The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is now fully open.
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 costs the business $740.00 for a standard application (up to
5 migrant visas) or $1,220.00 if you plan to hire more then 5. There are also more types of
accreditation for franchisees and labour hire companies. Accreditation
initially last 12 months, at which point you need to renew, probably at
least at the same fee.
Bear in mind INZ have full discretion around granting or revoking visas. If your business has had an award against them from a Labour Inspector or Employment Relations Authority decision, regardless of merit (or lack thereof) you may not be granted a visa.
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