New Zealand: New Accredited Employer Work Visa Launch Announced

November 1, 2021

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

  • The New Zealand government has announced that the previously-postponed launch of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) process will proceed on July 4, 2022.
  • Employers can file applications for Employer Accreditation under the new rules as early as May 9, 2022 to support AEWV applications starting July 4, 2022.
  • The government will stop accepting applications for certain categories of work visas that will be replaced by the AEWV starting November 1, 2021.
  • Certain affected visa holders will benefit from new rules that allow them to change employers and maintain their pathway to residence in New Zealand. 

The situation

Immigration New Zealand announced that the previously-postponed launch of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) process will proceed on July 4, 2022. Employers can file applications for Employer Accreditation under the new rules as early as May 9, 2022, to support AEWV applications starting July 4, 2022.

CHANGE DETAILS IMPACT
Launch of the new Accredited Employer Work Visa and closure of certain existing visa categories
    • Effective July 4, 2022, applicants will be able to file for the new AEWV. Employers may apply for Employer Accreditation under the new rules starting May 9, 2022, to be eligible.
    • The government will no longer accept applications for Essential Skills Work Visas after July 3, 2022.
    • The government will no longer accept applications for the following visa categories after October 31, 2021:
      • Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa;
      • Long-Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa; and
      • Silver Fern Practical Experience Work Visa.
      • Applications for subsequent Talent (Accredited Employers) or Long-Term Skill Shortage List Work Visas will remain open for foreign nationals who had started employment in New Zealand under these visas but who departed New Zealand before March 19, 2020.
    • Employers seeking to apply for the new AEWV will need to undergo three steps: Employer Accreditation; labour market testing and visa submission.
    • Employers (without employer accreditation) can continue to employ foreign nationals on an Essential Skills Work Visa only until July 3, 2022.
    • Talent (Accredited Employers) and Long-Term Skill Shortage Work Visa holders who were affected by border closures and could not return to New Zealand before October 31, 2021 will benefit from an exception to apply for subsequent work visas under the same categories. 
Change of employers for existing Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa holders
    • Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa holders can now move to a different employer who was previously accredited under the old Talent (Accredited Employer) scheme, even if their accreditation expired after March 31, 2021.
    • Employees will  benefit from the ability  to choose from a bigger pool of employers and  the ability to change  employers which previously had accreditation status without losing their Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa.
Continued pathway for residence
    • Applicants who have submitted a Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa or Long-Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa on or before October 31, 2021, will have their applications processed and will maintain a pathway to residence under the Work to Residence if their application is approved.
    • Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa holders can continue to apply for Permanent Residence under the Residence from Work instructions after October 31, 2021, if they have held this status for at least 24 months and if they satisfy one of the following:
      • Have been employed by an Accredited Employer for a period of at least 24 months; or
      • Have been employed by an employer that is no longer Accredited but who held Accreditation at the time the Talent (Accredited Employers) work visa was granted with the terms of employment continuing to satisfy all other requirements.
    • Talent (Accredited Employer) and Long-Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa holders who have started to work in New Zealand but departed the country before March 19, 2020 and can only return after October 31, 2021 may be able to apply for Work to Residence.
    • Foreign nationals who have applied for or currently hold a Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visas or Long-Term Skill Shortage List Work Visas will benefit from a continued pathway to residence without disruption because of the new rules.
  • Increasing skill levels of foreign migrants. The new visa is in line with the government’s aim to decrease reliance on lower-paid temporary workers, increase productivity, address infrastructure challenges and ultimately increase the skill levels of foreign nationals migrating to New Zealand.
  • Simplified process. With this new visa, the government is seeking to support businesses and regions in New Zealand in filling skills shortages by simplifying the visa application process and streamlining labour market tests for higher-paid roles.
  • Long-awaited implementation. Changes to the current process has been contemplated by the New Zealand government as early as 2019 and the implementation of which has been delayed a second time from its earlier expected implementation date of November 2021.

New Zealand is expected to continue to implement immigration policies that favor higher-skilled foreign nationals in order to upskill the economy and pass knowledge to local workers. We will report on related developments.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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