How Employer Accreditation Works

Immigration New Zealand offers different types of employer accreditation depending on your business structure and needs. Standard accreditation is the most common option, suitable for most businesses that want to hire migrant workers directly. This requires demonstrating your business is genuine, financially viable, and committed to meeting employment standards.

Franchise accreditation is available for established franchise operations, allowing the franchisor to obtain accreditation that covers multiple franchise locations. This can streamline the process for franchise businesses but requires meeting additional criteria around franchise management and oversight.

Triangular employment accreditation applies to more complex employment arrangements where workers are employed by one entity but work for another, such as labour hire or contracting arrangements. Each type has specific requirements and obligations, so choosing the right accreditation type is crucial for your application's success.

To qualify for employer accreditation, your business must meet several fundamental requirements. You must be operating a genuine business in New Zealand with a proven track record of compliance with employment and immigration laws. Immigration New Zealand will assess your business's financial stability, management structure, and ability to provide ongoing employment.

Your business must demonstrate it can meet the terms and conditions offered to migrant employees, including salary, working conditions, and any other commitments made in job offers. You'll need to show you understand and can comply with New Zealand employment law, including minimum wage requirements, holiday entitlements, and health and safety obligations.

Businesses with poor compliance history, including employment law breaches, tax issues, or previous immigration violations, may face additional scrutiny or be declined. Immigration New Zealand also considers the character and suitability of key personnel involved in managing migrant employees.

The employer accreditation application process begins with gathering comprehensive documentation about your business operations, financial position, and employment practices. You'll need to provide business registration documents, financial statements, employment policies, and evidence of your compliance history with various government agencies.

The application form requires detailed information about your business structure, key personnel, and the types of roles you intend to fill with migrant workers. You must also provide a detailed business case explaining why you need to hire migrant workers and how this fits with your business operations and growth plans.

Once submitted, Immigration New Zealand will assess your application against their criteria, which may include requesting additional information or conducting site visits. The assessment process examines your business's genuineness, your ability to meet employment obligations, and your understanding of the responsibilities that come with hiring migrant workers.

Successful employer accreditation applications require extensive documentation to prove your business meets Immigration New Zealand's requirements. Financial documents typically include recent financial statements, tax returns, and evidence of your business's financial stability and ability to pay the wages offered to migrant employees.

You'll need to provide comprehensive employment documentation, including your employment policies, standard employment agreements, evidence of current employees' terms and conditions, and records demonstrating compliance with employment law. This includes payroll records, holiday and leave records, and any workplace health and safety documentation.

Business operation evidence includes your business registration, any relevant licenses or certifications, organisational charts showing management structure, and detailed job descriptions for roles you intend to fill with migrant workers. Immigration New Zealand may also require character references for key personnel and evidence of your understanding of immigration and employment obligations.

Immigration New Zealand assesses employer accreditation applications against specific criteria designed to ensure only suitable employers can hire migrant workers. The assessment examines whether your business is genuine and operating legally in New Zealand, with particular attention to your compliance history with employment, tax, and other relevant laws.

Financial viability is a key factor, with assessors reviewing whether your business can sustain the employment of migrant workers and meet all financial obligations, including wages, taxes, and other employment-related costs. They also assess your business's management capability and whether key personnel have the experience and character suitable for managing migrant employees.

The assessment includes evaluating your understanding of employment law obligations and your commitment to providing fair working conditions. Immigration New Zealand considers whether you have appropriate systems and processes in place to manage migrant employees and meet ongoing compliance requirements once accredited.

Once you have employer accreditation, you must complete a job check for each specific role you want to fill with a migrant worker. The job check process ensures the role is genuine, cannot be filled by a New Zealand worker, and meets minimum standards for migrant employment.

Job checks require detailed information about the specific role, including job description, salary and conditions, skills and experience requirements, and evidence of your recruitment efforts to find New Zealand workers. You must demonstrate that you've made genuine efforts to recruit locally before seeking to hire a migrant worker.

The job check assessment considers whether the role is necessary for your business operations, whether the offered terms and conditions meet New Zealand standards, and whether the role provides a genuine opportunity for the migrant worker. For more detailed information about this process, see our guide on job check requirements.

Employer accreditation comes with significant ongoing obligations that continue throughout the period you employ migrant workers. You must maintain accurate employment records for all migrant employees, including contracts, payroll records, and documentation of any changes to employment terms or conditions.

Accredited employers must ensure migrant employees receive the terms and conditions promised in their job offers and employment agreements. This includes paying the agreed salary, providing the specified working conditions, and meeting all employment law requirements such as holiday pay, sick leave, and health and safety obligations.

You're required to notify Immigration New Zealand of certain changes, including significant business changes, changes to key personnel, or if a migrant employee's employment ends earlier than expected. Regular compliance monitoring may occur, and failure to meet your obligations can result in accreditation being suspended or revoked, affecting your ability to hire future migrant workers.

Many employer accreditation applications face delays or declines due to common issues that can be avoided with proper preparation. Insufficient financial documentation is a frequent problem, particularly for newer businesses or those with complex financial structures. Ensuring your financial records clearly demonstrate business viability and ability to meet employment obligations is crucial.

Compliance history issues can significantly impact your application, even for relatively minor past breaches of employment or tax law. Being transparent about any compliance issues and demonstrating how you've addressed them can help, but serious or repeated breaches may result in decline.

Poor understanding of employment law obligations is another common issue, particularly around minimum wage requirements, holiday entitlements, and workplace rights. Immigration New Zealand expects accredited employers to have a thorough understanding of their legal obligations and systems in place to meet them consistently.