New Zealand consistently ranks high globally for its quality of life, stunning natural beauty, and welcoming environment. For skilled Nigerian professionals seeking new horizons, it presents an attractive possibility. The primary pathway for most skilled workers from Nigeria wanting to work temporarily in New Zealand is the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

Introduced in mid-2022, the AEWV system replaced several older work visa types. It’s built around the principle that employers must be approved (‘accredited’) by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) before they can hire migrant workers.

What is the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)?

The AEWV is the main temporary work visa designed to allow employers in New Zealand to hire workers from overseas (like Nigeria) for full-time jobs (minimum 30 hours/week) when there are genuine skill or labour shortages.

Key characteristics of the AEWV system include:

• Employer Accreditation is Mandatory: Businesses must first apply for and receive accreditation from INZ, proving they are a legitimate and compliant employer.
• Job Check Required: Before hiring a migrant for a specific role, the accredited employer must apply for a ‘Job Check’. This verifies that the job terms (like pay) meet requirements and often involves checking if any suitable New Zealanders are available (Labour Market Test), unless the role is exempt (e.g., high-paying roles or those on the Green List).
• Focus on Migrant Protection: The system includes checks designed to ensure migrants are hired for genuine jobs, paid fairly, and not exploited.
• Defined Visa Duration: AEWV visas are granted for a specific period. For roles meeting certain skill/wage thresholds, visas can now often be granted for up to 5 years. Lower-skilled roles might have shorter durations (e.g., maximum 3-year stay).
• Pathways to Residence: Holding an AEWV can be a stepping-stone to living in New Zealand permanently, particularly if your job is on the Green List of in-demand occupations.
• Family Can Join: Eligible partners and dependent children can apply for visas to accompany the main AEWV holder.

How the AEWV Process Works

Understanding the AEWV requires knowing the three distinct ‘checks’ involved, performed in sequence:

1. The Employer Check (Accreditation):
   • The employer applies to INZ to become accredited. They need to show they are a genuine business complying with NZ employment and immigration laws.
   • There are different accreditation types (Standard, High Volume, etc.).
   • Your Role: As a job seeker, you should ideally target employers who are already accredited. You can sometimes check this on job adverts or ask the employer directly. INZ maintains lists, but a public searchable database isn’t always easily accessible like in some countries. Focus on reputable employers.
   • Processing: INZ aims to process accreditation applications relatively quickly (often within 2 weeks if straightforward).
2. The Job Check:
   • After getting accredited, the employer must apply for a Job Check for the specific position they want to fill with a migrant worker.
   • INZ assesses the job details: Is it full-time? Does the pay meet the required threshold (usually the NZ median wage)? Are the employment conditions acceptable? Does a Labour Market Test need to be done (advertising the job locally)?
   • Labour Market Test (LMT): Required for most jobs unless the role pays at least twice the median wage OR is on the Green List. The employer must genuinely advertise and consider NZ candidates first.
   • Approval: If INZ approves the Job Check, the employer receives a ‘Job Check token’.
   • Processing: Job Check processing targets also aim for efficiency (often within 1-3 weeks, depending on complexity).
3. The Migrant Check (Your AEWV Application):
   • This is the stage where you, the Nigerian applicant, apply for your visa.
   • You can only apply after your employer has an approved Job Check and gives you the Job Check token/details.
   • You apply online, linking your application to the approved Job Check.
   • INZ assesses you: Are you suitably qualified for the job? Do you meet health requirements? Do you meet character requirements? Do you meet English language requirements (if applicable)?
   • Processing: INZ aims to process most AEWV applications within 4-7 weeks, though times can vary.

Meeting the Requirements: What Nigerians Need (Migrant Check Focus)

When you apply for the AEWV (the ‘Migrant Check’ stage), INZ will assess you against these key points:

• The Approved Job Offer: You must have a valid job offer from an INZ-accredited employer, linked to an approved Job Check.
• Meeting Wage Requirements: The job offer must pay at least the required wage threshold. For most AEWV applications in 2025/26, this means meeting or exceeding the current New Zealand median wage, which is NZD $33.56 per hour (effective from Feb 28, 2025).
  • Some roles under sector agreements or on the Green List might have different specific wage requirements, but the median wage is the benchmark for most. Your employer confirms this during the Job Check.
• Your Skills & Experience: You must demonstrate you have the skills, qualifications, and experience that your employer specified as necessary for the job during the Job Check process. You’ll need to provide evidence like:
  • Your CV/Resume. o Reference letters from previous employers. o Copies of relevant qualifications or certifications.
  • (Note: Unlike Australia’s points system, a formal external ‘skills assessment’ is generally not required for the AEWV itself, unless it’s needed for mandatory occupational registration in NZ, e.g., for doctors, nurses, electricians).
• English Language Ability:
  • New Rule (from April 2025): If your job offer is for an occupation assessed at ANZSCO Skill Level 4 or 5 (typically lower-skilled roles), you must now provide an English language test result showing a minimum level (e.g., IELTS overall score of 4.0 or PTE Academic 29).
  • ANZSCO Skill Levels 1-3: For jobs at these higher skill levels (which covers most professional roles like engineers, IT specialists, health professionals), there is generally no mandatory INZ English test requirement for the AEWV application itself.
  • However: Your employer will likely require good English for communication. Also, if your profession requires registration in NZ (like nursing or medicine), the registration body will have its own, often higher, English language requirements (e.g., OET or IELTS Academic 7.0+). Meeting the professional body’s English standard is crucial in those cases.
• Health Requirements: You must be in good health. You might need to undergo a medical examination (including chest x-ray) from an INZ-approved panel physician in Nigeria as part of your application.
• Character Requirements: You must be of good character. You will need to declare any criminal convictions. You’ll need to provide Police Certificates from:
  • Any other country you have lived in for 5 years or more since you turned 17.
  • These certificates must generally be less than 6 months old when you submit your application.
• Financial Proof: For the AEWV application itself, you generally do not need to provide separate proof of savings or funds, as the assessment focuses on the job offer meeting the wage threshold, implying you will be self-supporting.

