As per the revised immigration rules of New Zealand, on obtaining a job in the country, the employee can stay for up to five years only on the basis of their income/salary, the level of the job as per the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), and the time of application of their first Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).
The AEWV allows a person to work in New Zealand for an accredited employer who has offered at least 30 hours of work a week. If the employee is paid less than the median wage or is employed in an ANZSCO level 4 or 5 job, the stay period can be less than five years.
In fact, for ANZSCO level 4 and 5 jobs where the employee earnings equal or are more than the required AEWV wage rate, the length for an AEWV cannot be more than two years. They can apply for another year, with a new Job Check. The length of an AEWV and maximum continuous stay for those working ANZSCO level 1 to 3 jobs will be five years
For those who have applied for their first AEWV on or after 7 April 2024, or before 21 June 2023, the total time of stay in New Zealand, that is, the maximum continuous stay on one or more AEWVs has been cut down to three years.
Once they complete the maximum continuous stay, they will have to leave the country, usually for a year, before being allowed to apply for another AEWV.
Certain ANZSCO level 4 and 5 employees will remain unimpacted by these rules, such as those working in the transport and care sector and are about to get residence, or those who are earning 1.5 times the median wage.
