Most work in New Zealand requires the Accredited Employer Work Visa, and its defining feature is in the name: the employer must be accredited by Immigration New Zealand before it can hire a migrant worker at all.
That accreditation system replaced a range of earlier work visas and restructured how the process runs. A job offer from an unaccredited employer is not a route, however genuine it is.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
The Accredited Employer Work Visa runs in three checks.
- Employer check — the employer must hold accreditation with Immigration New Zealand
- Job check — the role must meet requirements on pay and conditions, and where required the employer must have advertised it
- Migrant check — you must meet the requirements for the role, including qualifications, experience and any occupational registration
- A valid passport covering the period of employment
- Meeting the health requirements, with examinations by a panel physician where required
- Meeting the character requirements, with police certificates
- A job offer in writing meeting the prescribed terms
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
Check the employer’s accreditation before anything else. Immigration New Zealand maintains information on accredited employers. Verify before resigning a job or making plans, because the whole route depends on it.
Occupational registration is separate and often the longest step. Regulated occupations — healthcare, teaching, engineering, trades, and others — require registration with the relevant New Zealand body, with its own assessment of your qualifications and sometimes examinations or supervised practice. The visa does not authorise you to practise; the registration does.
Start that process as early as possible. For nurses, doctors, teachers and engineers in particular it frequently takes longer than the visa and is the actual constraint on when you can start work.
The health requirement is applied stringently and assesses whether you would be likely to impose significant costs on New Zealand’s health or education services. This affects applicants and their family members, and a child’s condition can affect the whole application. Take advice first if this may apply.
Pay thresholds and job requirements are reviewed and have changed. Confirm the current position rather than relying on a figure an employer or a recruiter quotes.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
The evidence set for a work visa application.
- Valid passport, and previous passports
- Written job offer meeting the prescribed terms, from the accredited employer
- The employer’s job check reference
- Completed online application and proof of the fee
- Evidence of qualifications and work experience for the role
- Occupational registration or evidence of eligibility for it, where required
- Medical examination and chest x-ray from an approved panel physician, where required
- Police certificates from countries of residence, where required
- Evidence of English ability, where the role or visa requires it
- For family: relationship documents and their own applications
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
Confirm every figure and requirement before you apply. Visa fees, processing times, forms and document lists change frequently and differ between missions and application centres. Work only from the issuing authority’s own official website, and treat anything else — including this page — as orientation rather than as the requirement.
Migrant exploitation has been a documented problem and New Zealand has strengthened its response. You may not be charged premiums for a job, employers must provide written employment agreements, and minimum employment standards apply regardless of immigration status. New Zealand operates reporting channels for migrant exploitation, and a specific visa exists to allow exploited migrant workers to leave an exploitative employer.
Know that before you go. Never pay for a job, keep your own copy of the employment agreement, and keep records of hours worked and payments received.
The visa is tied to the employer, the role and the location specified. Changing any of them generally requires a variation or a new application.
Residence is a separate route. The Skilled Migrant Category operates on a points assessment, and other residence pathways exist including through the Green List for occupations New Zealand prioritises. If residence is the goal, check whether your occupation appears on it, because some occupations have a direct pathway.
Family. Partners and dependent children may in defined circumstances accompany you, with their own applications, and the partner’s ability to work depends on your visa and the role. Confirm what applies.
South African children travelling are subject to documentation requirements applied at departure, commonly including the unabridged birth certificate and, where a child travels without both parents, parental consent in the prescribed form. Confirm the current position with the Department of Home Affairs before travelling.
On agents and “guaranteed” visas. You do not need an agent, applications can be made directly, and official fees are published. Nobody can guarantee an outcome. Anyone offering to obtain a visa outside the normal process, or asking for payment to influence a decision, is not operating lawfully — and false documents result in refusal and, commonly, a multi-year ban.
How to Prepare or Apply
Verify the employer is accredited, obtain the written job offer and the job check reference, then apply online through Immigration New Zealand.
In parallel, start occupational registration if your profession is regulated, and book the medical with an approved panel physician if one is required. Those two run alongside the visa and frequently outlast it.
- Verify the employer’s accreditation before making any plans
- Start occupational registration early — it is often the longest step
- Confirm the current pay threshold rather than relying on a quoted figure
- Take advice first if anyone in the application has a significant medical condition
- Use only an approved panel physician for medicals
- Never pay for a job — charging premiums is prohibited
- Keep your written employment agreement and records of hours and pay
- Check whether your occupation is on the Green List for residence
- Work only from the official Immigration New Zealand website
Frequently Asked Questions
What is employer accreditation?
Employers must be accredited by Immigration New Zealand before they can hire migrant workers. A job offer from an unaccredited employer is not a route.
Does the visa let me practise my profession?
No. Regulated occupations require registration with the relevant New Zealand body, which has its own assessment and sometimes examinations. Start it early.
What if my employer exploits me?
New Zealand operates reporting channels for migrant exploitation and a specific visa allowing exploited workers to leave an exploitative employer. Minimum employment standards apply regardless of immigration status.
How do I get residence?
Through the Skilled Migrant Category points assessment or other pathways, including the Green List for prioritised occupations. Check whether your occupation appears on it.
Employer accreditation, pay thresholds, health and character requirements, occupational registration and residence pathways are set by Immigration New Zealand and the relevant registration bodies and are revised. Confirm current requirements with each.