New Zealand has updated its rules for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) system, affecting both foreign job seekers and employers. These changes, starting from October 29, 2023, mean that there won’t be any trial periods of 90 days in work agreements anymore. This is to make sure that hiring is fair and to prevent the mistreatment of migrant workers.
The updates include stricter checks on job applications, making sure that trial periods are not included. Employers who don’t follow this rule might lose their approval. Also, the conditions for labor hire companies have changed, now requiring at least 35% of the workforce to be New Zealand residents and citizens, up from 15%.
These changes are also affecting how employers can get their approval revoked or suspended, and how long it takes for applications to be processed. The goal is to make sure job listings are accurate and that employers genuinely support immigrant workers. But because of these changes, it’s taking longer for applications to be processed, now usually more than ten days. Employers should expect job checks and approvals to take about six weeks, although urgent cases can be sped up through the INZ employment visa escalation process.
New Zealand work visa, Visa rule changes, Elimination of 90-day trials, Work visa amendments, New visa regulations