An accredited employer is an employer who is accredited i.e. officially authorized & recognized by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to employ migrant workers.
INZ is making it compulsory for NZ employers to get accredited if they want to hire migrant workers. This is to ensure all standard requirements are met like the business is genuine & compliant, committed to settling migrants & minimize exploitation.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a new temporary work visa that will be introduced from 4 July 2022. This visa category is slowly replacing six temporary work visas in existence with a streamlined single visa process. This means, going forward migrant workers can only be hired under the new visa category provided the employers are accredited.
Employers will be able to apply for accreditation from 9th May 2022
Any employer who wants to hire migrant workers on the AEWV must gain accreditation. This is a new type of accreditation so even if an employer has been accredited under the previous system, they will still have to apply for accreditation.
The level of accreditation will depend on the number of migrant workers required to be hired annually.
Note: Franchisees and employers placing migrant workers on AEWV with controlling third parties (e.g. labour-hire companies) must meet additional requirements.
After gaining accreditation, a job check must be done for each job an employer wants to hire migrant labour for. A migrant worker can be hired on an AEWV only if the job check has been passed. Employers must pay for a job check.
If a migrant job applicant is not hired, the employer can offer the job to another suitable candidate, the job check does not have to be repeated.
A migrant worker must meet the health and character requirements, and identity requirements and have the skills and experience stipulated in the job check.
The prerequisite where an employer must ensure and confirm that there is no NZ citizen or resident suitable for the advertised job before recruiting a migrant worker.
An approved job check will be valid for six months or until the employer’s accreditation lapses, whichever comes earlier. Multiple positions for the same job can be included in a one job check provided the job details are similar (the same occupation, pay range, region/ city of work etc.)
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) plans on introducing a pathway to residence in the future for those who have held an AEWV for 2 years and paid 200% of the median wage.
Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at [email protected] or call on +64 09 3790219.
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Vandana Rai is a Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser and has built a reputation around her rare set of skills, which could be considered ideal for her legal profession.