China News Service, April 7. According to a comprehensive report by the New Zealand Chinese Herald Network, on Thursday (April 7) afternoon, Immigration New Zealand announced more details of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV work visa), including certification fees, Time required for application, etc.

　　There are 3 steps to hiring an immigrant on an AEWV work permit - employer certification, job review and applying for an AEWV work permit.

Employers can apply for certification from May 23, 2022, and job review from June 20, 2022.

　　Immigration is encouraging local employers to train, upskill and hire New Zealanders before hiring migrants.

Migrants are only hired through the AEWV work visa scheme if a suitable New Zealander cannot be found for a position.

Employer Certification

　　Employers first need to be certified to show that they meet employment and immigration standards.

　　Employer certification under the AEWV work permit program is a new type of certification.

As an employer, you will need to reapply for certification even if you were already certified in the previous system.

　　All employers must meet a minimum set of certification requirements, including:

　　is a viable and genuinely operating business;

　　comply with employment, immigration and business regulatory standards;

　　Completion of activities to support settlement of immigrant employees.

　　There are different types of employer certification under the AEWV work permit program, depending on the employer's business model and, in some cases, the number of immigrants the employer wants to hire.

　　For most employers, the certification process is simple and doesn't require a lot of documentation.

There is a fee for applying for certification.

Details about the different certification categories can be found on the relevant websites.

job review

　　Employers pay a fee to apply for a job review for each position for which you want to hire an immigrant employee.

Multiple positions for the same job may be included in a single job review application, provided the job details are the same and all will be advertised (if required) and the same employment agreement.

　　Employers can only hire immigrants on AEWV work visas to do a job if the job review is passed.

　　The purpose of the job review is to confirm:

　　The salary for the job is at market rates and meets the salary threshold required by the relevant job review pathway;

　　the terms and conditions of the work comply with New Zealand employment laws and standards;

　　The job is at least 30 hours per week;

　　Employers have advertised among locals (if required), including posting minimum and maximum expected salaries and required skills or experience.

　　If the employer offers the job to an immigrant but does not employ them, the employer can offer the job to another suitable applicant.

Employers do not have to re-run a job review unless the job review has expired.

Visa Application

　　Immigrants can apply for an AEWV work permit after the work review is passed.

　　Immigration checks that visa applicants meet AEWV requirements, including whether they have the skills and experience for the job.

Related Q&A

How long will the application take?

　　USCIS' estimated application processing time is:

　　Standard and high volume certification takes 10 working days;

　　The job review takes 10 working days;

　　It takes 20 working days to apply for an AEWV work permit.

　　The above times are based on the fact that the employer and the immigrant have provided all the information USCIS needs to make a decision at the time of application.

When can I apply?

　　Applications for AEWV accreditation will only be made online, with applications open until May 23, 2022.

However, migrant workers will not be able to apply for an AEWV work permit until July 4.

　　Employers who do not plan to hire immigrant workers under the AEWV program in July do not need to apply for certification immediately, but should apply when they plan to begin using the certification.

how much is the cost?

　　Different authentication types charge different fees.

　　Standard certification, employing up to 5 immigrants at the same time, costs NZ$740.

　　For bulk certification, employing 6 or more immigrants at the same time, the fee is NZ$1220.

　　For employers who want to upgrade from a standard certification to a high volume certification, the upgrade fee is NZ$480.

　　Employers who want to place migrants with a controlling third party will cost NZ$3870.

　　Franchise is NZ$1980.

　　The fee to apply for reconsideration of a rejected employer certification is NZ$240.

　　Employers who are certified under the Talent (Accredited Employers) program will be able to waive their initial AEWV certification fee as long as their existing certification has at least 6 months remaining from May 23, 2022.

The Talent (Accredited Employer) scheme has stopped accepting new applications.

Can AEWV holders apply for residency?

　　In the future, Immigration will introduce a residency pathway for immigrants who hold an AEWV work permit for two years and earn at least 200% of the median salary.

　　Finally, it is important to note that employers who only hire post-graduation work permit, working holiday visa or Recognized Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE) work permit holders are not affected and do not need to be certified.