WORK VISAS

Work in New Zealand with the right visa behind you

Most people who settle in New Zealand start with a work visa. Aimee matches you to the right category, prepares a decision-ready application, and keeps your employer on side throughout.

WHO IT IS FOR

Built for people with skills New Zealand needs

If you have a trade, a qualification or solid experience, there is very often a pathway. The difficulty is choosing the correct one and evidencing it properly the first time.

You have a job offer from a New Zealand employer — Aimee confirms the employer’s accreditation status and whether the role and pay rate will satisfy Immigration New Zealand.
You are still searching for work — Aimee tells you which occupations give you the strongest position, and how to present your experience to New Zealand employers.
You are already in New Zealand — Changing employers, extending, or moving from a student visa to work rights — Aimee handles the transition without a gap in your status.
Your partner and children are coming too — Aimee lodges partner and dependent child applications alongside yours so the family moves together.

YOUR OPTIONS

Work visa categories Aimee can help with

Six routes cover the vast majority of applicants. Your assessment shows which one fits.

Accredited Employer Work Visa

The main employer-sponsored route. Your employer must hold accreditation and pass a job check before you apply. Duration depends on the role and pay rate.

Specific Purpose Work Visa

For a clearly defined role, project, event or secondment with a set end point — often used by specialists and intra-company transfers.

Post Study Work Visa

Open work rights after completing a qualifying New Zealand qualification, so you can build the local experience residence pathways reward.

Working Holiday Visa

Short-term work and travel rights for young people from partner countries. Often the first step towards something longer term.

Partner of a Worker Work Visa

Open work rights for the partner of someone holding an eligible New Zealand work visa, so both of you can earn from day one.

Recognised Seasonal Employer

Seasonal work in horticulture and viticulture through employers approved under the RSE scheme.

Important: work visa settings, pay thresholds and accreditation rules change regularly. Aimee confirms the current criteria against your circumstances before you commit to anything.

REQUIREMENTS

What Immigration New Zealand will want to see

The bar is evidence, not effort. Every claim you make needs a document behind it.

A genuine, compliant job offer — A written employment agreement from an accredited employer, for a real role, at a compliant rate of pay.
Skills and experience that match the role — Qualifications, references and employment records that demonstrate you can actually do the job.
Health and character — Medical certificates and police certificates from every country you have lived in for 12 months or more.
Genuine intentions — Evidence that you intend to work in the role offered and comply with your visa conditions.
English language ability — Required for some roles and categories — Aimee confirms whether it applies to you and which tests are accepted.

At a glance

Typical processing: Weeks rather than days — varies significantly by category and volume
Employer must be accredited: Yes, for the Accredited Employer Work Visa
Partner can work: Usually yes, subject to your visa type and pay rate
Children can study: Generally as domestic students while your visa is valid
Leads to residence: Often — through Skilled Migrant, Green List or sector pathways

HOW AIMEE HELPS

What working with Aimee looks like

Aimee is a licensed adviser who handles your file herself, from the first assessment to the decision letter.

Honest eligibility check

Aimee tells you where you genuinely stand before you spend a dollar — including when the answer is not yet.

Decision-ready documents

Every form, every certificate, every translation checked against current instructions before it is filed.

Employer liaison

Aimee works directly with your employer on accreditation and job check so nothing stalls at their end.

Risk assessment

Past refusals, health issues, character disclosures — Aimee addresses them upfront rather than hoping they go unnoticed.

One point of contact

You deal with Aimee directly, not a queue and not a call centre.

A residence plan

Aimee shapes your work visa around where you want to be in three years, not just the next twelve months.

THE PROCESS

From first conversation to visa approved

Every application is different, but the shape of the journey stays the same.

Free assessment

Tell Aimee about your work history, qualifications and family. She tells you which categories are realistically open to you.

Strategy and quote

A written plan setting out the recommended pathway, documents required, timeframes and a fixed professional fee.

Preparation and filing

Aimee assembles and checks the evidence, completes the forms, and lodges with Immigration New Zealand on your behalf.

Decision and arrival

Aimee handles requests for further information, responds to any concerns, and briefs you on your visa conditions once approved.

QUESTIONS

Frequently asked

Do I need a job offer before I can apply for a work visa?

For the Accredited Employer Work Visa, yes — you need a written offer from an employer who holds current accreditation and has passed a job check for the role. Some other categories, such as the Working Holiday Visa and the Post Study Work Visa, do not require a job offer. Part of your assessment is identifying which of these is realistically available to you.

My employer is not accredited. What happens now?

They can apply. Accreditation is granted to the employer, not the role, and covers a set period. Aimee can guide your employer through their first accreditation and job check alongside your visa — see employer services.

Can my partner and children come with me?

In most cases yes. Partners can often apply for an open work visa and dependent children for student visas, with the exact rights depending on your visa type and pay rate. Aimee lodges the family applications together so nobody is left behind on a different timeline.

How long will my work visa last?

It depends on the category, the role and, for the AEWV, the pay rate and whether the occupation appears on relevant lists. Some are granted for a year, others for several. Aimee confirms the expected duration before you apply so you can plan around it.

Can a work visa lead to residence?

For many people it is the standard route. Skilled work in New Zealand can build points towards the Skilled Migrant Category, and some occupations qualify for Green List or sector-specific work to residence pathways. Aimee builds that longer view into your plan from day one.

NEXT STEP

Ready to take the first step?

Tell Aimee where you are today and she will tell you honestly what is possible. Your first eligibility assessment is free and comes with no obligation.