The new immigration landscape for employers is about to have the biggest changes in over 20 years.

On July 4, 2022, New Zealand employers will face the biggest change to immigration policy they have ever encountered and the responsibility on employers will increase significantly. Two main changes will alter how employers attract migrant workers.

Change 1 Accreditation

As of July 4, any New Zealand employer wanting to hire migrant workers, or renew visas of existing migrant staff, must be accredited under the new immigration system.

Without accreditation you cannot lodge any new visas or renewals.

Accreditation is mandatory and requires completion of a new application. This will demonstrate to Immigration New Zealand that you have the means and the internal policies to hire migrants and treat them appropriately (the new accreditation system is designed to reduce exploitation of migrant workers). Also note, this is entirely different from the existing accreditation and any accredited employers under the existing system must reapply. You cannot use your existing accreditation for the new July 22 accreditation.

Change 2 Work Visa Category (AEWV)

In July 2022, the six existing work visa categories, including the Essential Skills and Work to Residence Work Visas will all be replaced by one single visa.

The new visa, called the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), will require considerably more involvement from the employer and is arguably more difficult to obtain. The AEWV will be the only employer-specific work visa category available.

Any employers who wish to hire new migrants or renew existing visas must have accreditation in place prior to July 2022