made by INZ on the reconsideration request submitted; an employer cannot use the same approved job to support another AEWV application. The employer, in such cases, must withdraw the employment offer from the applicant, inform INZ and then only use the approved job.

Since it is a new policy, INZ is taking a pragmatic approach, which includes outward calling to employers where further information is needed to help speed up the process and get the information more quickly. However, this approach seems to have increased the decision time at INZ offices.

One of the options that employers are now beginning to see is taking assistance from professionals like Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd to submit decision-ready applications.