Changing or ending employment on an Accredited Employer Work Visa?30 Jan 2026

If you are holding an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and are changing your employment role, employment location, employer, or any combination of these, then you may be able to just apply for a Variation of Conditions (VOC) of your existing visa to enable you to change your employment (AEWV holders don’t need a Job Change if they move to a role with the same core duties and the same employer and location—for example, from adviser to senior adviser).

To undertake a VOC, you must have a new job offer from an Immigration New Zealand (INZ) accredited employer, and the employer must have a valid Job Check approved from INZ for this role. The role must also be paid at the current market rate, and you must satisfy the requirements outlined in the job check approval.

Job Change VOC applications are not subject to any English language requirement.

A VOC application can be submitted online. You need to include in your application:

  • the offer of employment and employment agreement
  • if you need to work out a notice period, a cover letter should be included confirming the notice period
  • the existing AEWV Job Check approval number
  • evidence that you are suitably qualified for the offered role (as per the job check approval)
The INZ fee for a VOC application is $325, and applications can be approved within 1-3 weeks. If the VOC application is successful the work visa will be re-issued with the new employment conditions, however the visa expiry date will remain the same as with the existing visa. Only once the VOC has been approved can you commence in your new employment.

If a business is sold or restructured, AEWV holders must apply for a VOC. The new employer must be accredited or have applied for accreditation when supporting the Job Change application. Those transferring to a new employer because of the sale or restructure can apply for a streamlined Job Change. Once the Job Change is approved, the employer must complete a streamlined job check, which requires approval but no advertising or fee.

To use the streamlined Job Change and Job Check process, the role must have the same location, job title and rate of pay (or a higher rate).

If these requirements are not met, the standard process applies, meaning the employer must submit a new Job Check and pay the fee.

Accredited employers are required to inform INZ within 10 working days if the employment of an AEWV holder ends (if more than one month before their visa expires). Once you finish the employment on which your AEWV is based then you are technically in breach of your visa conditions and you need to be proactive in addressing this situation either by getting a new job and applying for a VOC, or a new AEWV, or changing your visa to another visa (eg; student or visitor) or leaving the country. There is no fixed timeframe within which you must address your visa situation, but generally this should happen within a few weeks, and certainly within 1-2 months of when the employment ended.

If you are unable to find a new job within a month, our advice would be to apply for a visitor visa to maintain your lawful status while you are considering your future options.

Changing jobs, and especially having your job terminated, can present a very challenging situation and especially when your visa is dependent on your job. In this situation it is important to seek professional advice so you can be clear about your visa options by contacting one of Pathways to New Zealand® licensed immigration advisers today!