Applying for accreditation: checklist for franchisee employers

This checklist is to help employers who need to gain accreditation before hiring migrant workers on the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

Businesses are encouraged to train, upskill and hire New Zealand workers before they hire migrants. If you are an employer and you cannot find suitable New Zealanders for a role, you can apply to hire migrants on the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). You need to get accredited to show you are a viable business and you meet employment and immigration standards.

Note

You do not need to get accredited to hire migrants on other work visa types, such as post-study work or working holiday visas, or migrants who do work covered by the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.

Franchisee employer accreditation

This checklist is to support employers applying for franchisee employer accreditation and includes additional requirements. You can use the link below to access the checklist for employers who want to place AEWV holders with controlling third parties.

Checklist for employers using controlling third parties

*Required field

Before you start

Note

The accreditation process

Note

You will need a RealMe® login to access Immigration Online.
How to create a RealMe account

Immigration Online

What you will need to complete the online form

Note

Information about your organisation will be pulled automatically from the NZBN Register. You can check or update your details on their website.

NZBN website

This must match details in the Companies Register.

Companies Register website

Note

You can look up your code on the Business Industry Classification Code website.

Find your Business Industry Classification Code

Note

Key people include directors of a company, partners in a partnership, school principals, and any other person who can influence an organisation’s compliance with immigration and employment law.

You will be asked to provide their:

  • full name
  • date of birth
  • passport number

You will need their consent to provide this information in the application form.

Note

 You can find this on the Inland Revenue website.

Find my IRD number | Inland Revenue website

Note

You can use:

  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • China UnionPay
  • POLi.

What you will be asked to confirm or declare

Note

If you have been operating for less than 12 months, you will be asked to upload evidence of this.

Evidence you may provide to show you are a viable and genuinely operating business may include:

  • evidence of start-up capital or funding
  • cash-flow or revenue forecasts contracts for work
  • GST returns
  • PAYE returns.

Most other employers will not need to provide evidence upfront, but evidence may be required to show you meet the requirements once the application is submitted or at any time during your accreditation period.

Note

Confirm you will provide AEWV holders with local community and services and employee workrelated settlement information within one month of the employee beginning their employment.

Confirm you will provide AEWV holders with paid work time to complete online employee modules on the Employment NZ website within one month of the employee beginning their employment.

Employment Learning Modules | Employment NZ website

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Confirm you will ensure staff in your organisation who make recruitment decisions about AEWV holders will complete the employer modules on the Employment NZ website during your accreditation period.

Employment Learning Modules | Employment New Zealand

Note

For example, if your organisation or any of its key people are currently on the employer standdown list, or if any key people are currently banned from acting as a director of a business, or if your organisation or any of its key people have ever been convicted or charged with an offence under the Immigration Act 2009.

Additional requirements for franchisee employer accreditation

In addition to meeting standard accreditation requirements above, franchisee employers will be required to answer questions and make declarations, including for the following.

Note

If you are a new business and have had 12 months operating in another franchisee business you own, which sells the same goods and services as the new business, you can use that experience to meet the accreditation requirement.

Additional documents required for franchisee employers

Note

This letter must include:

  • the franchiser’s legal name, NZBN (if they have one) and contact details
  • the legal name and NZBN of your organisation
  • a brief description of the franchise relationship between the franchiser and your organisation
  • the date that your organisation began operating as a franchisee under the franchiser.
Note

Evidence can include:

  • certificates of occupancy or lease agreements for business premises or space
  • evidence of bank transactions
  • tax records
  • stock lists or orders
  • evidence of owners of the employer (organisation) and affiliated organisation.

What next?

Where you have made any declaration in the online form, you should keep records to show you have complied with this declaration during your accreditation period. We may request evidence of this later.

Once employer accreditation is granted, the job check is the next step for employers wanting to hire migrants on the AEWV.

Job check: check what you need and apply