New Zealand Details Work Visa Location Rules for Employers

New Zealand Clarifies Work Visa Location Requirements

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) recently issued updated guidance for its Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) programme, clarifying the requirements for where visa holders may work. The new directives, published on 30 September 2026, specify that employers must clearly state the primary location or region for a role when submitting a job check application.

This measure aims to ensure greater transparency and compliance regarding the actual work sites for foreign nationals under the AEWV scheme. This clarification is particularly relevant for businesses operating across multiple regions within New Zealand and for individuals seeking employment through this pathway.

Employer Responsibilities for Job Checks

Under the revised guidance from Immigration New Zealand, employers are now required to list every location where a role will regularly involve work when submitting a job check. Furthermore, if a position necessitates work across various sites, employers must provide evidence that the job was advertised in each of these specific locations.

For applications covering multiple positions within a single job check, INZ mandates that the location details for all included roles must be identical. This ensures consistency in hiring practices and accurate representation of employment terms.

Rules for Temporary Work Assignments

Accredited Employer Work Visa holders are permitted to travel or temporarily work outside their officially approved location for a period of up to six weeks, equivalent to 30 working days, within any 12-month timeframe. This temporary relocation does not necessitate the employer completing a new job check.

However, Immigration New Zealand stipulates that if an employee's work extends beyond the approved location for more than 30 working days in a 12-month period, the employer must initiate a new job check, and the employee must secure an approved Job Change before commencing work at the new site.

Routine business travel, where the employee's primary base remains unchanged, is exempt from these additional listing requirements.

Compliance and Asian Talent Mobility

Immigration New Zealand has indicated it may review an employee’s work locations over the 12 months preceding any compliance check. Consequently, employers are advised to carefully monitor temporary assignments and ensure that all regular or extended work locations are accurately reflected in the relevant job checks and visa conditions.

For businesses in New Zealand, particularly those recruiting talent from Asian countries, these clarifications underscore the need for meticulous record-keeping and adherence to visa stipulations.

This could affect the mobility strategies of companies relying on skilled workers from markets such as the Philippines, India, and China, requiring clearer communication with prospective employees about their work location flexibility.