New Zealand
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): total cost to complete
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
A source-linked budget for the AEWV path: worker visa fee, employer accreditation, job check, market-rate job-offer evidence, health and character checks, photos, translations, qualification or registration exposure, and partner/child visa scaling.
What does the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) actually cost?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are NZ$3,060-NZ$4,325. Refundable proof-of-funds requirements are tracked separately at none tracked, because that money is shown or blocked rather than normally lost.
Source checked against Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa on 1 July 2026.
Australia skilled-route cost and points layer
Australia skilled points, nomination and Skills in Demand cost answer
Use this answer stack to compare Australia points routes with the sponsor-led Skills in Demand route without merging applicant costs, employer costs and salary evidence.
Calculator context
A points result does not guarantee an invitation, nomination or visa grant. It only says whether the profile clears the 65-point SkillSelect EOI floor. Skills assessment, occupation demand, state nomination, sponsorship, salary thresholds and post-invitation fees still need separate evidence.
| Australia route | Points or sponsor trigger | Mandatory paid-away baseline | Skills, nomination or salary dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 189 Skilled Independent | Points-tested SkillSelect route. The EOI floor is 65 points; there is no sponsor or state nomination bonus. | A$7,501-A$8,705 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment before the EOI can become usable. No fixed salary floor in the route model; invitation depends on occupation demand and invitation rounds. |
| Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated | Points-tested SkillSelect route plus state or territory nomination. Nomination can add 5 points after the state gate is met. | A$7,506-A$9,010 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment plus A$0-A$300 state or territory fee exposure. No employer sponsor or national salary floor; state criteria can add occupation, residence and funds declarations. |
| Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional | Points-tested regional route. State/territory nomination or eligible-relative sponsorship can add 15 points. | A$7,506-A$9,010 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment plus A$0-A$300 nomination or eligible-relative gate exposure. No upfront national salary floor; later subclass 191 context is income-evidence timing, not an upfront 491 fee. |
| Subclass 482 Skills in Demand | Sponsor-led route. It is not a points-tested SkillSelect invitation route. | A$10,381-A$13,335 | A$0-A$1,200 skills-assessment exposure where required by occupation, nationality or stream. A$420 sponsor fee, A$330 nomination fee and A$4,800-A$7,200 SAF levy are employer-side; A$79,423/yr CSIT or A$146,576/yr SSIT, plus AMSR where the stream requires it. |
| Comparator route | Route type | Paid-away baseline | Do not collapse these lines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore S Pass | Employer-sponsored pass with quota, levy and insurance duties. | SGD 16,405-SGD 18,205 | SGD 15,600 levy and SGD 600-SGD 2,400 insurance stay employer-side; SGD 39,600-SGD 45,600 salary evidence is not a visa fee. |
| New Zealand AEWV | Employer-accredited work route with job-check approval before the worker applies. | NZ$3,060-NZ$4,325 | NZ$775 accreditation and NZ$735 job check are employer-side; variable market-rate job evidence is not paid away. |
| New Zealand SMC | Residence route with points, skilled-employment evidence and post-invitation filing. | NZ$6,810-NZ$8,925 | NZ$0 EOI and NZ$6,450 resident-stage application; NZ$72,800-NZ$109,200 skilled-job pay evidence is not a fee. |
| Austria Red-White-Red Card | Points and employer-declaration route with AMS assessment. | €228-€363 | €218 application fee; €0 points and labour-market gate; €41,580 salary evidence remains a category condition. |
- Australia points calculator
- Subclass 189 guide
- Subclass 190 guide
- Subclass 491 guide
- Skills in Demand guide
- 189 cost-to-complete
- 190 cost-to-complete
- 491 cost-to-complete
- Skills in Demand cost
- Skills in Demand fees
- Australia salary thresholds
- Singapore S Pass cost
- New Zealand SMC cost
- Austria RWR cost
- Austria RWR calculator
- Cost-to-complete JSON feed
Source dates: Australia cost and salary data checked 1 July 2026; comparator cost rows checked 1 July 2026. Latest source record in this cluster: 1 July 2026. Compare the local-currency costs with the linked route requirements before deciding which option fits your circumstances.
What it actually costs
A source-linked budget for the AEWV path: worker visa fee, employer accreditation, job check, market-rate job-offer evidence, health and character checks, photos, translations, qualification or registration exposure, and partner/child visa scaling.
Money you don't get back
NZ$3,060-NZ$4,325
Mandatory fees, services and one month of insurance.
Proof of funds (returned to you)
Variable
Not a fixed visa fee. The AEWV job must pay at least the New Zealand market rate for the occupation and location; the former blanket median-wage threshold was removed in March 2025.
