INZ Accredited Employer List: Check & Find Visa Jobs

If you’re hunting for skilled work in New Zealand from overseas, the single most useful thing you can do first is verify that your potential employer actually appears on Immigration New Zealand’s accredited employer list. Without that status, they cannot legally sponsor your Accredited Employer Work Visa — and applying to unaccredited firms is a detour nobody needs. This guide walks you through the official INZ search tool, the four accreditation tiers, where the 24,000-plus accredited employers cluster by industry, and exactly how to turn that check into a real job offer.

Accredited Employers: 24,823+ · Official Source: immigration.govt.nz · Visa Type: AEWV · Searchable Database: hired.co.nz · Primary Users: Overseas job seekers

How to check if an employer is accredited?

Immigration New Zealand maintains an official searchable database of accredited employers approved for AEWV sponsorship. The tool lives at immigration.govt.nz and lets you search by employer trading name (minimum 3 characters) or full NZBN — a 13-digit identifier tied to every registered New Zealand business. Enter either field and the system returns the employer’s current accreditation status, accreditation type, and expiry date if available.

Using the official INZ list

Direct searches on the INZ portal confirm status only. The list is updated daily as employers join or renew accreditation, according to Immigration New Zealand (the government’s immigration authority). For a broader view with industry and region filters, third-party aggregators can surface patterns the official tool does not display.

Search by NZBN or company name

Every New Zealand business carries a unique NZBN (New Zealand Business Number). If you already know which company you are targeting, searching by that 13-digit number gives the most precise match — no risk of name variants throwing you off. Searching by trading name works well when you only have partial information, but check for spelling variations if your first attempt returns nothing.

What is a New Zealand accredited employer work visa?

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is New Zealand’s primary immigration pathway that lets overseas workers fill skilled labour shortages — but only when their sponsoring employer holds valid accreditation. Employers must be accredited before they can legally hire foreign workers on this visa. The AEWV replaced several older work visa categories and introduced formal accreditation tiers with defined hire limits.

AEWV overview

There are four levels of employer accreditation under the AEWV framework. Standard accreditation covers businesses hiring up to 5 migrants. High-volume accreditation applies from 6 migrants onward. Franchisee accreditation carries no migrant hire cap. Controlling third party accreditation allows agencies to place migrants with third-party employers and also has no cap. All four levels require the employer to pass INZ checks for genuine operation and compliant employment practices, as explained by New Zealand Immigration Concepts (an immigration advisory firm).

Eligibility for employers and workers

For employers, accreditation involves meeting financial thresholds, demonstrating good workplace compliance, and paying the accreditation fee. For workers, the AEWV requires a job offer from an accredited employer, a Job Check cleared by INZ, and the applicant must separately meet health, character, identity, and skills requirements tied to the role. The job itself must pay market rate and comply with employment law. Labour market testing may apply unless the position pays at least twice the NZ median wage or appears on the Green List of eligible occupations.

“If an employer is not on the accredited list, they cannot legally sponsor your work visa.”

— ApplyWave Blog (job platform)

The pattern makes sense: without INZ pre-screening the employer, the entire visa chain collapses before it starts.

How do I get a job from an accredited employer in New Zealand?

Landing a role with an accredited employer requires a two-track approach: finding employers who are both hiring and accredited, then ensuring your application package is strong enough to survive the Job Check scrutiny INZ places on each position.

Steps to apply

Start by cross-referencing your target industry against the sectors with the highest accredited employer counts. Accommodation and Food Services leads with 4,027 accredited employers, followed by Construction at 3,529, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing at 2,560, Retail Trade at 2,270, and Manufacturing at 2,107, according to ApplyWave (a third-party immigration jobs platform). Build a shortlist of employers in sectors matching your skills, verify their accreditation status on the INZ portal, then apply directly through their careers page or via platforms like Hired.co.nz (a job search aggregator with 27,000+ accredited employer entries).

The implication: targeting hospitality or construction gives you the widest pool of verified sponsors to approach.

Visa sponsorship process

Once you receive a job offer, the employer lodges a Job Check with INZ — confirming the role pays market rate, has no suitable NZ workers available, and meets employment law standards. After INZ approves the Job Check, you submit your visa application. The employer does not need to re-apply for accreditation for each hire if their status is current. As Working In New Zealand (a specialist immigration jobs portal) notes, 91 new roles were added to the AEWV eligible occupations list, expanding pathways into sectors that previously did not qualify.

Which occupations are in demand in New Zealand?

The Green List designates occupations facing acute skills shortages where visa processing is faster and labour market testing is waived. Beyond the Green List, AEWV-eligible roles span construction, healthcare, IT, engineering, and hospitality — sectors where accredited employer density is highest.

High-demand sectors

Accommodation and Food Services tops the accredited employer count, driven by ongoing shortages in chefs, hospitality managers, and front-of-house roles. Construction follows closely, with demand for electricians, plumbers, project managers, and site supervisors. Healthcare (covered under the ACC Accredited Employers Programme since April 2024) has broad coverage across all Health New Zealand districts, according to ACC New Zealand (New Zealand’s accident compensation corporation). Agriculture and manufacturing round out the top five, with seasonal horticulture roles also eligible under the separate Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) programme for fruit and vegetable industries.

Green list roles

The Green List covers two tiers: straight to residence (no additional visa stages) and sector agreements leading to residence after defined periods. Straight-to-residence roles include engineers, GPs, specialists, and certain IT roles. Sector agreement roles span construction, dairy, and tourism hospitality with a pathway to residence after two to three years. Check the current INZ Green List at immigration.govt.nz before targeting any role.

How to find a job in New Zealand from abroad?

Overseas job seekers face a practical challenge: applying blind risks wasting effort on employers who cannot sponsor your visa. The solution is to filter first for accreditation status, then target only those with active hiring.

Job search tools

Hired.co.nz aggregates over 27,000 INZ accredited employers into a searchable database filterable by industry and region — the fastest way to build a shortlist. ApplyWave adds industry filters, company profiles, and direct apply links beyond what the official INZ tool provides. Use both alongside the official INZ search as your verification baseline. For general job listings across all New Zealand roles, Seek and Trade Me Jobs carry filters for accredited employers in their visa sponsorship sections.

Visa application tips

Before submitting any application, confirm accreditation on the Immigration New Zealand portal. Ensure your CV reflects the market rate for the role — roles paying at least twice the NZ median wage (approximately $55.68 per hour as of 2024) bypass labour market testing entirely. Gather your credentials, English language test results, and police clearances in advance; INZ processing times vary, and delays often stem from missing documents rather than policy issues. For accreditation queries, INZ operates a priority phone line at 0508 558 855 (within NZ) or +64 9 914 4100, option 7.

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While focusing on New Zealand opportunities, job seekers may find value in the UK visa sponsor companies list for similar roles in construction and hospitality.

Frequently asked questions