Work Visas in New Zealand: Costs, Steps and Wait Times

At a glance

Figures below are Immigration New Zealand’s own published fees, processing times and visa conditions for the Accredited Employer Work Visa, the main route into paid work in New Zealand.

How much does it cost?

An AEWV application costs from NZD $1,540 for the worker’s visa alone. Before that, the employer pays NZD $775 for standard accreditation or NZD $1,280 for high-volume accreditation, then NZD $735 for a job check, set out in Immigration New Zealand’s accreditation and job check fees.

How long does it take?

Immigration New Zealand completes most AEWV decisions within 8 weeks, and accreditation and the job check are usually faster.

Employer accreditation1.5

Job check2

AEWV visa8

Stage	Time to decision (weeks)
Employer accreditation	1.5
Job check	2
AEWV visa	8

These are the timeframes within which Immigration New Zealand completes most applications at each stage, published on its work visa wait times page. Green List, health and some other sector roles are processed faster again.

What is the three-step process?

An AEWV moves through three approvals in order: employer accreditation, a job check, then the worker’s own visa application.

1. Step 1

   Employer accreditation

   Who lodges itThe employer

   Valid for12 months

2. Step 2

   Job check

   Who lodges itThe employer

   Valid for6 months, or until accreditation ends

3. Step 3

   Visa application

   Who lodges itThe worker

   Valid forUp to 5 years, set by the job offer

Stage	Who lodges it	Valid for
Employer accreditation	The employer	12 months
Job check	The employer	6 months, or until accreditation ends
Visa application	The worker	Up to 5 years, set by the job offer

Each step depends on the one before it. Accreditation must be granted before the employer can lodge a job check, and the job check must be approved before the worker applies for the visa. That order comes from Immigration New Zealand’s accreditation and job check process.

How long can the visa last?

An AEWV can run up to 5 years, but the cap depends on the skill level of the role.

The length of an AEWV is set by the job offered, not chosen by the applicant. A role at skill level 1 to 3 can support a visa of up to 5 years, matched to the term of the job offer, so a 2 year contract produces a 2 year visa rather than the full 5. For a role at skill level 4 or 5, Immigration New Zealand’s AEWV page states that the total time on one or more AEWVs may be 3 years instead of 5, and that the maximum depends on when the first AEWV was applied for, the job’s skill level and how much it pays. Once that maximum is reached, Immigration New Zealand requires a stand-down, normally 12 months in a row outside New Zealand, before another AEWV can be granted.

Are there other work visa options?

The AEWV is the main route into paid work, but Working Holiday visas cover short-term travel work for eligible nationalities aged 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 for some countries.

Immigration New Zealand’s work visa overview lists Working Holiday visas and other routes, such as visas for partners of AEWV holders, each with its own separate criteria.

What to do next?

This page sets out Immigration New Zealand’s own published rules for the Accredited Employer Work Visa as general information, and none of it addresses an individual’s circumstances. Confirm current fees, processing times and eligibility criteria with a licensed immigration adviser before applying, and reach a licensed adviser through Jumpstart International’s partner network for case-specific questions.

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