Immigration Update April 2023

As of May 31, 2023, migrant workers eligible for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) can continue to support their partners for the partnership-based work visas. In the past this has been an ‘open work visa’ which allowed partners to work in any role, at any rate and on a fixed or part time basis. Moving forward, these visas will be subject to the following conditions:

• Partnership-based work visa holders must work for an Accredited Employer and be paid at least the median wage ($29.66 per hour)
• Holders of these visas can change employers, however, any employer will need to be accredited
• Those who work in a role covered by an un-capped sector agreement can be paid less than the median; however, must be paid the wage threshold for their role

It is important to note that where the AEWV holder is eligible for the Green List role or is paid at least twice the median wage, mentioned conditions will not apply to their partners. In this case, partners will continue to receive the open work visas, allowing them to work in any role for any employer.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from Immigration New Zealand

Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Debbie Beynon (Regional Immigration Manager, APAC).