Immigration New Zealand (INZ) estimates at least 24,000 employers are set to apply for accreditation for a work visa category before they can hire migrant workers.

In early July, over 5,000 employers in New Zealand had already submitted their applications with INZ for the Accredited Employer Work Visa category.

Why INZ accreditation is important

The Essential Skills work visa category closed on 3 July. Employers who wish to bring migrant workers into New Zealand on work visas will need to be accredited by the INZ.

Employers whose workers hold Essential Skills work visas with an expiration date of January 2023 onwards must be accredited if they want to continue their employment agreement.

Read more: Is New Zealand losing workers to brain drain?

Government-funded organisations such as hospitals and schools are only starting to learn that – if they want to continue employing migrant workers – they will need accreditation from INZ.

By 2023, the government has indicated that all employers who wish to employ migrants on work visas must apply for and receive accreditation from immigration.

How to get accredited

The INZ accepts declarations on the application form that the employer has met the requirements of employment law and immigration law. An employer must declare that they:

- Have a positive cash flow for the past six months

- Have not made a loss over the past two years

- Have sufficient capital investment to ensure the business’s viability

- Have a credible, minimum two-year plan to ensure their business remains viable and ongoing

Immigration requires labour-hire employers to provide more evidence with their applications, such as procedures to ensure that workers are well-looked after at workplaces.