Applying or renewing accreditation: employer checklist

This checklist is to help employers who need to apply for or renew their accreditation. You can use this checklist if you are applying for standard, high-volume or controlling third-party accreditation.

Apply for an AEWV accreditation

Decide the level of accreditation you need

You can apply for 1 of 3 different levels of accreditation.

  • Standard accreditation is for standard businesses hiring up to 5 migrants.
  • High-volume accreditation is for standard businesses hiring 6 or more migrants.
  • Controlling third-party accreditation is for businesses who place migrants with third parties while being the direct employer named in the employment agreement. There is no limit to how many migrants you can hire.

*Required field

Before you start

Note

The accreditation process

Note

You will need a RealMe® login to access Immigration Online.
How to create a RealMe account

Immigration Online

What you will need to complete the online form

Note

Information about your organisation will be pulled automatically from the NZBN Register. You can check or update your details on their website.

NZBN website

This must match details in the Companies Register.

Companies Register website

Note

You can look up your code on the Business Industry Classification Code website.

Business Industry Classification Code website

HelpHide

Key people include directors of a company, partners in a partnership, school principals, and any other person who can influence an organisation’s compliance with immigration and employment law.

You will be asked to provide their:

  • full name
  • date of birth
  • passport number
  • country or territory of birth
  • primary country of citizenship, and
  • role in the organisation.

You will need their consent to provide this information in the application form.

Note

 You can find this on the Inland Revenue website.

Find my IRD number | Inland Revenue website

Note

You can use:

  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • China UnionPay
  • POLi.

What you will be asked to confirm or declare

Note

If you have been operating for less than 12 months, you will be asked to upload financial evidence of being a viable and genuinely operating business.

Other employers will not need to provide evidence upfront, but evidence may be required to show you meet the requirements once the application is submitted or at any time during your accreditation period.

Check our 'Financial evidence for your accreditation application' page for detailed information on what financial evidence you must include with your application.

Financial evidence for your accreditation application

Note

For example, if your organisation or any of its key people are currently on the employer stand-down list, or if any key people are currently banned from acting as a director of a business, or if your organisation or any of its key people have ever been convicted or charged with an offence under the Immigration Act 2009.

Note

Declare you will provide AEWV workers with local community and services and employee work-related settlement information within one month of the employee beginning their employment.

What next?

Where you have made any declaration in the online form, you must keep records to show you have complied with this declaration during your accreditation period. We may request evidence of this later.

Once employer accreditation is granted, the job check is the next step for employers wanting to hire migrants on the AEWV.

Applying for a job check: employer checklist

What you will be asked to confirm, declare or provide

When you renew your employer accreditation, upload supporting documents to show how you met the accreditation requirements and the commitments you made during your initial application. Upload the documents in the 'Optional evidence' or 'Further evidence' sections of your application.

Note

Provide your latest organisation chart showing structure and positions in the business to help us understand the structure and nature of your business operation. Do not include employee names.

Note

Check our 'Financial evidence for your accreditation application' page for detailed information on what financial evidence you must include with your application.

Financial evidence for your accreditation application

Your evidence should show how you meet 1 of the 4 requirements to be considered viable and genuinely operating. Make sure the evidence you provide clearly meets at least one of the criteria outright rather than partially meeting more than one criteria.

If there is a period not covered by previous financial reports, you can provide an interim financial report. For example, if you are applying in August 2025, you can provide an interim financial report covering between April 2025 and August 2025.

Note

Provide evidence up front to show that you have rectified and addressed the cause of any non-compliance issues. You must also provide evidence that shows you have taken steps to prevent the non-compliance happening again.

You must provide this evidence if:

  • you employed someone in a job who is not entitled to work under the Immigration Act 2009
  • you have passed on recruitment, training or equipment costs, in New Zealand and outside of New Zealand, to AEWV workers or applicants, or
  • you have not taken steps to ensure an AEWV worker is suitably qualified before providing them with a job token.

Providing evidence that shows you have addressed issues of non-compliance will help us to process your application faster.

Note

Examples of evidence of settlement support include, but are not limited to:

  • copies of any documents or information you gave your employee to help them settle in New Zealand, for example, emails to the employee and letters and invoices from relocation specialists or settlement training courses completed
  • copies of your on-boarding or induction policy.

If you declare that you have not provided settlement information to all AEWV worker recruited since your last accreditation application within 1 month of their starting work, provide supporting evidence with your application.

Evidence can include:

  • an explanation why settlement support was not given, for example you have not employed any AEWV worker during the accreditation period
  • copies of policies implemented to make sure this does not happen again
  • documents showing steps taken to ensure that this information will be provided in the future.

