Jobs in New Zealand for Foreigners: AEWV, Seek and Scams

Most jobs in New Zealand for foreigners that come with a work visa go through one route: an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) offers you a role, and you apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). There are other routes, such as working holiday visas and residence pathways. But if you are overseas and want a job offer that leads to a visa, the AEWV process shapes almost everything: who can hire you, how you search, and how you spot fakes.

This post explains that route in plain terms. It also covers how to use Seek properly and the scam signs that matter most. It is general information, not immigration advice. Rules, thresholds and fees change, so always check Immigration New Zealand before you act.

How the accredited employer route works

The AEWV is employer-led. You cannot apply for it on your own initiative without a job offer. In broad terms there are three steps, and you only control the last one.

1. Employer accreditation. The business applies to INZ to become an accredited employer. INZ checks things like its compliance with employment and immigration law.
2. Job check. For each role it wants to fill with a migrant, the employer applies for a job check. Depending on the role, this can involve showing the job pays at least the market rate and, in some cases, advertising it to New Zealanders first.
3. Your visa application. Once the job check is approved, the employer gives you a job token, and you apply for the AEWV yourself, meeting INZ's requirements for health, character and qualifications or experience for the role.

Two practical consequences follow. First, an employer that is not accredited cannot sponsor you through this route, however keen they are. Second, a genuine employer may take weeks to get a job check approved, so a slow process is not automatically a red flag.

Check the accredited employer list yourself

INZ publishes a searchable list of accredited employers on its website. Before you spend time on an application, search for the business by its legal name. Trading names on job ads sometimes differ from the registered company name, so try both, and check the New Zealand Companies Office register if you are unsure.

An employer not being on the list does not mean the job is fake. Some businesses apply for accreditation only after they find a candidate. But if an ad promises visa sponsorship and the employer is not accredited, ask directly whether they hold or are applying for accreditation.

Other routes worth knowing about

• Green List roles. INZ maintains a Green List of hard-to-fill occupations, some with faster paths to residence. Check whether your occupation and qualifications match the exact wording on the official list.
• Working holiday visas. Available to younger people from certain countries, with age limits and quotas that vary by nationality. Useful for getting local experience, but not a sponsorship route.
• Partner or family-based visas. These may give open work rights. Check eligibility on the INZ site.

If your situation is complicated, use a licensed immigration adviser. You can check a licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register. In New Zealand, giving immigration advice without a licence is generally against the law unless an exemption applies (lawyers, for example).

Before you apply: get your documents ready

Employers recruiting from overseas want to see quickly that you meet the role's requirements and that the visa step is realistic. Prepare these before you start applying:

• A New Zealand-style CV. Usually two to three pages, no photo, no date of birth or marital status, and referees with contact details often expected. Our New Zealand CV format guide covers the norms with a sample.
• Qualification recognition. Many roles need overseas qualifications assessed by NZQA, or registration with a professional body (nursing, teaching, engineering, electrical and other regulated trades). Check whether yours applies before applying for regulated roles.
• Evidence of experience. Reference letters with dates, job titles and duties make both hiring and visa applications smoother.
• A short visa statement. One honest line near the top of your CV or in your cover letter, for example: "Currently based in Manila; will require an Accredited Employer Work Visa. Available to start within 8 weeks of visa approval."

Be accurate about your work rights. Saying you have rights you don't hold will surface during the visa process and can end an offer.

How to use Seek to find genuine jobs in New Zealand for foreigners

Seek (seek.co.nz) is the largest general job board in New Zealand, and most employers recruiting locally post there. It is a good place to search, but it is built mainly for people who already live and work in the country. A few habits help.

Set your right-to-work details honestly

Seek lets you record your right to work in your profile, and many applications include screening questions about work rights. Answer truthfully, even if it means some applications filter you out. An employer that can't sponsor you is not a real opportunity, and a false answer wastes both sides' time.

Search terms that surface sponsorship-friendly ads

Try keyword searches such as:

• "accredited employer"
• "AEWV"
• "visa sponsorship" or "sponsorship available"
• "overseas applicants welcome"

Combine these with your job title and a region, for example "chef accredited employer Queenstown" or "civil engineer AEWV Auckland". Then read each ad carefully. Many ads say "must have NZ residency or a valid work visa", which usually means they won't sponsor.

Read the ad for clues

Ad says	What it usually means
"Must have NZ work rights"	Unlikely to sponsor; skip unless you have open work rights
"Accredited employer"	Has accreditation; may still need a job check for this role
"Open to visa sponsorship"	Worth applying; confirm accreditation status
No mention of visas	Unclear; a short, polite question is reasonable

Look beyond Seek

Use other legitimate sources alongside Seek: employers' own careers pages, professional association job boards, and public-sector sites such as council and Te Whatu Ora (health) recruitment pages. Large employers often advertise on their own sites first.

If you are applying from abroad to several countries at once, the QuickApplyPilot remote and international jobs tool can help you adapt your CV and cover letter for a specific overseas role and flag what to clarify about work rights. It can't tell you whether an employer will sponsor you; that comes from the ad, the employer and INZ.

Track each application with the employer's legal name, accreditation status and date applied. A simple job application tracker spreadsheet makes it easier to follow up and to notice patterns.

Scam signs to check before you reply

The demand for New Zealand jobs attracts fraud. Fake job offers often look polished, use real company names and copy real Seek ads. Check these signs:

• You're asked to pay for the job. In New Zealand, employers are generally prohibited from charging premiums for employment, and that includes charging migrants for a job or job token. See Employment New Zealand for the rules. Normal visa fees are paid to INZ, not to a recruiter's personal account.
• The "employer" isn't accredited and dodges the question. A genuine accredited employer can tell you its legal business name so you can check.
• Offer without interview. Real employers interview, usually by video for overseas candidates.
• Contact only via WhatsApp, Telegram or personal email. Check that emails come from the company's real domain.
• A "visa agent" who isn't licensed. Search the Immigration Advisers Authority register.
• Pressure and urgency. "Pay today or the job token expires" is a pressure tactic, not how the system works.
• Documents that don't match. Different company names on the offer letter, the ad and the Companies Office record.

For more detail, see our guide to fake visa sponsorship job offer scam signs. If you've already paid, report it to the platform where you saw the ad and to INZ, and contact your bank promptly.

A quick checklist for each role

Before you apply, run through these:

1. Does the ad say sponsorship is possible, or at least not rule it out?
2. Is the employer on INZ's accredited employer list (or able to explain its status)?
3. Do I meet the stated qualifications and experience, truthfully?
4. Does my occupation need registration or an NZQA assessment?
5. Is my CV in New Zealand format, tailored to this ad with keywords that honestly describe my experience?
6. Have I stated my visa situation clearly and accurately?
7. Has anyone asked me for money? If yes, stop and check.

None of these steps guarantees an interview, offer or visa. Employers decide whom to hire, and INZ decides visa applications. But applying only to roles that can realistically sponsor you, with an honest and well-formatted application, is a much better use of your time than mass applying to every ad.