Most people from South Africa who want to work in New Zealand apply for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). It needs a job offer from an employer that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has accredited, and the employer sends you the link to the online application. New Zealand no longer uses a “work permit”; the AEWV is the main route.
The AEWV costs from NZD $1,540 (an NZD $480 application fee plus an NZD $1,060 immigration levy), and INZ says 80% of applications are decided within 5 weeks. A job offer from an unaccredited employer is not a route.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
- A job offer from an accredited employer, with an approved job check, for at least 30 hours of work a week, paid at least the required rate for the job
- Minimum skills: two or more years of relevant job experience, or a qualification at level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, in the same field as the job (a Bachelor’s degree or higher can be in any field)
- A passport valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand
- Meeting INZ’s health and character requirements
- Occupational registration, where the job needs it, and English-language evidence for jobs at skill level 3 to 5
The experience requirement was reduced from three years to two years from 10 March 2025. The visa lasts up to 5 years depending on the job, or up to 3 years for jobs at skill level 4 or 5, and it can lead to a resident visa.
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
Your passport or certificate of identity must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand. INZ asks for a scan of the passport or one acceptable photo with the application.
Check the employer’s accreditation before you resign from a job or make plans, because the whole route depends on it. Employers must advertise the role for at least 14 days and make genuine efforts to hire a suitable New Zealander before offering it to a migrant.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
- A signed copy of the New Zealand job offer, the employment agreement and the job description
- Evidence of your experience, skills or qualifications for the role. Work-experience evidence must come from someone other than you, such as certificates of employment, pay slips, tax certificates or reference letters supported by those. A CV alone is not enough
- For qualifications below a Bachelor’s degree gained outside New Zealand, an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA
- Proof of full or provisional New Zealand occupational registration, or confirmation that your job is eligible for registration, if the job needs it
- English-language evidence if the job is at skill level 3 to 5. You do not need it for skill level 1 or 2 jobs. Test results must meet INZ’s minimum and be no more than 2 years old
- Police certificates and, where required, a chest X-ray and medical certificate
- English translations and copies of the originals for any document not in English
Some jobs sit outside the AEWV: crop work in horticulture or viticulture, foreign fishing crew and self-employed work are covered by other visas. The employment agreement cannot include a trial period or unacceptable bonding clauses.
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
Pay. The general median-wage requirement for the AEWV was removed from 10 March 2025. The job must still meet the New Zealand minimum wage and market-rate expectations, and INZ approves a pay range at the job check stage. The median wage is NZD $35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026 (see INZ’s announcement); it still drives Green List pay, the exemption for roles paid at least twice the median, and partner and child income thresholds.
Health. INZ checks whether you are a public health risk, whether you would add significant cost to or place demands on New Zealand’s health services, and whether you can do the work. Private insurance and family funds cannot be considered. A chest X-ray is required if you will stay more than 6 months and are a citizen of, or spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in, a country without low TB incidence. Examinations must be done by an INZ panel physician unless there is none in your country.
Character. If you are aged 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will reach 24 months, you need police certificates under 6 months old, uploaded with the application. INZ does not accept a receipt showing you have applied for one. A criminal conviction or security risk can lead to refusal.
Fees for a job. New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay their recruitment costs. INZ declines applications where money was offered for a job offer.
Tied to employer, role and location. To change any of these you must apply to vary your conditions or make a new application. After the maximum stay you normally have to leave New Zealand for 12 months in a row before another AEWV.
How to Prepare or Apply
- Confirm the employer is accredited and obtain the signed job offer, employment agreement and job description
- Gather evidence of your experience or qualifications, and start occupational registration early if your job is regulated, because it can take longer than the visa
- Book a medical or X-ray with a panel physician if one is required, and collect police certificates
- Use the link the employer sends you to complete the online application, upload the documents and pay the fee
- Work only from the INZ Accredited Employer Work Visa page. You do not need an agent to apply
Occupational registration is separate from the visa. The visa does not authorise you to practise a regulated profession; the registration does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a job offer to get a New Zealand work visa?
Yes, for the AEWV. The offer must be from an accredited employer, for at least 30 hours a week, with an approved job check.
What is employer accreditation?
Employers must be accredited by INZ before they can hire migrant workers under the AEWV. Confirm this before relying on an offer.
Does the visa let me practise my profession?
No. Regulated occupations need registration with the relevant New Zealand body, which has its own assessment. Start it early.
Can my partner and children come with me?
They cannot be included in your AEWV application. As the holder you may be able to support a visitor or work visa for a partner and visitor or student visas for children, depending on your pay and skill level. From 9 March 2026 the partner support threshold is NZD $28.00 an hour for skill level 1 to 3 jobs, NZD $52.50 for skill level 4 to 5 and NZD $35.00 for Green List roles. Confirm the detail with INZ.
What if my employer exploits me?
You can report it to Employment New Zealand and then apply for the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa, which is free and lasts up to 6 months.
How do I get residence?
Through the Skilled Migrant Category, which has three pathways (Points-based, Skilled Work Experience, and Trades and Technicians). Applicants must be aged 55 or younger with an accredited employer job, and the visa costs from NZD $6,450. The Points-based pathway needs 6 points from qualification, income or occupational registration.
Can I get a New Zealand working holiday visa from South Africa?
Check the working holiday information on the INZ website to see whether South Africans are eligible before planning around it.
Confirm current requirements with Immigration New Zealand before you apply. See the visa requirements hub and browse all travel and immigration requirements.