The New Zealand government, understanding the need to support businesses in the face of a global labor shortage, recently announced an extension to the initial accreditation periods for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) 1.
In this blog post, we delve into the specifics of this extension and what it means for employers.
The AEWV is a visa that is geared towards providing New Zealand with the skills it needs while ensuring that migrants are fairly treated. It is central to this visa that employers need to be accredited and complete a job check before they can hire a migrant 2. This post aims to shed light on these important procedures, especially the recent extension of employer accreditation under the AEWV.
The initial accreditation periods for the AEWV will be automatically extended by 12 months if employers apply before 4 July 2023 3. This one-off extension is designed to remove the administrative burden of reapplying for accreditation, thus allowing employers to adapt to the new system more smoothly.
What this means in practice is that employers who apply before the said date will effectively receive a 24-month first accreditation. Here are a few examples to elucidate this point:
Before getting into the details of the extension, it's crucial for employers to understand the different types of accreditation they need to hold, depending on the employment they want to place work visa holders in. These types are standard, high volume, franchisee, or triangular employment 5.
If employers don’t hold the correct accreditation type, they should apply for the correct accreditation type to ensure that they comply with immigration requirements 6.
The extension is more than just a procedural change; it represents the New Zealand government's commitment to support local businesses amidst the global labor shortage. The AEWV, with its focus on providing New Zealand with the skills it needs, plays a vital role in this effort, while also ensuring that migrants are treated fairly 7.
This one-off extension of the employer accreditation under the AEWV presents a significant opportunity for businesses to continue accessing the skilled labor they need, without the additional administrative burden of reapplying for accreditation.
However, it's important for employers to ensure that they have the correct accreditation type and follow the necessary procedures, including a job check before they can hire a migrant 8.
