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How to Become an Accredited Employer in NZ: Steps, Costs and Timeframes
Thinking about getting your own Accredited Employer status so you can hire migrant workers? Here is exactly what the process involves before you start.
7 min read
If your business wants to hire workers from overseas, you have probably come across the term Accredited Employer. In New Zealand, holding this status is what lets a business employ most migrant workers on the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). Without it, those hires simply are not possible.
Getting accredited is a real commitment, so it pays to understand the full picture before you apply. This guide walks through the steps, the costs, the timeframes, and the responsibilities that come afterwards, so you can decide whether self-accreditation is the right path for your business.
The Three Parts of Hiring a Migrant Worker
It helps to see the whole journey before you focus on step one. Hiring a migrant worker under the AEWV has three separate stages, and your business is responsible for the first two.
First, your business applies to become an Accredited Employer. Second, for each role you want to fill, you apply for a Job Check to prove the position is genuine and paid fairly. Third, the worker themselves applies for their visa, using the job you have offered.
Many employers are surprised that accreditation alone is not enough to hire someone. It is the door that lets you start, and the Job Check is what opens it for a specific role.
Step by Step: Becoming Accredited
1. Choose the right accreditation type
Standard accreditation lets you employ up to five migrant workers on an AEWV at any one time. If you plan to hire six or more, you need high-volume accreditation, which asks for a little more detail about your business. Labour hire companies have their own dedicated category with stricter requirements, because they place workers with other businesses.
2. Get your business ready
Immigration New Zealand will want to see that your business is genuine and in sound financial shape, and that you meet your obligations as an employer. This means having your company details, IRD records, and employment practices in order before you apply.
3. Apply and pay the fee
You submit the application online and pay the accreditation fee. From there it goes into the processing queue.
What It Costs and How Long It Takes
There are two costs to plan for. The first is the accreditation fee you pay to Immigration New Zealand. The second is the Job Check fee, which applies each time you want to advertise and fill a role. These fees change from time to time, so it is worth checking the current figures on the Immigration New Zealand website before you budget.
Timeframes vary with demand. A straightforward standard accreditation can be processed relatively quickly, while high-volume and labour hire applications take longer because they involve more checks. On top of that, once you are accredited you still need to complete a Job Check and wait for the worker's visa, so the full path from decision to worker-on-site can stretch across several months.
Your Responsibilities After Accreditation
Accreditation is not a one-off task. Once approved, you agree to keep meeting a set of standards for as long as you hold it. You must pay at least the market rate, meet all minimum employment obligations, keep proper records, and provide your migrant workers with settlement information to help them get established in New Zealand.
Once approved, your business also appears on the public Accredited Employer List that anyone can check. Your accreditation also runs for a fixed term and then needs renewing. So the effort you put in at the start becomes an ongoing part of how you run your business.
Is Self-Accreditation Worth It for You?
Holding your own accreditation makes good sense if you plan to directly employ migrant staff on a regular basis and you have the admin capacity to manage the obligations. If you only need a few workers, or you need them quickly, the time and cost of doing it yourself can outweigh the benefit.
There is a simpler route for those cases. When you hire through Unite Recruit, you get access to work-ready migrant staff under our accreditation, without going through any of the steps above yourself.
