What is a new Zealand Immigration accreditation?

If you need to regularly recruit skilled overseas workers, consider becoming an Immigration New Zealand Accredited Employer. While you are accredited you can employ skilled migrant workers without first having to check if any New Zealanders can do the work. You must take direct responsibility for the workers you employ, for their work and you must pay a minimum base salary of NZD $79,560.

We can help you become an Accredited Employer by Immigration New Zealand.

How does employer accreditation work?

We will help you build a case for Immigration New Zealand to clearly show that you are a sustainable employer with a genuine need to recruit from overseas. Once Accreditation has been approved, it will be valid for 24 months and you will be able to recruit overseas workers freely, in a streamlined process. You will need to offer at least NZD $79,560 per annum (or NZD $38.25 per hour) to meet the minimum threshold, under this work to residence visa category.

What are the benefits of employer accreditation?

Becoming an Accredited Employer with Immigration New Zealand will generally secure faster visa processing. It will also permit you to bypass the Labour Market Test. As an Accredited Employer, you won’t have to prove that you were unable to find suitable New Zealanders to fill a role before you can offer the position to a migrant. You won’t have to demonstrate your efforts to recruit New Zealanders, nor provide evidence of advertising for each visa application.

Accredited employer visas are also prioritised.

Faster visa processing, no advertising required.

What visas will be granted to the overseas candidates?

If you are accredited and you offer a job to a migrant, they can seek a Talent: Accredited Employer temporary work visa. Valid for 30 months, this visa  allows them to seek residence once they have completed 24 months employment under their work visa. No qualification or work experience evidence is needed for the visa application. Applicants will simply need to provide evidence of identity, health, and character, as well as the usual employment documents (job offer, employment agreement). The principal applicant’s family can seek visas based on their relationship with the main visa applicant, which will be granted for the same duration. Dependent children aged 5-18 may go to school as domestic students (no international fees).

What is the criteria for becoming an accredited employer?

In order to grant Accreditation, Immigration New Zealand must be satisfied that an employer:

is in a sound financial position. This will determine if the employment is sustainable; and

has high standards in human resource policies and processes: and

has a proven commitment to training and hiring New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders (to ensure they are engaged and that they make up a significant part of their workforce); and

has satisfactory workplace practices, including a proven history of compliance with all immigration and employment New Zealand laws

How long is the accreditation valid for?

Once granted, your accreditation is valid for two years.

Will the subsidiary companies also get accreditation?

The accreditation of a parent company cannot cover subsidiary companies. To be accredited, a subsidiary company must apply separately.

In October 2019 Immigration New Zealand announced changes to how employers will be able to employ migrant workers on the new temporary work visa (the Employer-Assisted Work Visa) to come in to affect by mid - 2022. The first step for all employers is to get accredited. This means Immigration New Zealand need to approve you to employ migrant workers.

The accreditation proposed in the new policy will not be the same as the current employer accreditation (Talent Accredited Employer). If the employers want to hire few migrants – 1 or 2, then the accreditation requirements will be basic, a very light touch. However, if an employer wants to hire more employees, then they will need to go through more checks.

We can help you to become an accredited employer

Once an employer is accredited, they will be able to consider hiring migrant workers for job vacancies that meet Immigration NZ’s job check criteria. Workers suitable for these vacancies can apply for a temporary work visa.

Immigration will expect a business to have a good history of advertising your positions and training New Zealand citizens and residents. They will want to know that the business is financially stable and that your HR information is at a very high standard. Therefore, it is essential that you start the process as early as you can so that you are able to lodge a strong application.

Some details, including the types of accreditation, have already been agreed while other details of the changes are still being worked on. There will be three levels of accreditation:

o   standard accreditation — for employers who hire between 1 and 5 migrant workers in a year

o   high-volume accreditation — for employers who hire 6 or more migrant workers in a year, and

o   labour hire employer accreditation.

Most employers will need standard accreditation.

Standard Accreditation

To get standard accreditation you must:

o   not be on a non-compliant stand-down list — a list of employers who have broken employment law

o   comply with any relevant industry or regulatory standards

o   have no history of non-compliance in your dealings with Immigration New Zealand, and

o   be in a financially sustainable position.

High-Volume And Labour Hire Accreditation

As well as meeting the requirements for standard accreditation, high-volume employers will need to make commitments to:

o   training and upskilling New Zealanders, and

o   increasing wages and conditions for workers.

Labour hire companies will also be assessed for these commitments when they apply.

How long does accreditation last?

Standard and high-volume accreditation will last for 12 months initially and then 24 months upon renewal. Employers with labour hire employer accreditation will need to renew this every 12 months.

The details to be confirmed by INZ include:

o   how and when you will need to be accredited

o   how long the process will take

o   the cost

o   what evidence you need to provide as part of the application process, and

o   how we manage your accreditation status when you do not know how many workers you are going to employ in a year.

Immigration New Zealand will phase in accreditation so not all employers need to have accreditation on the same day.

What documentation will the employer needs to provide to INZ to get accredited?

From mid-2022, all employers wishing to employ migrant workers on the new temporary work visa will use a 3-step process.

1.     An employer check — it will be mandatory for all employers, including those with an existing accreditation, to be accredited under the new application process before they can hire migrants on the new work visa.

2.     A job check — this will include checking that the job is paid in line with the New Zealand market rate and, in some cases, will include a labour market test to ensure New Zealand workers are not available.

3.     A worker check — when the worker applies for a visa, they must show they meet our standard character, identity and health requirements, as well showing they have the skills to do the job they have been offered.

What are the changes to the visa regime?

Up to the time the new system comes in to affect you will be able to seek this type of visa for employees.

Immigration New Zealand is replacing the essential skills visa from 2021. The new temporary work visa will replace six old temporary work visas. The visas that are being replaced are:

·       Essential Skills Work Visa

·       Essential Skills Work Visa — approved in principle

·       Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa

·       Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa

·       Silver Fern Job Search Visa, and

·       Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa.