Hiring Migrant Workers in New Zealand

When you can't find the right person locally, hiring from overseas can be the answer — but New Zealand's system asks employers to meet certain steps before they can bring a migrant worker on board. It's a process built around accreditation and labour market tests, and getting it right protects both your business and the person you're hiring.

I work with New Zealand employers to handle that process properly, so you can focus on running your business while the immigration side is taken care of. This page explains how hiring a migrant worker works, and where I can help.

Hiring a migrant worker on New Zealand's main work visa generally involves two steps for you as the employer, before your future employee applies for their visa. Here's how it works.

Step 1 - Employer accreditation

Before you can hire on the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), your business needs to become an accredited employer. Accreditation is Immigration New Zealand's way of confirming your business is genuine, financially sound, and compliant. It's the foundation of the whole process — without it, you can't hire migrant workers on this visa.

The requirements vary depending on your business and how many people you intend to hire. It's worth setting up correctly the first time.

Step 2 - The Job Check

Once your business is accredited, the next step is a Job Check — labour market test for the specific role you want to fill. This is where Immigration New Zealand looks closely at the job itself: the pay, the terms, and whether you've genuinely tried to find New Zealanders for it first.

Each role needs its own approval, and the details matter. A Job Check that isn't set up correctly can hold up the entire hire.

What happens next

Once your Job Check is approved, your future employee can apply for their own Accredited Employer Work Visa, using the details of the approved role. From there, the process moves to the worker's side — though as their employer, you'll still have a part to play in supporting a smooth application.

You can read more about the Accredited Employer Work Visa from the worker's perspective.

How I help employers

Accreditation and Job Checks are exactly the kind of process that's manageable in principle but easy to get wrong in practice — and mistakes cost you time, and sometimes the hire itself.

I help New Zealand employers get accredited, prepare Job Checks, and meet their ongoing obligations as accredited employers, so the immigration side runs smoothly and compliantly. Having navigated the accredited employer system directly, I understand it from the employer's point of view — not just the paperwork, but what it means to run a business and need the right people in place.

My role is simple: take the immigration burden off your plate, so you can get on with hiring.

Whether you're hiring your first migrant worker or your tenth, getting the immigration process right saves time and protects your business. If you'd like to talk through what accreditation and hiring would involve for your business, I'm glad to help.

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