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Benefits of the Employer Accreditation Service
Are you an employer wanting to hire migrant workers? Our employer accreditation course helps employers and employees meet INZ requirements and prepare for NZ.
The new employer accreditation rules came into effect in July 2022. As a result, employers are now legally required to take more responsibility when hiring migrant workers. They must provide support and training on living and working in New Zealand for their migrant employees and provide supporting evidence of this process.
There are additional requirements for employers as part of the new rules.
- Employers are required to provide migrant employees with work-related settlement information.
- Hiring managers must complete Employment New Zealand's online employer modules on employment rights.
Malcolm Pacific Immigration Helps Employers with Accreditation
At Malcolm Pacific Immigration, we offer comprehensive advice, assistance and a full service that makes the employer accreditation process easier and transparent for you and your hiring managers.
As part of our Employer Services, you gain access to our online app. The app regulates the information given to both your new employees and hiring managers to ensure your company complies with the new mandatory employer accreditation requirements when hiring migrant workers.
Why Have the Rules Changed?
The Government wants to ensure New Zealanders' job security above all and ensure that Kiwis are given the opportunity to find employment in their own country rather than seek higher wages overseas.
The Government also wants to guarantee that if a company needs to look overseas, they are a 'Good' employer who will care for its migrant workers and not exploit them. Wages must be at or above the minimum wage, ensuring migrants have the necessary financial means to live in New Zealand.
How Do I Become an Accredited Employer?
Whether you're employing one or multiple migrant workers, accreditation is the first step. This new type of accreditation means employers must apply even if they have been accredited under the past system.
For an employer to qualify for accreditation, they need to comply with Immigration NZ's regulations.
Meet Immigration New Zealand Regulations
An employer gains accreditation by meeting the specific requirements set out by Immigration NZ:
- Complying with New Zealand's immigration law, employment and business standards
- Proving they are in a stable financial position
- Having human resources policies of high standards
- Showing commitment to employing New Zealanders
- No history of regulatory non-compliance
- Paying recruitment-related fees for hiring in and outside of New Zealand
- Providing migrant employees with settlement support and services
For more information and advice on these criteria and your application, talk to our Immigration advisers.
What Is the Accredited Employer Work Visa Process?
The new accreditation process introduces three checks before an employer can hire a migrant worker:
- The employer check (the process to becoming an accredited employer)
- The job check (in most cases, checking there are no kiwis to fill the job)
- The migrant worker check (the Accredited Employer Work Visa application).
Malcolm Pacific Immigration helps you understand the visa process, takes away the stress and lets you focus on your company. We have an employer services team ready to help. So get in touch with us today.
The Employer Check
The purpose of employer accreditation is to ensure companies can look after their teams and hire New Zealanders before considering migrants. If a company does hire migrants, an employer check ensures the company is viable, meets employment standards, and will not exploit the employed migrants.
The Job Check
The job check ensures the employer's job offer to a migrant worker meets the market rate and medium wage for the industry, complies with employment laws, and shows evidence that the job has been advertised to New Zealanders and reasonable attempts have been made to employ kiwis.
The Migrant Worker Check
The migrant worker check is the last step after the employer has passed the test and become accredited, and passed the job check. The migrant worker must meet Immigration NZ's character, identity and health requirements. They must also meet the skills and qualifications of the employer's job check application.
Find out more about the NZ Accredited Employer Work Visa here.
Employer Accreditation Benefits
Here we discuss the benefits of being an accredited employer.
Fewer Labour Market Tests
Employers still need to do a labour market test for each role but not necessarily for every individual. So if an accredited employer hires multiple people with the same role title, they are not required to do a labour market test for everyone before offering jobs.
Migrant Talent Retention
Employer accreditation helps increase retention for skilled migrants as it equips the migrants with a secure pathway to residence. Migrant workers are more likely to stay with a company that has supported them in such a big way.
Hire Multiple AEWV Holders
Employers can support work visa applications for multiple migrants during the accreditation period, as there's no limit to hiring migrants.
What Are the Benefits of Employer Accreditation Service?
Malcolm Pacific Immigration offers an employee accreditation service in line with the new mandatory requirements to help employers become accredited and assist their migrant workers in preparing for life in New Zealand.
As part of our full Employer Service, we have a purpose-built online portal that makes it easier for employers to meet the new mandatory employer accreditation requirements when hiring migrant workers. It streamlines the process and takes the weight off employers' shoulders.
Helping Employers & Hiring Managers Meet INZ Requirements
Immigration NZ requires employers to provide documentation showing they met INZ requirements. Documentation can be in the form of information given to migrants, a register signed by the AEWV holder and email records between the employer and the migrant.
Our accreditation service provides your company with an easy solution to ensure you have the documents to prove you've provided your migrant employees with relevant NZ information that fulfils accreditation requirements.
The Accredited Employer App
Our application contains the Employer Accreditation modules for employers and hiring managers and employee training to ensure your company's compliance with the requirements. The process is made easier and more transparent to you and your migrant workers. The modules are regularly updated once new requirements are added, and you are provided with clear visibility of which training modules have been passed and which modules your staff are yet to complete.
Our app enables employers to invite migrant employees to complete educational employee accreditation courses, including information to prepare them for New Zealand life and work.
It includes work-related modules about health and safety for various industries to community service modules about accommodation and transport.
Providing Settlement Support & Services For Your Migrants
Immigration NZ requires accredited employers hiring migrant workers to provide information that covers essential aspects of living and working in New Zealand, including how to find somewhere to live, get an IRD number, use public transport, and access healthcare services.
Our accredited employer app provides you with all the information you need. We cover ten core courses within the app:
- How to Get an IRD Number
- Industry Education and Training
- Workplace Health and Safety
- Accommodation
- Costs of Living
- Transport
- How to Apply for a New Zealand Driver License
- Healthcare Services
- Community Group Services
- Citizens Advice Bureau Services
Each course includes questions to confirm that the employee can comprehend the information provided.
Find more advice on how to help skilled migrants integrate into the workplace here.
Making the Accredited Employer Process Stress-Free for Everyone
Our app helps you easily track your migrants' progress.
First, our employer accreditation team uploads your company and hiring managers, and as new migrant employees are employed, they can assign specific courses to be completed.
Then, the migrant employees will have one month to complete the courses from the date they start working for you. Their progress is tracked via the employer portal.
Lastly, when migrant employees complete the app's courses, they will receive a PDF report which can be used to meet INZ's documentation requirements.
Looking To Gain Employer Accreditation?
Are you looking to hire migrant employees but scratching your head at the new mandatory requirements? At Malcolm Pacific Immigration, we can take care of the application process for you.
Our new online app is designed to make meeting the new accreditation requirements easy.
Get in touch today for a free consultation, and our expert licensed NZ immigration advisers will help take the stress off your shoulders and free you up to get on with your day job.
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Immigration headlines for employers
The team at Malcolm Pacific Immigration keep across the constant changes in immigration rules and regulations. Here is the latest roundup of interest to businesses and HR teams.
Employer Accreditation – pain points
There is a level of frustration at the current processing delays across the three gateways of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme.
Immigration and employers have been busy
There is a level of frustration at the current processing delays across the three gateways of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme.
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