Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that the franchisee accreditation category for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) will be disestablished on June 16, 2024, as signalled in April. This is because there is no compelling evidence to suggest franchisee employers are more likely to be non-compliant and in need of additional accreditation requirements.
What to Expect
- Franchisee employers will instead be able to hold either standard, high-volume, or controlling third-party employment accreditation, depending on their circumstances.
- This change will reduce costs for franchisee employers and put them on an even footing with other businesses operating in the same industry.
- Franchisee employers looking to apply for accreditation or who currently hold franchisee accreditation do not need to act now and will be able to apply for another accreditation type of their choosing after June 16, 2024. Applying before this date means applications will need to meet existing franchisee accreditation requirements.
- Current accredited employers should ensure they apply for renewal before the expiry of their current accreditation. In most cases interim accreditation will be granted if the renewal application is not decided before the expiry of the current accreditation.
Erickson Insights & 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.