Employer Accreditation

Employer Accreditation

November 27, 2020

“Accreditation” has assumed great importance as an important recruitment and retention tool for any New Zealand employer. In essence, gaining accreditation entails the completion of immigration formalities even before actual recruitment takes place.

Therefore, as long as the candidate fits into the criteria, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is deemed to have given the employer a pre-approval to recruit. As an employer, therefore, you save on expenses likely to be incurred during the recruitment process. You also stand to mitigate the risk of not having been able to select the right candidate for your business, from the perspective of INZ.

Definition of an ‘Accredited Employer’

An accredited employer is a New Zealand employer who has had an application for accreditation to employ persons under the Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa Instructions approved by INZ.

Objective

The objective of the Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Instructions is to allow accredited employers to supplement their own New Zealand workforce in their core area of business activity through:

1. The recruitment of workers who are not New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders whose talents are required by the employer
2. The accredited employer having direct responsibility for those employees and their work output

How to become an “Accredited Employer”

To gain accreditation from INZ an employer will need to lodge an online application along with supporting documentary evidence. On lodgement of the application, all the documentation will be assessed by INZ. While doing the assessment INZ will need to be satisfied that your business has:

• A sound financial position
• Good human resource practices
• Good workplace practices
• Commitment to train and employ New Zealanders

Requirements under immigration instructions

To be eligible to be employed by an accredited employer, an overseas person must:

• Be aged 55 years or under
• Meet immigration health and character requirements
• Be a bona fide applicant intending to comply with their visa conditions
• Be offered full-time genuine employment for a position with a minimum salary of NZ$79560 (based on a 40 hour week) per annum

Benefits

The accredited employer’s scheme offers several advantages to employers who are in a sound financial position. The presumption is that accredited employers have a good track record of recruiting and training New Zealand citizens/residents, while meeting employment and immigration law.

If your business has a regular need for overseas skilled workers, obtaining “Accredited Employer” status from INZ is highly recommended. This could streamline what is often a laborious process in the pursuit of your potential employee being issued a work visa. The policy provides for a temporary multiple-entry 30 month Work Visa which has the potential to lead to permanent residence as part of the Work to Residence category.

The most significant benefit for an employer holding accredited status is to not have to demonstrate whether a New Zealander can do the work. This is often an expensive and time-consuming task, commonly known as “Labour Market Test”.

The documentation required to apply for accreditation is relatively extensive. Notwithstanding the category enjoys faster processing timeframes in INZ with less documentation.

We can provide you with advice on the entire process and assist you in getting accreditation. If you would like to discuss the possibility of your business becoming an “Accredited Employer”, what it involves or whether you qualify, please email at contact@nzimmigration.info or call us today on +64 09 3790219