Tourism & Hospitality Minimum Wage Update — and the March 2025 AEWV Wage Reset

This policy update covers TWO related AEWV wage changes — the 2023 tourism/hospitality minimum-wage introduction, and the March 2025 reset that removed the general median-wage requirement entirely. Both affect employers sponsoring AEWV workers.

2023 — Tourism and hospitality minimum wage introduced

From 24 April 2023, employers had to pay workers in designated tourism and hospitality roles a minimum of NZD 28.18 per hour — representing 95% of the median wage at the time.

Affected occupations (2023 framework)

The wage requirement applied to 27 job categories, including:

• Management roles: hotel managers, club managers, event organisers
• Service positions: waiters, bartenders, baristas, receptionists
• Specialised roles: tour guides, diving instructors, trekking guides
• Support staff: kitchen hands, housekeepers, luggage porters

Progression to full median wage

The minimum was scheduled to increase to 100% of the median wage by April 2024, aligning tourism and hospitality with other sectors.

March 2025 — General median-wage requirement removed

The general median-wage requirement for the AEWV was removed entirely effective 10 March 2025.

Under the current (post–March 2025) framework:

• Employers must pay at least the New Zealand minimum wage
• A market-rate test applies — employers can’t pay the minimum wage if comparable New Zealanders earn more
• Some roles may have specific thresholds under sector agreements (meat processing, seafood, care workforce, tourism/hospitality continue to have minimum-skill-requirement exemptions but no longer have a separate wage track)

What this means for employers now

If you employ migrant workers under AEWV (including tourism and hospitality roles):

• Confirm current wage requirements via INZ
• The 2023 NZD 28.18/hr tourism specific threshold no longer applies as a separate track
• Market-rate evidence is now load-bearing — your Job Check evidence pack should show what the market rate is for the specific role
• Non-compliance affects employer accreditation status

Practical next step

Confirm your current wage compliance against INZ’s published guidance — the policy environment has changed twice in the past 18 months, and assumptions based on either the 2023 framework OR the early-2024 transition may now be outdated.