The Government has now confirmed the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) will be fully open on 4 July 2022.
In order to hire migrant workers or attract applications from overseas, a business will need to be 'accredited' by Immigration NZ (INZ). Applications to become accredited have already opened. This process will cost the business $740.00 for a standard application (up to 5 migrant visas) or $1,220.00 for more. There are more types of accreditation for franchisees and labour hire companies. Accreditation initially last 12 months, at which point you need to renew, probably at the same fee.
Once approved, provided you can demonstrate the role cannot be filled locally hence the need to look offshore, you can apply to INZ for a 'job check' (at $610.00). You need one job check per role (per visa).
Before you start a 'job check' application you need to have:
- AEWV accreditation
- The job offer including an employment agreement with a Job Description, offering at least 30 hours per week and paying the market rate and at least the New Zealand median wage of NZD $27.76 p/h, unless the role is on the exemption list whereupon you may pay slightly less.
- Evidence of advertising the role through a 'national job listing website' for at least 2 weeks if the job pays less than twice the median wage ($55.52) or is not on the Green List.
- the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) code that best matches the job you are offering
based on the INZ view of ANZSCO.
If your job check is declined, you can reapply for the same job check once you've fixed the problem for only $240.00.
INZ appear to have their own specific ideas around what exactly must be in a job advert to support and proof your attempt to recruit locally, they also require certain things in an Employment Agreement which you wouldn't necessarily include normally, such as an over time rate and the maximum number of hours the employee may be asked to work before being paid additional overtime rates.
Once you have navigated through that and got a job check approval you will get issued a unique 'job token', you can then advertise overseas.
If you find a suitable candidate you can then offer them your INZ approved Employment Agreement along with the job token. The job token is good for one person's visa.
INZ will then do a 'migrant worker check' involving local character reference & health checks etc to ensure they are suitable to be in NZ.
There is also a requirement for businesses to provide 'settlement' information to new migrants. At which point you may be required to prove what information you intend to pass on is unclear at this stage, but a comprehensive list of requirements is available here from INZ.
All this is open next month from July 4th 2022, but businesses can get their accreditation applications and job checks in now.
Apply here:
www.immigration.govt.nz/employ-migrants/new-employer-accreditation-and-work-visa/accreditation-types-and-employers-requirements