Proof of funds (returned to you)
NZ$43,322.76-NZ$109,200
Not a fee. INZ family rules use different thresholds depending on whether the worker supports children only, partner work rights, or skill-level-based family support. The range spans the child-only annual amount and the highest 40-hour annualised hourly threshold.
| Cost line | Amount | Type | When / who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accredited Employer Work Visa application | NZ$1,540 | Gov fee | INZ publishes the AEWV worker application cost as "from NZD $1,540". Country-specific payment handling can vary. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| Standard employer accreditation | NZ$775 | Gov fee | Employer-side fee for a standard employer hiring up to 5 migrants. Exclude this if the employer is already accredited. INZ says employers cannot pass accreditation, recruitment or operational costs to AEWV workers. Immigration New Zealand - AEWV employer fees |
| AEWV job check | NZ$735per job check | Gov fee | Employer-side fee for the approved job check that supports the worker application. Exclude if the employer already has a valid matching job check. Immigration New Zealand - AEWV employer fees |
| High-volume or triangular-employer accreditation uplift(optional) | NZ$505-NZ$4,060 | Gov fee | Optional employer-side exposure above standard accreditation: high-volume accreditation is NZD 1,280 total, and controlling third-party/triangular accreditation is NZD 4,060. The range shows the incremental uplift over NZD 775 standard accreditation. Immigration New Zealand - AEWV employer fees |
| Market-rate job-offer evidence | Variable | Proof of funds | Not a fixed visa fee. The AEWV job must pay at least the New Zealand market rate for the occupation and location; the former blanket median-wage threshold was removed in March 2025. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| Job token, employment agreement and role evidence | NZ$0 | Service | The worker needs the employer invitation/job token plus evidence that they meet the role requirements in the approved job check. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| Medical examination and chest X-ray· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$700 | Service | AEWV applicants must meet INZ health requirements. Actual panel-physician and radiology costs depend on country, stay length and recent health evidence already held by INZ. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| Police certificates· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$150 | Service | AEWV applicants must meet character requirements. Police-certificate costs vary by country and may include fingerprinting, courier, apostille or translation costs. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| Acceptable visa photo· indicative | NZ$10-NZ$25 | Service | INZ requires an acceptable visa photo as part of the online application. Local photo prices vary. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| Certified translations· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$400 | Service | Required only for documents not in English. INZ generally requires certified English translations plus copies of the original documents. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| International Qualification Assessment(optional)· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$750 | Service | Conditional. INZ can require evidence that the worker has the qualification or experience stated in the job check, and some overseas qualifications need NZQA assessment. Immigration New Zealand - International Qualification Assessment guidance |
| English-language test for ANZSCO skill level 3 to 5 roles(optional)· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$450 | Service | Conditional. INZ lists English requirements for some AEWV roles at ANZSCO skill levels 3 to 5 unless an exemption applies. Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa |
| Occupational registration or practising certificate(optional)· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$2,000 | Service | Conditional on profession. Healthcare, teaching, engineering and other regulated roles can require New Zealand registration before the job can be used. Profession-specific New Zealand regulator - verify before filing |
| Family sponsorship salary evidence(optional) | NZ$43,322.76-NZ$109,200annual sponsor income threshold where family visas are needed | Proof of funds | Not a fee. INZ family rules use different thresholds depending on whether the worker supports children only, partner work rights, or skill-level-based family support. The range spans the child-only annual amount and the highest 40-hour annualised hourly threshold. Immigration New Zealand - Partner of a Worker Work Visa |
| Partner of a Worker Work Visa(optional) | NZ$1,630partner | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line. Partner work rights depend on the AEWV holder's job, pay and visa conditions. Immigration New Zealand - Partner of a Worker Work Visa |
| Dependent Child Student Visa(optional) | NZ$750school-age child | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line. INZ lists this route for dependent children of eligible work-visa holders who will study in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand - Dependent Child Student Visa |
| Child of a Worker Visitor Visa(optional) | NZ$341child visitor | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line for a dependent child visiting New Zealand with an eligible worker. Immigration New Zealand - Child of a Worker Visitor Visa |
Baseline sunk cost models a from-scratch standard AEWV pathway: worker application fee, standard employer accreditation, one job check, medical/X-ray range, police-certificate range, visa photo and certified-translation range. Employer accreditation and job-check fees are included because they are real costs to complete the route from zero, but they are employer-side costs and INZ says they cannot be passed to the worker. High-volume/triangular accreditation, IQA, English tests, professional registration and family visas are excluded unless they apply to the actual filing. Market-rate job-offer evidence and family income thresholds are separated from sunk costs because they are wage evidence, not money paid away. Last checked 1 July 2026.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This cost model is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite Visa Atlas for the compiled sunk/refundable split and cite each linked authority or provider source for the underlying line item.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) cost-to-complete model", https://visaatlas.org/cost-to-complete/new-zealand-accredited-employer-work-visa. Last checked 1 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/cost-to-complete
Primary and supporting sources (6)
- Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa
- Immigration New Zealand - AEWV employer fees
- Immigration New Zealand - International Qualification Assessment guidance
- Immigration New Zealand - Partner of a Worker Work Visa
- Immigration New Zealand - Dependent Child Student Visa
- Immigration New Zealand - Child of a Worker Visitor Visa
FAQs
What does the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) actually cost to complete?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are NZ$3,060-NZ$4,325 in the current model. Separately, refundable proof-of-funds requirements are none tracked. The line table explains each item and source.
Is proof of funds a sunk cost?
No. Proof of funds is money you must show, hold or block. It can still be a cash-flow barrier, but it is different from application fees, document costs and insurance payments that you do not normally get back.
Why are some lines marked indicative?
Some third-party costs vary by country, provider and document count. Those lines use a range and are marked indicative so they are not confused with a single government tariff.