Additional declaration requirements for employers who place migrants with controlling third parties

In addition to meeting standard accreditation requirements above, employers who want to place AEWV workers with controlling third parties will be required to answer questions and make declarations, including for the following:

Additional documents required for employers who place migrants with controlling third parties

Where the form does not request for evidence to be uploaded, upload evidence in the ‘Optional Evidence’ or ‘Further Evidence’ sections of your application.

Note
  • that they are not subject to an Immigration stand down period
  • that they have not been convicted of specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009 or the Crimes Act 1961
  • that they are not aware of any cases pending, prosecutions underway, or investigations that could lead to inclusion on the Employer stand-down list
  • that they are not aware of any cases pending, prosecutions underway, or investigations relating to specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009 or the Crimes Act 1961
  • that AEWV workers placed with them are not required or forced to undertake work that is inconsistent with their employment agreement or visa conditions
  • that AEWV workers placed with them are not required or forced to undertake work that does not align with health and safety standards
Note
  • addressing workplace bullying, including a complaints process for AEWV workers placed with them
  • addressing and resolving any issues reported by AEWV workers via the complaints process
  • addressing and preventing risk, including a risk register
  • carrying out health and safety inductions for AEWV workers placed with them.
Note
  • have an NZBN
  • are not on the Labour Inspectorate’s stand-down list
  • have declared that they are not subject to an immigration stand-down period
  • have declared that they have not received a prison sentence for specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009
  • have declared that they have not been convicted of specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009 or Crimes Act 1961
  • have declared that they are not aware of any cases pending, prosecutions under way, or investigations that could lead to inclusion on the Labour Inspectorate’s stand-down list
  • have declared that they are not aware of any cases pending, prosecutions under way, or investigations relating to specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009 or Crimes Act 1961.
Note

Provide evidence up front to show that you have rectified and addressed the cause of any non-compliance issues. You must also provide evidence that shows you have taken steps to address the cause of the non-compliance and prevent the non-compliance happening again.

You must provide this evidence if you: 

  • placed an AEWV worker with an organisation which did not meet the requirements of WA2.20.1(a)
  • did not monitor the employment conditions and safety of employees in triangular employment arrangements as specified in WA2.20.5(a) to (f)
  • did not respond appropriately to issues as specified in WA2.20.10(c) to (e).

Providing evidence that shows you have addressed issues of non-compliance will help us to process your application faster.

Additional requirements for employers who place migrants with controlling third parties

In addition to meeting standard accreditation requirements above, employers who want to place AEWV workers with controlling third parties will be required to answer questions and make declarations, including for the following:

Note

A compliant controlling third-party business must not be on the Employer stand-down list, must declare they are not subject to an Immigration stand-down or permanent ban, and must declare they are not aware of any immigration issues that would prevent them becoming accredited in their own right.

Additional documents required for employers who place migrants with controlling third parties

Note
  • have an NZBN
  • are not on the Employment stand-down list
  • have declared that they are not subject to an Immigration stand-down period
  • have declared that they have not received a prison sentence for specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009
  • have declared that they have not been convicted of specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009 or Crimes Act 1961
  • have declared that they are not aware of any cases pending, prosecutions under way, or investigations that could lead to inclusion on the Empoyment stand-down list 
  • have declared that they are not aware of any cases pending, prosecutions under way, or investigations relating to specific offences under the Immigration Act 2009 or Crimes Act 1961.
Note
  • understand the visa conditions of AEWV workers placed with them
  • do not require or force AEWV workers placed with them to undertake work that is inconsistent with their employment agreement or visa conditions
  • do not require or force AEWV workers placed with them to undertake work that does not align with health and safety standards.
Note
  • addressing workplace bullying, including a complaints process for AEWV workers placed with them
  • addressing and resolving any issues reported by AEWV workers via the complaints process
  • addressing and preventing risk, including a risk register.
Note

This process must enable AEWV workers to directly report issues to your organisation.

What next?

Where you have made any declaration in the online form, you should keep records to show you have complied with this declaration during your accreditation period. We may request evidence of this later.

There are further requirements for employers using controlling third parties following accreditation being granted. These include a range of actions before the AEWV worker is placed, ongoing checks and maintaining records. You also need to make sure evidence of checks, declarations and agreements can be provided to us if requested after you have been accredited and for subsequent employer accreditation applications. You can find these details below.

Extra requirements for controlling third party accreditation

Once employer accreditation is granted, the job check is the next step for employers wanting to hire migrants on the AEWV.

Applying for a job check: employer checklist