The government has announced changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), a new scheme for seasonal workers, and expanded work rights for more holders of Interim Visas.

The changes will be implemented throughout 2025 and include the removal of wage thresholds, reduced work experience requirements, and a streamlined job check process.

Starting from January 27, 2025

Accredited employers and Recognised Seasonal Employers will no longer need to complete Employment New Zealand’s online modules or offer paid time for migrants to complete them. Instead, INZ will provide employers and workers with links to freely available Employment New Zealand or INZ webpages outlining employment rights and responsibilities at the most appropriate stages of the immigration process.

The percentage of New Zealanders that some construction companies must employ in order to hire staff under the AEWV will be reduced from 35 percent to 15 percent.

Starting from March 2025

• The wage thresholds for all AEWV roles will be removed. However, employers will still be required to advertise and offer AEWV workers the market rate for the role and region. This change does not affect existing employment agreements. The wage level AEWV workers must earn to apply for residence will remain unchanged.
• Migrants will need to demonstrate 2 years of relevant work experience instead of 3 years under the current rules.
• Employers will no longer be required to provide evidence of engagement with Work and Income during the Job Check process. Instead, they must declare that they have genuinely listed ANZSCO level 4 or 5 roles with Work and Income and interviewed candidates who could be suitable for the position. This can be done at the same time as recruitment efforts already taking place in the local labor market. The previously required 21-day timeframe for engaging with Work and Income will also be removed.
• The duration of AEWVs for new migrants in ANZSCO level 4 and 5 roles will increase to 3 years, aligning with the maximum stay allowed on an AEWV. Migrants currently holding two-year visas will be able to apply for an additional one-year extension.
• AEWV migrants will need to earn at least NZ$55,844 per year to be eligible to bring their children with them, along with meeting other criteria. This threshold has not been updated since 2019.

Another changes

Starting from April 2025, some holders of work and student visas who apply for an AEWV may be granted an Interim Visa that allows them to work while their AEWV application is being processed.

From July 2025, a new job check process will be introduced to provide greater efficiency for low-risk employers and to reduce processing times.

In November 2025, two new pathways for seasonal workers will be introduced, including a three-year multiple-entry visa for experienced workers and a seven-month single-entry visa for lower-skilled workers.

Further details and the exact implementation dates will be announced during 2025.

Source: Immigration New Zealand Website