The government of New Zealand has announced that it is pausing the scheduled increase of the median wage rate for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) that was due in February 2024.
The median wage rate is the minimum amount that must be paid by employers to hire migrant workers on an AEWV.
The pause means the rate for workers on an AEWV will remain at the current rate of NZD 29.66 per hour. The pause also extends to median wage requirements for partners of workers.
All other sector agreements and exemptions to the median wage will also remain in place based on the current rate.
The new median wage of NZD 31.61 per hour will still apply to other visa categories that use it from February 2024, such as the Skilled Migrant Category and Parent Category.
The pause allows time for decisions to be taken on alternatives to the median wage threshold in the AEWV, which the Government has committed to removing.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.