How to Apply for the Accredited Employer Work Visa: Processing Times, PPI Letters, and Stand-Down Rules

Receiving your Job Token feels like the finish line. It is not. The Job Token is the starting pistol for a race that most migrants have only a 90-day window to complete. The individual visa application stage — Step 3 of the AEWV — has its own set of requirements, its own processing timeline, and its own potential stumbling blocks, including a document called a PPI letter that can pause your entire application if you are not prepared for it.

What Happens After You Receive the Job Token

The Job Token is issued to the migrant worker after the employer's Job Check is approved by INZ. It confirms that INZ has accepted the role as genuinely available, correctly classified, and paying at market rate.

From the moment the token is issued, you have 90 days to submit your visa application. The token does not renew and is specific to you and the role it covers — it cannot be transferred to a different employer or position.

The first thing to do after receiving the token is not to start the online application form. It is to immediately order any police certificates you need from overseas, book your medical examination, and confirm whether a formal qualification assessment is required for your role. These steps take the most time and sit outside your control. Everything else — completing the application form, uploading documents — can be done quickly once the slow external steps are complete.

The Online Application Process

AEWV applications are lodged online through the INZ immigration portal (migrant application section). The process requires:

1. Logging in or creating an INZ account
2. Starting a new visa application and entering the Job Token number
3. Completing personal information, employment history, and education history
4. Uploading all supporting documents (passport, qualifications, work experience evidence, medical results, police certificates, English test results if required)
5. Paying the government visa fee of NZD $1,540 (plus the NZD $100 immigration levy for most applicants)
6. Submitting the application

The form itself is not particularly complex. The difficulty lies in having all required documents at the correct specification before submission. For example, overseas documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by certified translations — not Google Translate outputs.

AEWV Processing Times in 2026

INZ publishes wait time benchmarks on its website. As of early 2026:

• 50% of applications: processed within approximately 2 weeks of submission
• 80% of applications: processed within 4 to 6 weeks of submission

These times apply to complete applications. An application submitted with missing or insufficient documents will be returned or placed in a queue pending additional information. If INZ sends a PPI letter (see below), processing pauses until you respond.

Internal upgrades to INZ's systems have reduced processing times significantly compared to the 2022–2023 backlog period. Green List roles and ICT positions tend to move faster than hospitality and construction roles, which receive more scrutiny of the labour market testing evidence from the Job Check phase.

Understanding PPI Letters

A Potentially Prejudicial Information (PPI) letter is an INZ notification that an immigration officer has identified a concern with your application and intends to take a decision that may not be in your favour — unless you provide additional information to address it.

Receiving a PPI letter does not mean your application is refused. It means processing has paused and you have a defined window — typically 15 working days from the letter's date — to respond with evidence.

Common triggers for a PPI letter:

• Work experience evidence that does not clearly match the role on the Job Check
• Employment gaps that are not explained
• A qualification that is not directly relevant to the role and no explanation provided
• A health finding that requires further assessment
• Pay slips that show a different pay rate than the one on the employment agreement
• Police certificate issues (including certificates that are outside validity windows)

Responding to a PPI letter requires you to directly address the specific concern raised. Do not submit generic character references or repeat information already in your application. Identify the precise question INZ is asking and submit documented evidence that resolves it. If the concern is about work experience, provide an additional employment certificate from the relevant employer confirming specific dates and duties. If the concern is about qualification relevance, provide a statement from your employer explaining why the qualification is appropriate for the role.

AEWV Stand-Down Period: What It Means

The AEWV stand-down rule is one of the least understood — and most consequential — features of the system. Every AEWV holder has a Maximum Continuous Stay (MCS) that limits how long they can remain in New Zealand on a temporary basis.

• Roles at NOL Levels 1–3: Maximum 5-year continuous stay
• Roles at NOL Levels 4–5: Maximum 3-year continuous stay
• Roles paying at least 1.5x the median wage (NZD $52.50/hour as of March 2026): Maximum 5-year stay regardless of NOL level

Once you reach your MCS, you must depart New Zealand for 12 consecutive months before you are eligible for a new AEWV. There is no way to pause this clock while you are in New Zealand. Time spent on interim visas while an AEWV renewal is being processed counts toward your total.

The stand-down period is not a renewal — it is a hard exit requirement. Early 2026 is a peak period for stand-down arrivals: workers who received three-year visas when the AEWV launched in mid-2022 are now reaching their MCS limits. For employers in hospitality, construction, and care, this is creating significant workforce disruption.

The only way to avoid the stand-down is to transition onto a residence visa before your MCS is reached. This is why the Green List residency pathway — and the timing of your residence application — matters so much.

Variation of Conditions (VOC): When You Need to Change Something

A variation of conditions is the formal process for making a change to an existing AEWV. You need a VOC if:

• You want to change employers (while remaining in the same role type)
• The employer wants to change your work location, job title, or duties significantly
• Your working hours change in a way that affects pay calculation (particularly for roles with variable hours)

Changing employers without a valid VOC is a visa breach. The new employer must be accredited, must have an approved Job Check for the role, and must issue you a new Job Token. You can apply for a VOC while still employed with your current employer. The current AEWV remains valid while the VOC application is processed.

For workers who discover mid-employment that their original employer's accreditation has been revoked (which now appears on the INZ stand-down list), the AEWV status implications are serious. Accreditation revocation does not automatically cancel a worker's visa — but it changes the employer's legal ability to sponsor the worker going forward. Taking advice on your options promptly, rather than waiting for INZ to contact you, is the better approach.

Before You Submit: A Pre-Submission Checklist

Run through these points before lodging your application:

• Job Token is current and has not expired
• Passport validity extends at least six months beyond your intended stay
• Medical examination is from an INZ-approved physician and within the validity window
• Police certificates are originals (not receipts for applications in progress) and cover all required countries
• Work experience evidence includes employment certificates, not just a CV
• If a qualification assessment is required, it has been completed and the results obtained
• English language test results are included if your role is at NOL Level 4 or 5
• All non-English documents are accompanied by certified translations
• Application fee of NZD $1,540 plus levy is ready to pay at submission

Submitting an incomplete application restarts the clock on your 90-day window in practical terms — you will spend time responding to information requests that could have been avoided. The New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa Guide includes complete document checklists for different applicant profiles (skilled worker, trades worker, healthcare professional) so you can confirm what is needed for your specific circumstances before touching the online form.

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