Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa requirements and roles

Care workforce roles are part of the care workforce sector agreement.

If you work in a care workforce job, you can apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

Accredited Employer Work Visa

Once you have gained 24 months work experience, you can apply for a Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa. You must meet the job and visa requirements.

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

Care workforce roles and role requirements

The following roles are part of the care workforce sector agreement:

• Aged or disabled carer (ANZSCO 423111)
• Child or youth residential care assistant (ANZSCO 423411)
• Disabilities services officer (ANZSCO 411712)
• Kaiāwhina (hauora) (Māori health assistant) (ANZSCO 411512)
• Nursing support worker (ANZSCO 423312)
• Personal care assistant (ANZSCO 423313)
• Residential care officer (ANZSCO 411715)
• Therapy aide (ANZSCO 423314)
• Diversional Therapist (ANZSCO 411311).

Role requirements

You must be paid at least NZD$26.16 an hour to apply for an AEWV for a care workforce role.

You must be paid at least NZD$28.25 an hour (or the equivalent salary) to apply for a Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa.

Wage rate requirements for visas

Work experience for Care Workforce Work to Residence Visas

Before you can apply for a Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa you must have:

• worked in a care workforce job in New Zealand for at least 24 months in the 30 months before you apply, and
• been paid at least the Care Workforce Work to Residence wage threshold throughout the work experience.

You must have been paid at least:

• NZD$27 an hour (or the equivalent salary) between 29 September 2021 and 30 June 2022, or
• NZD$28.25 an hour (or the equivalent salary) from 1 July 2022.

For the full criteria for claiming work experience, go to 'Previous work' in the 'What you need to apply' section:
Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

Gaining work experience while on an AEWV

You can gain work experience while on an AEWV in a care workforce role. An AEWV for a care workforce job will be granted for up to 3 years. The total amount of time you can spend in New Zealand on one or more AEWV depends on your pay.

For care workforce jobs, you can stay for up to:

• 3 years if you earn at least NZD$26.16 an hour
• 5 years if you earn at least NZD$28.25 an hour.

The total time you can stay is called a 'maximum continuous stay'. Once you have reached your maximum continuous stay, you must leave New Zealand for at least 12 months before you can apply for another AEWV.

If you earn at least NZD$28.25 an hour, you can apply for another AEWV to get the balance of the 5 years. For example, if you had a 3 year AEWV your second AEWV will be 2 years.

How long you can stay on an AEWV

Bringing family with you

You may be able to support your partner or a dependent child's visa application. The type of visa you can support will depend on your current visa, your job and how much you earn.

If you are applying for an Accredited Employer Work Visa

The type of visa you can support will depend on how much you earn and if you supported a visa for your family before 26 June 2024.

If you earn at least:

• NZD$29.66 an hour you can support a work visa with conditions for your partner
• NZD$28.25 an hour you can support a visitor visa for your partner, or a student or visitor visa for your dependent children.

You cannot support a visa for your family if you earn less than NZD$28.25 an hour.

Bringing family if you have an AEWV

If you are applying for a Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

If your partner or dependent children already have, or are applying for, a visa based on their relationship to you, you must include them in your residence application.