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New Zealand work visa for Indians: the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) step by step

Most Indians need an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). Immigration New Zealand says you need a full-time job offer of at least 30 hours a week from an accredited employer with an approved job check, and the employer sends you the online application link. INZ also says employers and agents cannot charge you fees for the job.

How does an Indian get a work visa for New Zealand?

The main route: Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

As shown by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) in October 2026, the AEWV is for people with a full-time job offer from an accredited employer, and it can lead to a resident visa. INZ shows the cost as "from NZD $1540", processing as 80% of applications decided within 5 weeks, and length of stay as up to 5 years depending on the job, with a maximum of 3 years for skill level 4 or 5 jobs. Those are headline figures only. The cost can depend on your situation, so confirm the live fee and processing time on the INZ AEWV page before you plan.

The visa is tied to the job. INZ says you may work only for the stated employer, in the stated job and location, and cannot hold a second job on it. Your partner and dependent children cannot be included in your AEWV, although you may be able to support certain visas for them depending on your earnings and job skill level.

Route table: which New Zealand work visa fits

Route	What INZ says (October 2026)	Needs a job offer?
Accredited Employer Work Visa	Full-time job offer, at least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer with an approved job check; from NZD $1540; up to 5 years	Yes
Work to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 2)	From NZD $6450; applicant aged 55 or younger; 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 job in the 30 months before applying; needs a prior work visa for at least 24 months	Yes, with an accredited employer
Working holiday visa	For ages 18 to 30 (18 to 35 in select countries) from countries with a working holiday agreement; usually up to 12 months	No, but only for countries with an agreement
Short-term visitor visas that allow work	Eleven visitor visas, such as Business Visitor and Academic Visitor, let you work in your field or do business briefly	Not a normal job route

Step by step: from job offer to visa

Find a job with an accredited employer. INZ says all employers hiring on an AEWV must be accredited first, and you can confirm this on INZ's accredited employer list. INZ's scam page says to check this before you accept an offer.
Confirm the employer has an approved job check for your job. INZ's AEWV page says the offer must come from an employer with an approved job check, and that the employer, not you, starts the application by emailing you.
Collect your evidence of skills. INZ lists a minimum of either 2 or more years of relevant full-time work experience or a qualification at level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, in the same field as the job unless you hold a Bachelor's degree or higher. A CV alone is not enough, and INZ gives employment certificates, payslips or tax certificates as examples of evidence.
Complete the online application using the link your employer sends, with the employment agreement, job description, passport scan, photo and supporting evidence.
Arrange medicals and police certificates if INZ requires them for you. Then wait for the decision, and do not travel or resign from your current job on the strength of an offer alone.

Pay, skill levels and English: what INZ shows

Skill levels: INZ says jobs are graded from 1 (most skilled) to 5 (least skilled), and skill levels 3 to 5 need proof that you can speak and understand English, with test results no more than 2 years old when you apply.
Pay: INZ's AEWV page states you need to be paid at least the wage rate for the job, and shows NZD $67.12 an hour (2 times the 2024 median wage) as the level at which you need not give extra evidence of skills.
Median wage change: an INZ announcement published on 20 February 2025 says that from 10 March 2025 employers no longer have to pay the median wage under the AEWV, and that migrants must still be paid the New Zealand market rate. It also reduced the work experience requirement from 3 years to 2 years. Wage figures on INZ pages have different dates, so use the live INZ wage page and your job check, not a blog's single number.
Excluded jobs: INZ says the AEWV job offer cannot be for horticulture or viticulture planting, maintenance, harvesting or packing, foreign crew on fishing vessels, or self-employment.
Registration and character: occupational registration if the job needs it, plus good health, good character and a genuine reason for coming to New Zealand.

Documents checklist (AEWV)

Signed New Zealand job offer, employment agreement and job description.
Passport scan (valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure) and one acceptable photo.
Evidence of job experience, skills and qualifications; INZ says an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA may be needed for overseas qualifications below a Bachelor's degree.
Occupational registration evidence and English language evidence, if they apply to your job.
Police certificates, if required. INZ says they must be less than 6 months old when you apply if you are 17 or older and will stay 24 months or longer in total.
Chest X-ray and medical certificates, if required. INZ lists a chest X-ray for stays over 6 months from countries without a low TB incidence.
Certified English translations of any document not in English. Read how Indian police clearance certificates work for the Gulf, but follow INZ's own instructions for New Zealand.

Green List and residence: what is and is not promised

As shown on INZ's Work to Residence Visa page in October 2026, Green List Tier 2 jobs qualify for that visa and Tier 1 jobs qualify for the Straight to Residence Visa. The Work to Residence page requires 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 job within the 30 months before you apply, a full-time job of at least 12 months from application with an accredited employer, English, health and police certificates, and shows a cost from NZD $6450. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included. We did not retrieve the Green List occupation pages themselves, so check there whether your occupation is listed and what registration or wage conditions apply. INZ's scam guidance says there are no guarantees that a temporary visa leads to residence.

Scam checks before you pay anyone

INZ says New Zealand employers cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay any of their recruitment costs, including through a third party, and that such fees are sometimes called "processing" or "placement" fees.
INZ's AEWV page warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia, and that applications may be declined if you or your agent offered money to the employer for a job offer.
INZ says it will never ask you to pay visa fees by depositing money into a bank account, and that official emails end with immigration.govt.nz or mbie.govt.nz.
INZ says you are not required to use an adviser, and it will not prioritise your application because you use one. Use only a licensed immigration adviser, a certified New Zealand lawyer or someone legally able to give immigration advice.
Read our overseas job scam warning signs and the step-by-step guide to getting a job abroad. Compare other routes in our UK Skilled Worker visa guide and Canada work permit guide.

Where Job Spectra fits

Job Spectra is operated by Spectravault Group LLP, with offices in Deira Dubai, Bengaluru and Sugauli, Bihar. We do not yet hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration, and we cannot issue a New Zealand job check or visa. Our policy is no upfront job fees, explained on our Trust Center. You can browse current openings or submit your CV, but always verify any New Zealand employer on INZ's list yourself.

Official sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-19. Information only, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a job offer for a New Zealand work visa?

For the AEWV, yes. INZ says you need a full-time job offer of at least 30 hours a week from an employer accredited for the AEWV with an approved job check. The working holiday visa does not need a job offer, but INZ says it is only for people from countries with a working holiday agreement, so check the INZ page for your nationality.

How much does the New Zealand AEWV cost?

INZ shows the AEWV cost as from NZD $1540 as of October 2026. The fee can vary with your circumstances, and you may also pay for medicals and police certificates, so confirm the live amount on the INZ page before paying.

How long does an AEWV take?

INZ's AEWV page showed 80% of applications decided within 5 weeks in October 2026. That is not a guarantee for your case. Another INZ-linked search snippet showed 5.5 weeks, so check the live page.

Can a New Zealand employer charge me for the job?

No. INZ says employers or agents cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay any of their recruitment costs. Walk away from anyone asking for placement or processing fees, and report scams to the police.

Can I bring my family on an AEWV?

Not on the same application. INZ says your partner and dependent children cannot be included in the AEWV, but you may be able to support certain visas for them depending on your earnings and the skill level of your job.

Does the Green List guarantee residence?

No. INZ says there are no guarantees a temporary visa leads to residence. Tier 2 jobs can lead to the Work to Residence Visa after 24 months in the job within 30 months, with other conditions, and Tier 1 jobs to Straight to Residence.

Is English proof needed for a New Zealand work visa?

INZ says English proof is needed for AEWV jobs at skill levels 3 to 5, with test results no more than 2 years old when you apply. Check which skill level your job check shows.