Immigration New Zealand has clarified what accredited employers must include in an Accredited Employer Work Visa job check when a role involves travel or work at multiple locations.
The correct approach depends on whether the employee is based at one location with occasional travel, temporarily assigned elsewhere, or regularly required to work across several locations.
What location should be entered in a job check?
An employer must enter the location or region where the work will be based or take place.
If several jobs are included in one job check, the location details must be the same for every job. The jobs must also have the same occupation, ANZSCO or National Occupation List code, pay, minimum requirements, advertising and employment agreement.
If the location, job title or employment terms differ, separate job checks are required.
A role based at one location with occasional travel
If the employee is based at one location but occasionally travels for work, the employer generally only needs to list the employee’s main work location.
INZ gives the example of a truck driver based at a Hamilton depot who travels throughout the Waikato region but returns to the Hamilton depot each night. In this situation, Hamilton can be listed as the work location.
Temporary work in another location for up to 6 weeks
An AEWV employee may work outside their approved location for up to 6 weeks, or 30 working days, within a 12-month period without the employer obtaining a new job check.
The additional locations do not need to be included in the original job check when the work outside the approved location remains within this limit.
INZ may look back over the previous 12 months to check whether the worker has exceeded the permitted 6 weeks or 30 working days.
Work in another location for more than 6 weeks
If the employee needs to work outside the approved location for more than 6 weeks or 30 working days in a 12-month period:
- the employer must complete a new job check; and
- the employee must apply for a Job Change before beginning work at the new location.
Employers should therefore review the expected work pattern before assigning an AEWV employee to another branch, project or region.
Roles involving regular work at multiple locations
Where working at several locations is a regular part of the role, the employer must:
- list the different locations in the job check; and
- provide evidence that the position was advertised in those locations.
For example, if an engineer will spend 6 months in New Plymouth and 6 months in Dunedin, both locations must be listed and the role must be advertised in both places.
By contrast, an IT support engineer based in Wellington who spends 2 weeks in Christchurch and 2 weeks in Auckland during a 12-month system rollout remains within the temporary 6-week allowance. Only Wellington would need to be declared.
What employers should do before applying
Before submitting a job check, employers should confirm:
- where the employee will normally be based;
- whether travel is occasional or a regular part of the position;
- how many working days the employee may spend outside the approved location;
- whether each location was covered by the advertising; and
- whether several vacancies genuinely have identical job details.
These details should be consistent across the job advertisement, job description, employment terms and job check application.
Employers can read the complete INZ job check process guidance.