INZ Updates June 21, 2023

Upcoming Changes to Accredited Employer Work Visa

Effective November 2023, the New Zealand Government will place a cap on the continuous stay permitted on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) for individuals who do not have a clear path towards permanent residency. Those who do not meet the minimum educational, occupational, and wage criteria for skilled residency pathways will be required to exit the country for 12 months before applying for a new AEWV visa.

Individuals holding other temporary visas (such as Post Study Work Visa or Working Holiday Visa) will NOT have their time in New Zealand counted towards their five-year continuous stay under the AEWV.

Additionally, the maximum duration for the AEWV will be extended from three to five years, effective November 2023. This will apply only to new visas, while existing visa holders can apply for an extension of up to five years in total (inclusive of time previously spent on AEWV).

However, if you can show that you are on a pathway to skilled residence, you may be able to get a further AEWV. For example, if you start earning 1.5 times the median wage after 3 years on an AEWV and require 1 more year of skilled experience to qualify for 6 points for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, at the end of the 5 years on an AEWV.

This is an initial announcement by the Minister of Immigration, with more information to come in the upcoming months.

Reference Link – Click here

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 contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

Author Details

Vandana Rai

(LIA 201400900)

Director

Vandana is herself a migrant and has a rare set of skill match, which could be considered ideal for a Licensed Immigration Adviser. She was a school counsellor from 1996 to 2006, a role in which she was a natural fit due to her nurturing and caring personality. Her earnest journey as a fully Licensed Immigration Adviser for New Zealand began in 2014, and she considers herself blessed to have the background and the skills that allow her, as an Immigration adviser, to effortlessly visualise herself in her client’s situation, understand their needs and problems, and use her knowledge, experience, and expertise to help find a solution for it.

She is currently on the Board of New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment (NZAMI) and was part of the Immigration Advisers Authority(IAA) referral group for 2016.