Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa

At a glance

The Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa (WR1) was a visa category for accredited employers. Its objective, as stated in the instructions, was to allow accredited employers to supplement their own New Zealand workforce in their core area of business activity through the recruitment of workers who are not New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders whose talents are required by the employer, and through the accredited employer having direct responsibility for those employees and their work output.[WR1.1] The visa has been superseded by the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) under the WA instructions. No new initial applications are accepted after 31 October 2021; however, existing holders may apply for subsequent work visas under the WR1.30.1 provisions while a residence application is pending.[WR1.30]

How to apply

Initial applications (closed)

No new initial applications for the Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa are accepted. Applications under WR1.30 had to be made on or before 31 October 2021. Applications received after that date are not accepted, unless they fall under the subsequent visa provisions of WR1.30.1.[WR1.30]

When applications were accepted, they were required to:

• meet all Generic Temporary Entry instructions for lodging a temporary entry class visa (E4), except the requirement to provide evidence of funds for maintenance – this was satisfied by the offer of employment;[WR1.30]
• include an offer of employment from an employer that meets the requirements in WR1.10 (see Eligibility criteria below);[WR1.30]
• include evidence of full or provisional registration, or eligibility for it, if the occupation legally required it (refer to the list of occupations requiring registration), or evidence from the New Zealand Medical or Dental Council of eligibility for registration subject only to a personal interview within one month of arrival;[WR1.30]
• if the offer's minimum base salary was less than NZ$79,560 per annum, include evidence of exceptional talent in a declared field of art, sport or culture;[WR1.30]
• include a completed General Medical Certificate (INZ 1007) and Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096) (except for pregnant women), plus associated reports, all less than 3 months old at the time of application;[WR1.30]
• include police certificates from the applicant's country of citizenship and from any country where they lived for 5 or more years since age 17, not more than 6 months old when lodged.[WR1.30]

Subsequent work visa applications (still available)

An applicant who holds a Talent (Accredited Employers) work visa at the time of application, and who has made an application for residence under the Talent (Accredited Employers) residence instructions that is still undecided, may apply for a subsequent work visa under WR1.30.1.[WR1.30] The subsequent visa may be approved if the applicant:

• has an offer of employment that is for a period of at least 12 months, for the same employer supporting the residence application, and with a minimum base salary at least equal to the salary that was in place when the initial work visa was obtained;[WR1.30]
• meets all other requirements of WR1.10, except the accreditation and minimum base salary adjustments (a), (c) and (g) that apply to new applications;[WR1.30]
• the visa may be granted for the period needed to decide the residence application, up to a maximum of 24 months.[WR1.30]

If the associated residence application is declined, the applicant is not eligible for further visas under WR1.30.1 unless they obtain a new work visa under WR1 instructions and submit a new residence from work application after holding that visa for at least 24 months.[WR1.30]

Eligibility criteria

The WR1 instructions do not set out any eligibility criteria beyond the objective at WR1.1.[WR1.1] No new applications are accepted, except for the subsequent work visa pathway under WR1.30.1 (see How to apply). [WR1.30]

However, WR1.5 sets out the specific eligibility requirements. To be granted a work visa, applicants must:

1. hold an offer of employment from an accredited employer[WR1.20], unless exceptions apply;
2. be aged 55 years or under, unless exceptions apply;
3. meet the health and character requirements for Residence set out at A4 and A5;
4. meet the requirements for bona fide applicants set out at E5;
5. lodge the application in accordance with WR1.30 (applications must be made on or before 31 October). [WR1.5][WR1.30]

Work visas granted under these instructions are subject to the condition that the visa holder may only undertake employment for an accredited employer, except where exceptions apply.[WR1.5] During the currency of the visa, the applicant may seek a variation of conditions to change employers in line with E3.26.1.10.[WR1.5]

For the purpose of these instructions, an accredited employer is a New Zealand employer who has had an application for accreditation to employ persons under the Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Instructions approved by INZ.[WR1.20]

Offer of employment requirements

The offer of employment must satisfy all the conditions listed in WR1.10:[WR1.10]

• The employer must be an accredited employer and the role must be in the employer's core area of business activity, with the employer having direct responsibility for the work output.
• The offer must be for full-time employment (averaging at least 30 hours per week) and for a period of at least 24 months.
• The offer must be current at the time the application is assessed and at the time the visa is granted.
• The offer must be genuine, and if the position legally requires registration, the applicant must provide evidence of full or provisional registration (or eligibility for it).
• The minimum base salary is NZD 79,560 per annum. Employment-related allowances (e.g., overtime, tool allowances, medical insurance, accommodation) are excluded from this calculation; where an employee would work more than 40 hours per week, the minimum is calculated on a 40‑hour basis.
• The employer must have a history of compliance with employment and immigration law, must not be on the MBIE list of non-compliant employers, and must not have been convicted of people‑trafficking offences under sections 98, 98C, or 98D of the Crimes Act 1961.

The minimum base salary requirement may be waived for applicants with exceptional talent in a declared field of art, culture, or sport who hold an offer of employment in that field from an accredited employer.[WR1.10]

Interpretation & edge cases

The WR1 section contains only the objective (WR1.1).[WR1.1] Immigration officers must not rely on it for current decisions. All accredited employer work visa applications should be processed under the AEWV instructions (see Accredited Employer Work Visa).

While WR1.5 provides specific eligibility criteria, the visa category remains closed to new applications. However, subsequent work visa applications under WR1.30.1 remain available for certain current holders (see How to apply). [WR1.30]

• Accreditation at lodgement: Despite the general requirement for a current accredited employer, a visa may still be granted if the employer was accredited at the time the application was lodged, provided the accreditation has not been rescinded and no new accreditation application is pending. If an accreditation application is pending, the visa decision is placed on hold until the accreditation application is decided; the visa can only be approved if accreditation is ultimately approved.[WR1.10]

Citations

• WR1 — Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Instructions
• WR1.1 — Objective
• WR1.5 — Who is eligible for a work visa under the Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Instructions?
• WR1.10 — Requirements for offers of employment
• WR1.20 — Definition of an 'accredited employer'
• WR1.30 — Making an application under the Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Instructions