The AEWV in depth: New Zealand’s sponsored work visa

A full briefing for trade workers and professionals in the UAE and the Gulf on how hiring from overseas works in New Zealand: the three checks, who is eligible, English, medical and police requirements, the sequence of steps, family options and longer-term residence.

Last updated: 2026-10-03. General information, not migration advice.

An overview of the AEWV

If you are weighing up New Zealand jobs from Dubai or elsewhere in the region, this is almost certainly the visa a New Zealand employer will use to bring you over. What follows covers how its three checks connect and what you should prepare.

New Zealand's main temporary work visa for people from overseas is the AEWV. You become able to apply once an accredited employer has made you a job offer; that employer then sends you a link to the online application. Expect the role to offer a minimum of 30 hours weekly, paid at the job's market rate or higher and never under a legal minimum such as New Zealand's minimum wage.

Three kinds of work are excluded: being self-employed, serving as crew on a foreign fishing vessel, and horticulture or viticulture work that involves planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing crops.

Three approvals: employer, role, applicant

The employer is approved. Immigration New Zealand accredits the business.
The role is approved. Through a job check, the employer shows that your pay and conditions meet the rules and, if the rules call for it, that New Zealanders had the first opportunity through advertising. Approval holds for 6 months.
You are approved. Using the unique link the employer gives you, known as a "job token", you lodge your visa application and show you satisfy the skills, English, health and character criteria.

Official source: INZ guidance for employers on accreditation and job checks.

Who meets the skills test

An offer of employment, made by an accredited employer whose job check has been approved.
Skills: either at least 2 years of relevant experience, or an NZQCF (New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework) qualification at level 4 upward. Holders of a bachelor's degree or higher can rely on a degree in any subject.
Overseas qualifications: if the qualification you are relying on was earned abroad and sits below bachelor's level, it needs an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from NZQA.
Exempt from the skills test: roles on the Green List, roles where registration is required, and roles with an hourly rate of NZD 67.12 or above (as of October 2026, official page), among others.

Browse current openings: New Zealand roles with sponsorship.

Proving your English

Whether you must prove English turns on the skill level of the role. At ANZSCO (or NOL) skill level 3, 4 or 5 it is required; at skill level 1 or 2 it is not. Lowest acceptable scores (as of October 2026, official page):

Test option	Lowest accepted score
IELTS	Overall band of 4.0
PTE Academic	29
TOEFL iBT	31
Cambridge B2 First	142
OET	Grade D minimum across all 4 skills

The test has to be taken in person at a centre, and a result older than 2 years cannot be used.

Medical and police requirements

Tuberculosis screening. A chest X-ray applies when your stay will exceed 6 months and you either hold citizenship of, or have recently been in, a country that lacks a low incidence of tuberculosis. INZ must receive the X-ray or medical results before they are 3 months old.
Police certificates. Once you are 17 or over and expect to be in New Zealand for 24 months or more altogether, you need a certificate from each country you are a citizen of, plus each country where you have lived for more than 5 years since turning 17. None can be 6 months old or more.

Official source: INZ page for the Accredited Employer Work Visa.

Sequence: from offer to visa outcome

Find and apply for a role with an employer that holds accreditation.
Interview, after which the employer makes you an offer.
The employer completes its side: it must be accredited, and it secures job check approval for your position.
Your job token arrives, giving you the link to lodge.
Gather the evidence: your passport, proof of qualifications or experience, English results where they apply, police certificates and medical evidence, plus certified translations where they apply.
Lodge online and pay the application fee.
Get the outcome, fly out and start the job.

How long it takes, what it costs, how long it lasts

Decision times: INZ decides 80% of applications within 5.5 weeks (as of October 2026, official page). Build in extra time ahead of lodging, since the employer's accreditation and job check, and your own document gathering, come first.
Application fee: starts at NZD 1,540 (as of October 2026, official page). What you pay varies by country; enter your details on the official page to see the exact figure.
Visa duration: most roles allow a combined total of up to 5 years; roles at ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 are capped at 3 years unless an exception applies, for example an hourly rate of NZD 52.50 or more, or a role on the Green List (INZ on AEWV time limits). After reaching the cap, you must spend 12 months outside New Zealand before a further AEWV can be granted.
Day-to-day conditions: work only in the approved role for your employer, with no second job; study of up to 3 months within any 12 months is permitted.
Switching employer, role or location: requires a variation, or a Job Change involving a new accredited employer and a job check. Time on the visa is not extended by a Job Change (INZ on changing visa conditions).

Bringing a partner or children

An AEWV application covers you alone. Your partner and children lodge separate visa applications, and the options open to them are set by your pay and role. Key thresholds (as of October 2026, official page):

Hourly pay of NZD 52.50 or above: you may support a partner work visa as well as visas for dependent children.
Hourly pay of NZD 28.00 or above in a role at ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3: you may support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa.
Hourly pay below NZD 28.00: a visitor visa is all your partner can obtain.
Children: to support a child visitor visa or a dependent child student visa, annual earnings must reach NZD 58,240; where both partners hold an AEWV, the two incomes can be added together.

