Renew your Employer Accreditation
(the easy way)
Do it once, do it right.
Or call 0800 484 727
Get your Accreditation Renewal right the first time
Many business owners prefer to have the certainty of expertise on their side to get through the renewal process without delays, declines, or losing money.
There are a lot of things that could go wrong: compliance issues, not understanding the regulations properly, or not providing the right evidence, for example.
Engaging a Licensed Immigration Adviser can make the process straightforward and painless.
Enquire now to get expert help from a Licensed Immigration Adviser: we’ll be by your side from start to finish.
Meet Cameron Gray
VisaAide Director and Licensed Immigration Adviser
IAA Licence Number: 201301155
“Very knowledgeable, professional, and efficient. When urgency with expertise matter that's when you need someone like Cameron on your side.”
Tejas Patel
A former Immigration Officer with over two decades of experience in the world of Immigration and Visas, Cameron Gray has built a reputation for dedication, expertise, and efficiency.
Cameron draws on his wealth of knowledge and to guide both employers and individuals towards the outcomes they want with minimal stress. His attention to detail and firm understanding of regulatory requirements make him invaluable in the context of Visas, Employer Accreditation, and Immigration.
Cameron is an Australian Registered Migration Agent. He is also a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser and holds a Graduate Certificate Level 7 in Immigration Advice.
Do you need to renew?
Whether you need to renew your accreditation or not depends on what you’d like to do.
What would you like to do? | When you renew | If you do nothing |
|---|---|---|
Continue to hire migrant workers | ||
Support your migrant workers on residence pathways | ||
Support AEWV holders to apply for their 2 year AEWV extension, if eligible. | ||
Keep current migrant workers employed until their visa ends |
While renewing your accreditation is not required to keep your current migrant workers employed, you won’t be able to hire new workers, support residence applications, or support AEWV holders in applying for their two-year visa extension, if eligible. Non-compliance can result in penalties.
Timing is everything.
Accreditation is valid for 12-24 months from date that a decision is reached, not the date that your existing accreditation expires.
If you apply too early, it could overlap with your current accreditation and cut you short at the other end. If you apply too late, you could have a period where you're not accredited, reducing your capacity to support your migrant employees, and making you vulnerable to penalties.
Timing tip: Immigration NZ says to apply two weeks before your accreditation is due to expire, but because of high volumes at the moment, they recommend applying at least six weeks beforehand.
Is your accreditation due to expire in the next two months?
"What sets VisaAide and People Inc apart is their ease of communication, making the entire process seamless. Having a dedicated contact and a personal touch has been instrumental in fostering a strong working relationship."
Greame, Streamline
Working with VisaAide and People Inc has been a profoundly positive experience from the very outset. Throughout our collaboration, their dedication to providing professional advice and strategic guidance was evident, empowering us to make well-informed decisions that aligned with our company’s goals and values.
Nick, Shade Systems
Have been a client of VisaAide since 2018, can only say amazing things about this business. The team are very informative, empathetic and savvy. You are just not “another client“.
Curtis, Sentineal
Timing is really important.
Accreditation is valid for 12-24 months from date that a decision is reached, not the date that your existing accreditation expires.
If you apply too early, it could overlap with your current accreditation and cut you short at the other end. If you apply too late. you could have a period where you're not accredited, reducing your capacity to support your migrant employees, and making you vulnerable to penalties.
Timing tip: Immigration NZ says to apply two weeks before your accreditation is due to expire, but because of high volumes at the moment, they recommend applying at least six weeks beforehand.
Accreditation Renewal FAQs
All employers who want to utilise migrant talent and support new recruits for AEWV need to hold employer accreditation.
More specifically, you should renew your accreditation if you:
- Employ workers on an AEWV (Accredited Employer Work Visa)
- Need to change your accreditation type
- Support your AEWV holding employees to apply for their AEWV balance, or to apply for a different visa (e.g., Work to Residence Visa or Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa).
If you don’t want to employ any new migrants, or support any AEWV holders with pathways to residency, then you may not need to renew your accreditation.
Your first accreditation is valid for 12 months from the date it was approved. Subsequent accreditations are valid for 24 months, as long as it hasn’t lapsed for 12 months or more.
Every application is different, and what you may need to provide will differ from employer to employer.
Immigration NZ will be looking for evidence that shows how you meet the accreditation requirements, and that the things you committed to when you first applied have been done or maintained.
Examples of evidence include (but are not limited to):
- Evidence to show your business is viable and operating
- GST/PAYE records with your Inland Revenue number
- Evidence of the time you provided employees to complete the Employment NZ employee module
- Evidence of completion or upcoming completion of Employer NZ modules
- Evidence that you provided your AEWV holding employee/s with settlement support info within 1 month of when their employment with you commenced.
Delays can occur if INZ needs to request further evidence or documentation, so it’s best to make sure you include everything that’s required the first time.
The application fees and government fees for employer accreditation (not including professional fees) depend on the type of accreditation you’re applying for, and range from $740 to $3,870.
Because of high volumes at the moment, we recommend starting the application process six to eight weeks before your accreditation expires. If you engage an expert Licensed Immigration Advisor, they will help with the timing of your application.
Some employers can apply for interim accreditation if, for example, their application is taking a long time to process. There are limitations and conditions to this, however.
We’re here to help
If you’re not sure where to start, whether you need to renew, or just have some questions, you can book a time to have a chat with Cameron.