Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa
A Way to Live in New Zealand for Carers
New Zealand needs kind and capable workers in its aged care, disability, and support sectors. To recognize what care experts bring to the table, the government has rolled out the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa. This visa lets carers who qualify apply to live in NZ after working for just 24 months in a job that fits the bill.
If you now work in New Zealand on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and have a job in care that’s on the approved list, this path could give you a chance to set up home here for good with your loved ones.
At Ezy Immigration, we help carers throughout New Zealand—from elderly care centers to homes for people with disabilities—to move from short-term jobs to permanent homes in New Zealand.
Visas for New Zeland
We can assist you with all popular temporary or residence visa applications for Australia. We will not take on an application if we believe it will be unsuccessful, saving you time and money. We provide timely updates and keep you informed throughout the whole process.
We provide professional visa consultation services for the following visa categories :
LIAA Member
Licensed Immigration Adviser (NZ) # 201300919
Registered MARA Agent (AU) # 2117455
What Does the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa Mean?
The Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa aims to attract people who work in direct care jobs that need filling. These include roles such as helpers for older adults, staff in care homes, and assistants for people with disabilities.
To qualify, you must:
- Have a job in an approved care workforce role (Level 4 or 5 ANZSCO), Some occupations are recognised at skill level 3 or higher within ANZSCO for the purpose of AEWV and Skilled Migrant Category
- Earn at least the wage in effect for Care Workforce sector (current – $28.25 effective from 1 July 2022 onwards)
- Hold and work on an Accredited Employer Work Visa for 24 months
- Satisfy the standard health, character, and English language requirements
After you complete the 24-month work requirement, you can submit a residence application and include your partner and dependent children in it.
Who Qualifies for This Pathway?
If you’re now employed in a Level 4 or 5 ANZSCO care position, and your earnings meet or exceed the care sector wage ($28.25), you probably qualify. Common jobs that meet these criteria include:
- Aged or Disabled Carer
- Nursing support worker
- Residential Support Worker
- Healthcare Assistant (in aged or disability care)
- Personal Care Assistant
- Therapy Aide (in support settings)
Each position must be with an accredited New Zealand employer, and your employment must be full-time and last for 24 months without breaks.
If your job falls under Nursing or another Green List occupation, you might qualify to obtain residence faster through a Green List visa.
How Ezy Immigration Helps Carers Move Toward Residence
Carers play a crucial role in New Zealand’s communities—but visa rules can be tricky and slow. We make the process easier for you:
- Check if you qualify and how your job is classified
- Keep tabs on your 24-month work history
- Get your Work to Residence Visa application ready and submitted
- Make sure your family members are included
- Work with your employer to verify their accredited status
We also help care workers who are just beginning to plan for their 2-year residence goal making sure everything is set up from the start.
What our clients are saying
Employer Accreditation for Work Visa
As per the new guidelines, Immigration New Zealand requires an employer to apply for accreditation before they employ migrant workers under the new Accredited Employer Work Visa.
As per the new rules, all employers need to obtain an employer accreditation before hiring a migrant worker to work in New Zealand.
Getting the accreditation is the first part of a three-stage application process whereby Immigration New Zealand assesses the employer, the labour markets and the migrant worker. If the employer is not accredited then they cannot hire any migrant workers on AEWs (Accredited Employer Work Visa).
From 4th July 2022, to hire workers under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), employers will need to be first accredited by Immigration New Zealand. The employer accreditation for a work visa is valid for up to 3 years. They are required to pay the worker at least the NZ median wage unless the role is listed on the exemption list. To get the accreditation the employer needs to show that they are not able to find suitable New Zealanders for the role.
Employers employing migrant workers holding an open work visa (post-study visa partnership visa, etc.) are not required to be accredited to continue their employment. (However, this is expected to change in 2023).
Employer Accreditation is required only for supporting new AEWV applications made from 4 July 2022 onwards. Though migrant workers with existing visas can continue working, workers wishing to renew their work visas in the future will need accreditation. From 2023 any employer who wishes to employ anyone on a work visa including partners visa, student visa and working holiday visa will require Employer accreditation.
An employer has to apply for AEWV accreditation, advertise if required and also get a job check to show there are no suitable New Zealanders who can be hired for the said job.
Apply for employer accreditation
An employer can apply for accreditation under any of the 4 levels of accreditation:
- A standard Business can apply for a Standard accreditation if it is required to employ up to 5 migrants.
- A Standard Business can apply for a high-volume accreditation if it needs to hire 6 or more migrants.
- Businesses that are part of a Franchise, need to apply for franchisee accreditation. There is no limit to how many migrants they can employ under this accreditation.
- Businesses that place their migrant workers to work under third parties while still being the direct employer as mentioned in the employment agreement, can apply for the controlling third party accreditation. There is no limit to the number of migrants they can hire.
There is a different fee amount for each type of employer accreditation which needs to be paid by the employer.
Advertise the role
Before applying for a job check the employer needs to advertise the job role to check if there are any New Zealand citizens or residents with the required skills and experience available for the job profile.
This ensures that New Zealanders are given the opportunity to apply for the job before it is offered to a migrant. This also ensures that employers offer attractive wages to New Zealanders.
The job needs to be listed on a national listing website for at least 2 weeks where suitable New Zealanders can apply. Advertising of the job profile should be done 90 days before the application for accreditation is made.
Applying for a job check
Once the accreditation is received accreditation the employer must apply for a job check.
For a job check one needs to include:
- Complete job description
- Employment agreement
- Results of job advertising done.
The Job checks have a validity of 6 months or until the employer no longer has accreditation. It takes around 10 working days approximately to process complete job check applications from compliant employers.
Application by the Migrant
On receiving approval for the job check, the employer can ask the migrant to apply for a visa. The employer needs to provide them with a copy of the employment agreement along with a copy of the signed employment offer. The required experience and qualifications for the job offered to the migrant worker must match the approved job check. It takes around 20 working days to process a complete work visa application.
Director
Licensed Immigration Adviser and Registered Migration Agents
Adviser (NZ) # 201300919
Agent (AU) # 2117455
Let's Make New Zealand Home – Together
Your dedication to caring for others deserves a stable and reliable future. The Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa gives you a chance to set up a life in a country that appreciates what you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jobs such as aged care worker, residential support worker, and disability carer are eligible—as long as they match ANZSCO Level 4 or 5 roles and meet the wage requirement.
You need to complete 24 months of full-time work in your eligible care role on an Accredited Employer Work Visa to apply for residence.
No. You must have full-time employment (30+ hours per week) for the 2-year period.
Yes. You can add your partner and dependent children to your Work to Residence Visa application.
You’re allowed to change employers, but your new employer must also have accreditation, and your new job needs to meet all care workforce visa requirements.
Yes. You need to satisfy Immigration NZ’s English requirements, which you can prove by taking a recognized English test.
After approval, you can live, work, and study in New Zealand without time limits. You might also qualify for a Permanent Resident Visa later on.
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