From 27 February 2023, the Immigration NZ median wage is due to increase to NZD $29.66 an hour for new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) applications. Occupations covered by sector agreements will also update their minimum hourly rates on this date.
| Before 27/02/2023 | From 27/02/2023 |
| Must be paid at or above $27.76* | Must be paid at or above $29.66* |
*unless sector agreement or other exemption is in place
Any work visa applied for on or before 26 February 2023 can be granted for 3 years with conditions to pay $27.76 per hour.
Note that this will also impact resident visa applications including the Green List and Highly Paid pathways, the Skilled Migrant Category and the Parent Category.
Act early as accreditation and job checks take a long time
Immigration NZ’s new work visa process is a slow one and requires several steps before the actual work visa can be applied for, including:
- employer accreditation (1-2 weeks);
- advertising (2 weeks); and
- job check (1-3 weeks).
Given that the process can take more than a month, it is vital to get any accreditation and advertising underway as soon as possible to take advantage of the current median wage of $27.76 per hour.
We can help
Greenstone Immigration is happy to assist in getting accredited, ensuring advertising and job checks run smoothly, and in assisting potential employees in getting their documents ready on time.
Get in contact with our experienced immigration advisers to start the process.
Steven Dunning
Licensed Immigration Adviser