Changing the conditions of a work visa or applying for a Job Change

Conditions you can change

If your work visa comes with conditions, you can apply to change:

• the employer you work for

• the job you are doing

• the location you are working

• how long you can study for while you work.

NOTE: Even if you change the conditions of your visa, it will still expire on the same date.

You want to change, employer, job or location

If your work visa lets you work in any job, for any employer and in any location, you do not need to apply for a variation of conditions or a Job Change.

What you need when applying

If you are changing your job, employer or the location where you work, you need to include in your application:

• an offer of employment

• an employment agreement

• our Employer supplementary form (INZ 1113), completed by your new employer if they are not an accredited employer

• if you need to work out a notice period, a covering letter that sets out the length of your notice period.

If you have an Accredited Employer Work Visa

You can apply for a Job Change to change your employer, occupation, location, or a combination of these.

Your employer must be accredited to hire migrants for the AEWV and have a valid job check for your new job. You will need the job check approval number for your application.

If you want to change to a job paid below the median wage, it must be exempt from paying the median wage. Your current visa must also be valid for no longer than the maximum visa length allowed for roles paid below the median wage. You must apply for a new AEWV if your current visa is valid for longer than the time allowed.

We use the current median wage (NZD$29.66) when assessing Job Change applications, unless your role is exempt. The median wage is updated every year.

If you have an Essential Skills Work Visa

You can apply to change your employer, job, location, or a combination of these.

If you are changing your job or location, your employer must:

• have advertised the job and

• been unable to find suitable or available New Zealand workers.

During your application you will need to upload a letter from your employer. In the letter they must declare they could not find suitable or available New Zealanders for the job.

Your employer does not need to advertise your new job, and you do not need to upload a letter, if the role is:

• on the Essential Skills in Demand List and you meet the requirements of the list

• on the Green List and you meet the requirements of the list or

• paid at least twice the median wage.

If your new job has different skills and experience requirements to your old job, you will need to show that you are suitably qualified for the job.

If you have a Talent (accredited employer) Work Visa

Before 4 July 2022 employers were able to apply for accreditation under the Talent (accredited employer) Work Visa policy. It was replaced by the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) from 4 July 2022. Visas granted under the Talent (accredited employer) policy are still valid.

You can apply for a variation of conditions to change your employer.

You can change to an employer:

• who is accredited under the Talent (accredited employer) policy

• who was previously accredited under the Talent (accredited employer) policy but their accreditation expired after 31 March 2021

• who is not accredited under the Talent (accredited employer) policy, if your current job is no longer available for reasons outside your control.

You do not need to complete an Employer supplementary form (INZ 1113) if your new employer:

• was accredited under the Talent (accredited employer) policy and their accreditation expired after 31 March 2021, or

• is currently accredited under the Talent (accredited employer) policy or the AEWV policy.

Your new job must pay the same or more than the minimum salary you needed to earn when you applied for your visa.

If your employer loses their accreditation

If your employer loses or does not renew their accreditation, you can keep working for them without applying for a variation to the conditions of your visa.

If you have a Partner of a Worker Work Visa

If you hold a work visa with conditions you can change to an open visa if your partner has either:

• been given a pay rise and now earns at least twice the median wage, or

• had their role added to the Green List, they meet the role's Green List requirements, and they earn at least the median wage.

The wage requirements page has the current median wage rate. Wage rate requirements for visas

Pay rise or Green List evidence you need for your application

Pay rise evidence you need for your application are your partner's:

• employment agreement or a letter from their employer confirming the pay and hours, and

• full bank statements showing a salary payment or a summary of income details from Inland Revenue or pay slips.

Green List evidence must show that your partner meets the Green List requirements. These are set out for each role in the Green List.