New Zealand Sets 30-Day Limit for AEWV Workers Outside Approved Location

New Zealand has clarified how employers and foreign workers can use the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) outside an approved work location. AEWV holders may temporarily work or travel outside their approved location for up to 30 working days within a 12-month period without a fresh job check.

What employers must do

Employers applying for a job check must state the location or region where an AEWV role will be based. This matters where the position involves work across multiple locations. If an employee regularly works at different locations, the employer must include each location in the job check and provide evidence that the role was advertised in those areas. For employers seeking approval for multiple positions under the same job check, the work location details must be the same for all positions covered by the application.

What AEWV workers should know

AEWV holders can take occasional assignments, business travel or short-term work at another site. The worker must remain primarily based at the location approved for the role. Once work outside the approved location exceeds 30 working days, additional immigration requirements apply. The employer must complete a new job check covering the new work location. The foreign worker must obtain an approved Job Change before beginning work at the new location. Workers cannot start at the new location while waiting for the Job Change application to be approved.

The clarification affects migrant workers whose jobs involve frequent movement between construction sites, company branches, regional offices or other workplaces. Employers whose workers regularly operate across multiple locations may need to account for those locations from the start of the job check process instead of treating them as temporary assignments.

Wider changes for foreign workers

In February 2026, Nairametrics reported that New Zealand would introduce revised employment conditions for holders of open work visas from April 20. The changes clarified the types of employment migrants can undertake and introduced different conditions depending on the visa category.

New Zealand has also expanded some pathways for foreign graduates. In March, the government introduced a six-month Short-Term Graduate Work Visa and expanded eligibility for the Post-Study Work Visa. The short-term route gives eligible international graduates open work rights while they seek longer-term employment, including jobs that could provide a pathway to an Accredited Employer Work Visa.

Earlier changes were made directly to the AEWV framework. In November 2025, Nairametrics reported that Immigration New Zealand would introduce two seasonal visa options under the AEWV, the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa. Applications for both categories opened in December 2025 as part of efforts to give employers greater access to overseas workers during periods of seasonal labour demand.