Exceptions and finer detail apply, including for Green List roles, so read the official page with your own circumstances in mind.

Beyond the AEWV: residence options

Though the AEWV is temporary, it can be a stepping stone: some holders later qualify to apply for residence (as of October 2026, official page).

Green List. People in Tier 1 roles may apply for the Straight to Residence Visa. Those in Tier 2 roles may apply for the Work to Residence Visa once they have worked full-time in the role in New Zealand for 24 months (INZ Green List information).
Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). A resident visa open to applicants no older than 55, with three pathways: points-based, skilled work experience, and trades and technicians (INZ SMC information).

Because residence policy is revised periodically, verify the current position on the official pages before you plan around it.

Applying from the UAE and the Gulf

This outline reflects general Immigration New Zealand requirements. It is a starting point for planning, not an assessment of your individual circumstances.

Passport. Check the expiry date: it has to stay valid for 3 months or more past the day you plan to depart New Zealand.
Police certificates. Needed once you are 17 or over and your combined time in New Zealand will reach 24 months or more. Supply one from every country of which you are a citizen, and from any country you have lived in for more than 5 years since turning 17, which may include the Gulf country you live in now. Each one has to be under 6 months old on the day you apply, and INZ will not take a receipt in place of the certificate. For country-specific steps, use the INZ police certificate finder.
Proof of experience. Independent documents are essential: payslips, tax certificates, certificates of employment or reference letters that state your role, when you started and finished, and how to reach the employer. Salary certificates and experience letters from Gulf employers are examples of employer documents that can help. Your CV alone will not be enough.
Qualifications gained overseas. Relying on one below bachelor's level means NZQA must first complete an International Qualification Assessment (IQA).
Medical evidence. If INZ requires a medical or chest X-ray, the results must reach INZ before they are 3 months old.
Certified translations. Every police and medical certificate needs a certified English translation, including Arabic-language certificates and those recording no convictions. INZ rejects translations prepared by you, by a relative or by your immigration adviser (INZ translation rules).

Points for Gulf residents: keep your offer, your visa decision and your exit from your current role in step. Plan when you resign and when your residence visa is cancelled around the outcome of your New Zealand application, and check your employment contract and the official authorities where you live. The complete requirements are on the official AEWV page. It is also worth confirming, through official sources, whether your country of citizenship has rules for citizens working abroad.

Scam warning signs and avoidable errors

Jobs carry no fee. No New Zealand employer or agent may charge you for a job, or make you bear any part of its recruitment costs, either directly or via a third party.
Paying for an offer leads to a declined visa. Should INZ consider that you, or an agent on your behalf, offered or promised an employer money for a job offer, the AEWV is declined.
INZ charges only the application fee, and will never request visa fees through a deposit into a bank account.
Licensed advice only. Immigration advice can lawfully come only from an adviser holding an Immigration Advisers Authority licence, or from someone exempt from licensing (INZ on immigration advice). You are under no obligation to use an adviser.
Errors that weaken an application: sending a CV where independent proof of experience is needed; police certificates older than 6 months; certificates lacking translations; and taking a role with an employer that has no accreditation or no approved job check.

Official guidance: INZ on staying safe from immigration scams.

Frequently asked questions

Is a job offer essential for the AEWV?

Yes. The offer must come from an accredited employer with an approved job check; that employer then provides your job token, the link through which you apply.

What level of experience does the AEWV expect?

Generally at least 2 years of relevant experience, or an NZQCF qualification at level 4 upward. Exemptions apply to some roles, such as very highly paid positions and those on the Green List.

Does the AEWV require IELTS?

Only where the role is at ANZSCO skill level 3, 4 or 5. You then need an overall IELTS band of 4.0, or the equivalent on another accepted test (as of October 2026), from a result under 2 years old.

How fast are AEWV decisions?

As of October 2026, Immigration New Zealand decides 80% of applications within 5.5 weeks. Check the AEWV page on the INZ website for the latest figure.

How long can an AEWV last in total?

For most roles, up to 5 years; for most roles at ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5, 3 years. Reaching the limit means spending 12 months outside New Zealand before another AEWV is possible.

Can my partner get a work visa?

Possibly, depending on your pay and role. Hourly earnings of NZD 52.50 or more, or NZD 28.00 or more in a role at ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3, are examples that may let your partner obtain a Partner of a Worker Work Visa.

Can I be charged for the job by an employer or agent?

No. Employers and agents in New Zealand may not charge job fees or shift recruitment costs onto you, and a paid-for job offer will lead INZ to decline the visa.

Official sources

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