Pathway to Staying Longer: The Green List

A significant advantage for skilled professionals is New Zealand’s Green List. If your specific occupation and your qualifications/experience/job offer meet the requirements detailed on this list, you have access to faster or more direct pathways to residence:

• Tier 1 – Straight to Residence: If your role is on Tier 1 (e.g., certain specific Engineering roles, IT roles like Software Engineer, various Health specialists), you can apply for residence directly (Skilled Residence Pathway) without needing to work in NZ first, provided you have the job offer from an accredited employer.
• Tier 2 – Work to Residence: If your role is on Tier 2 (e.g., Registered Nurses, Midwives, Electricians, Plumbers, Teachers), you can apply for residence (Skilled Residence Pathway) after working in that role in NZ for two years on an AEWV (meeting the specific Tier 2 requirements throughout).

Action: Check the official Green List on the INZ website carefully to see if your specific occupation (matched by ANZSCO code) is listed and what the exact requirements (qualifications, registration, salary) are for the residence pathway.

Applying for the AEWV Visa from Nigeria

Here’s a summary of the worker’s application stage:

1. Find a Job with an Accredited Employer: Use NZ job boards (Seek.co.nz, Trade Me Jobs), LinkedIn, recruitment agencies specializing in NZ, or directly check careers pages of NZ companies in your sector. Look for jobs mentioning AEWV or willingness to support accreditation/job check.
2. Receive Job Offer & Job Check Token: Once you accept an offer from an accredited employer, they must successfully complete the Job Check process with INZ. They will then provide you with the approved ‘Job Check token’ (an invitation link/code).
3. Apply Online: You use the token to apply for your AEWV online through the Immigration New Zealand website. You’ll likely need a RealMe login.
4. Upload Documents: Submit scanned copies of your required documents:
   • Valid Nigerian Passport. o Passport-style photo. o Job offer/contract details (linked via token). o Evidence of your skills, qualifications, experience (CV, letters, certificates). o English test result (IELTS/PTE) if your job is ANZSCO Level 4 or 5.
   • Police certificate(s).
   • Medical examination results (if required upfront or requested later).
5. Pay the Visa Fee: The current application fee for an AEWV is NZD $750 (check INZ website for current fee).
6. Wait for Processing: INZ provides processing time estimates on their website (recently averaging around 2-3 weeks for the visa application stage, but check current figures as they fluctuate).

Bringing Your Partner and Children

If you hold an AEWV, you may be able to support visas for your family:

• Partner: Your spouse or partner can apply for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa. Critically, they are usually only eligible for this work visa (which has open work rights) if you (the AEWV holder) earn at least the NZ median wage (NZD $33.56/hr in 2025/26). If you earn less, your partner might only be eligible for a Partner Visitor Visa.
• Dependent Children: Your children (usually under 19) can apply for Visitor Visas or Student Visas to join you. To potentially access domestic school fees (rather than international fees), the AEWV holder often needs to meet a specific income threshold (check current INZ requirements).

Family members apply separately but link their application to yours.

Where are the Jobs? Key NZ Sectors Seeking Nigerians

Focus your search on sectors with known skill shortages where accredited employers are active:

• Healthcare: Huge demand for Registered Nurses (requires NMBNZ registration), Doctors (requires MCNZ registration), Aged Care workers, Allied Health professionals.
• Information Technology: Software Developers/Engineers, Cybersecurity Analysts, Data Analysts, Cloud Engineers, IT Project Managers are consistently sought after (often on Green List).
• Construction & Trades: Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors, Civil Engineers, Electricians, Plumbers, Welders, Carpenters are needed due to infrastructure and housing demands.
• Engineering: Besides Civil, roles in Mechanical, Electrical, Geotechnical, and Structural engineering are often required.
• Agriculture & Horticulture (Skilled Roles): While the RSE scheme covers seasonal labour, there’s demand for skilled roles like Farm Managers, Veterinarians, Agricultural Technicians on

AEWV.

• Tourism & Hospitality (Skilled Roles): Chefs (especially at higher levels), Hotel Managers, experienced tourism operators are often needed, particularly post-pandemic recovery.

Tips for Nigerian Applicants

• Target Accredited Employers: Prioritize applying to companies likely to be accredited or willing to become accredited.
• NZ-Style CV: Typically 2-3 pages. Focus on achievements and skills relevant to the NZ job market. A professional summary can be useful.
• Verify Qualifications: If your degree isn’t from a country NZ automatically recognizes, look into getting an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) early, especially if aiming for Green List or points-based residence later.
• Prepare Health & Character Docs: Getting police certificates can take time, so start early if needed. Identify panel physicians in Nigeria for medicals if required.
• Check INZ Website Religiously: New Zealand’s immigration policies, wage thresholds, and occupation lists are updated frequently. The official Immigration NZ website (immigration.govt.nz) is your best source of truth.

Conclusion

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is the main gateway for skilled Nigerians wanting to work in New Zealand in 2025/26. While it requires securing a job offer from an approved employer who completes their checks first, the system aims to be efficient for filling genuine shortages. For those in occupations on the Green List, it offers excellent prospects for long-term settlement.

Focus your efforts on finding roles with accredited employers in high-demand sectors, ensure your skills and documentation (including English test if needed for your ANZSCO level) meet the requirements, and stay updated via official sources.