Today's the day - new AEWV rules apply

Following a string of Government announcements, starting last April, changes to the rules around the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme finally come into effect today.

As of March 10, 2025, changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) in New Zealand, widely welcomed by the franchise sector become enforcable and many hope will signal a reduction in red tape for migrants and employers. It is hoped the measures will simplify work being done by visa staff and place franchises on a level playing field with other businesses when it comes to work visas. These changes will enable franchisees to apply to bring in workers from overseas through the standard, high-volume, or triangular employment accreditation.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announced last April, "It is important that the AEWV settings facilitate the right mix of skilled temporary migrants to address genuine skill and labour shortages, support rebuilding the economy, and to help manage numbers and pressures on core infrastructure, such as schools, housing, and the health system. I am bringing in a suite of changes that will improve the AEWV scheme and ensure we are better testing the local labour market and reducing the risks of putting New Zealanders out of work. Many of these are not new, but rather a return to pre-pandemic settings that better balanced the needs of business with the wider interests of New Zealand."

This suite of changes includes:

• Introducing an English language requirement for migrants applying for low skilled level 4 and 5 roles;
• A minimum skills and work experience threshold for most AEWV roles;
• For roles that fall into the level 4 and 5 categories, employers will need to engage with Work and Income before approval to bring in migrants will be granted
• Reducing the maximum continuous stay for most level 4 and 5 roles from five years to three years
• The franchisee accreditation category will be disestablished and these businesses will be able to apply to bring in workers from overseas through the standard, high-volume, or triangular employment accreditation.

"These steps improve the scheme’s integrity and will help to prevent migrant exploitation, following recommendations from the recent Bestwick review, which found serious issues with the AEWV processes,' said Stanford. "These changes are the start of a more comprehensive work programme to create a smarter immigration system that manages net migration, responds to our changing economic context, attracts top talent, revitalises international education, is self-funding and sustainable, and better manages risk."

The Franchise Association of New Zealand enthusiastically embraced the positive changes, saying that over 30,000 franchisees look set to benefit from the levelled playing field of the AEWV accreditation programme for hiring migrant workers. Announcing the change to members, FANZ said: "This development brings significant advantages, including substantial cost savings in application fees and enhanced efficiency with a streamlined two-year renewal cycle."

Read the original announcement article here. 

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