Employer Accreditation:
The First Step in Recruiting Migrant Workers
Why engage VisaAide to help with employer accreditation
Navigating the path to becoming a New Zealand accredited employer can be a complex and potentially overwhelming process, therefore engaging with VisaAide is the smart and stress-free choice for your business.
Accreditation isn't just paperwork; it's understanding the broader immigration landscape and how it impacts your business. As part of our service, we provide expert advice on all aspects of immigration and visa issues, ensuring that you're not just compliant, but also strategically positioned to take full advantage of international talent pools.
In addition, as we are a part of the People Inc group of companies, we can manage the entire process from creating employment agreements and job descriptions, through to labour market testing and international recruitment.
This means you won't have to juggle multiple contacts, instead experiencing a seamless integration of accreditation, visa, and recruitment services all from a single point of contact.
Choose VisaAide for a worry-free path to employer accreditation and experience the difference a professional, comprehensive service can make.
What is an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)?
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is New Zealand's principal temporary work visa. It forms part of an employer-led initiative designed to ensure local New Zealanders are prioritised for jobs, while simultaneously making it easier for businesses to hire skilled migrant workers where there is an obvious skill or labour shortage.
In addition, the AEWV permits migrant workers to study for up to three months in any 12 month period or undertake any studies related to their position as long as they are approved a variation to their work visa conditions.
This program helps to prevent migrant exploitation by only allowing accredited employers to hire migrant workers. If you are an employer seeking accreditation, this provides you with a trusted status and the ability to offer migrant workers a minimum of 30 hours of work per week.
This system assures orderly recruitment, dependable employment conditions, and a straightforward application process, providing mutual benefits for both employers and migrant workers.
Benefits of accredited employer status
If your business is struggling to attract the right talent locally, becoming an accredited employer can help you to expand your reach internationally.
As an accredited employer, you can enjoy a more streamlined, faster visa application process, making it easier to recruit highly-skilled workers from overseas when you need them.
What is employer accreditation?
If you are planning to expand your business and need quality, competent workers, VisaAide can streamline the process of gaining accreditation for your organisation.
What does this mean? As an accredited employer in New Zealand, your business has the ability to hire migrant workers, irrespective of whether they're already located in New Zealand or overseas.
This certification offers an initial validity of 12 months, extending to 24 months upon renewal, enhancing your flexibility and long-term planning. Please note, franchise businesses and labour hire businesses have renewals valid for 12 months only.
The benefits of holding accreditation becomes clear for businesses seeking growth, particularly in sectors that heavily rely on migrant workers or face skills shortages, like construction or civil engineering. As such, if you anticipate an increase in your workforce, employer accreditation could represent a key step forward for your business' future success and stability.
How to achieve accredited employer status in NZ
Becoming an accredited employer in New Zealand is a valuable step for any business searching to enhance its reputation, increase competitiveness, and overcome skill shortages.
Managed by Immigration New Zealand, employer accreditation is a clear demonstration of your commitment to standards and quality. It can open doors to new talent by enabling you to employ skilled migrants in New Zealand, increasing the scope and diversity of your workforce.
VisaAide takes care of the whole employer accreditation process for you. Their comprehensive service includes expert advice on all immigration and visa matters, enabling you to make well-informed decisions surrounding your human resources strategy.
Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking to expand your business, or an established organisation looking to build upon your success, accreditation is an important step on your path to growth.
Types of company accreditation
As a business seeking to employ migrant workers, it's essential to understand the different types of employer accreditation available to you. Depending on the size of your business, the nature of the work, and the number of migrant workers you plan to support, there are four distinctive types of accreditation that you can apply for:
Standard Accreditation is designed to accommodate businesses that require support for up to five Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders at any given time.
High-Volume Accreditation is particularly suitable for businesses looking to support more than five AEWV visa holders simultaneously.
Franchise Accreditation allows an employer to support more than five AEWV visa holders concurrently.
Triangular Accreditation is for labour hire companies and entails a more extensive supporting documentation process.
These checks include:
Making sure that your company is meeting the commitments of your initial application.
Checking that your company is complying with New Zealand employment laws and standards, plus the Immigration Act 2009.
What happens once you’ve gained company accreditation?
Once your company has received accreditation it will be added to an accredited employer list on the Immigration New Zealand website. This list is updated daily.
Following the employment of a migrant worker there are also a number of ongoing checks that are made by Immigration New Zealand to ensure you are meeting your AEWV accredited employer obligations.
FAQs
In most cases, we find that Standard Accreditation applications take around 1-15 working days for Immigration NZ to process.
The company is recognised for its commitment to employee support and ethical business practices. As an accredited employer they will provide time for employees to complete study modules (if required as part of their job), share knowledge, practice cultural sensitivity, and not pass on any accreditation, recruitment or operational costs to employees.
Initial accreditation lasts for 12 months and once renewed, 24 months for standard businesses as long as it has not lapsed for longer than 12 months
Do you need help with employer accreditation?
We specialise in New Zealand visas – contact us for up-to-date advice.
