The New Zealand accredited employer list is Immigration New Zealand’s official search tool for checking employer accreditation. Search using a business’s legal or trading name, or its New Zealand Business Number (NZBN). The list is updated daily, but a public search result is only one part of checking a job offer.
Open the official INZ accredited employer search →
This guide helps overseas job seekers and workers changing jobs understand the results, resolve missing names and verify the business behind an offer. GlobalVisora provides the instructions below; the current accreditation search is operated by INZ.
Official guidance reviewed November 2, 2026. Employer status can change after a check.
How to search the NZ accredited employer list
Have the employer’s identity ready before opening the tool. The business name in an advertisement may be a brand, while the employment agreement uses a different legal entity. Ask for both names and the NZBN rather than guessing which similar-looking result belongs to the employer.
- Open the official accredited employer list on immigration.govt.nz.
- If you have an NZBN, enter all 13 digits.
- If using a company or trading name, enter at least its first three characters.
- Compare the result with the business named in your offer and agreement.
- Record the date, search term and information shown before continuing your checks.
Keep the number as text when storing it in a spreadsheet, and check that no digit was lost during copying. If several names look similar, stop at the identity question. A near match is not a confirmed match simply because it operates in the same city or industry.
You can also use the official NZBN Register to investigate business identity. Business registration and immigration accreditation answer different questions. A register entry can help identify an organisation; it does not itself establish permission to support an AEWV application.
What a listing proves—and what still needs checking
The official AEWV employer process separates employer accreditation from the job check and the individual worker’s application. Keep all three stages in your notes. A listed business is not a personal invitation to apply, a verified vacancy or a visa approval.
| Evidence you have | What it helps establish | What remains unverified |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation search match | The identified business appears in the current official search | The recruiter, vacancy and worker eligibility |
| Business-register identity match | The legal entity behind a name | Immigration accreditation and the job itself |
| A careers-page vacancy | A role is advertised through that channel | Its current availability and applicable visa process |
| A job offer or employment agreement | The terms proposed to you | Whether the employer, role and applicant meet visa requirements |
| A screenshot or copied certificate | A claim or record from a particular moment | Authenticity, current status and whether it concerns the same entity |
Illustrative example: a recruiter sends Jordan an offer bearing the name of a real accredited employer. Jordan finds the name in the official search. The next useful action is to contact the business through an independently found channel and confirm the vacancy and recruiter. The name match alone cannot prove that the message came from that employer.
What if the employer is not on the public list?
Do not automatically label the business a scam. INZ says some accredited employers choose not to appear publicly. A spelling difference, trading name or wrong identifier can also send your search in the wrong direction. At the same time, “we opted out” is a claim to verify, not a reason to stop checking.
| Search problem | Next action | Avoid this assumption |
|---|---|---|
| No result using the brand | Request the legal name, trading name and NZBN; search again | Every brand is the direct legal employer |
| Similar names appear | Compare the complete entity information with the agreement | A similar name is close enough |
| Employer says it is not published | Ask for a clear explanation and current evidence; seek official clarification if unresolved | Non-public status is either proof of fraud or proof of accreditation |
| Old screenshot conflicts with today’s search | Check the date and entity, then investigate the current position | The older result controls today’s decision |
Keep the unresolved point visible. A helpful status is “identity checked, accreditation not yet resolved”, rather than “approved” or “fake” without enough evidence. If the answer affects a visa application, resolve it through the responsible official channel before relying on it.
Verify the contact person and the employment agreement
Find the employer’s website or public business contact independently. Do not use only the telephone number supplied in a suspicious message. Ask whether the named recruiter represents the business, whether the role exists and which entity would employ you.
Compare the job title, duties, workplace, pay, hours and employer name across the advert, offer and agreement. A different company name may have a legitimate explanation, such as a brand and its legal entity, but that explanation needs evidence. A familiar logo does not answer the question.
Read INZ’s immigration scam guidance before paying. Employers cannot charge workers for a job or pass on recruitment costs, including through a third party. Government application charges, legitimate evidence expenses and a professional service must be identified separately from a demand to buy employment.
Warning signs worth investigating: pressure to pay immediately, refusal to identify the direct employer, guaranteed visa or residence promises, and instructions to send money to an unexplained personal account. Preserve messages and payment details if something is wrong; do not publish your passport or complete offer in a public comment.
Does the accredited employer list show who is hiring?
Accreditation is not a live vacancy. A business may appear in a directory without a suitable open role, or its advert may have closed. Use two separate checks: find an actual current vacancy, then verify the employer and the immigration process relevant to it.
For the vacancy search, use our guide to finding New Zealand jobs as an immigrant. It connects job boards and sector resources with an advert-screening checklist, while keeping employer accreditation separate from current hiring and worker eligibility.
For Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington or a regional search, start with your occupation and realistic work location. Build a shortlist from current employer careers pages or reputable vacancy channels. Then verify each legal employer. Do not turn a city-wide company list into a promise that those businesses are recruiting overseas candidates.
The same applies to construction, healthcare, hospitality, agriculture or technology. A sector name is a discovery filter. It does not establish a job check, professional registration, pay requirements or your individual eligibility.
For the next stage, our Accredited Employer Work Visa guide explains the employer-led application. Our New Zealand work visa comparison helps readers whose appropriate route may be different.
Can you rely on a New Zealand accredited employer list PDF?
Treat any downloaded PDF, spreadsheet or third-party directory as a dated record. Check who produced it, the data date and what it claims to cover. A file labelled “2026” may contain an older snapshot, and an updated article date does not prove the underlying employer data was refreshed.
Third-party industry or region filters can help discover businesses, but recheck current official information before relying on a particular employer. A large total number of companies is not a measure of vacancies, available job checks or employers willing to consider your application.
This page does not republish a frozen employer-name list as if it were current. Its main search link takes you to the official service. If you save your own search result, label it with the check date and repeat the check when you reach a decision that depends on it.
Accreditation, Green List jobs and stand-down checks are different
An employer accreditation check concerns the business. A Green List enquiry concerns an occupation and the relevant residence requirements. A genuine business can have jobs with different immigration implications. Do not infer that every vacancy at an accredited employer leads to residence.
If the job is intended to support Green List Tier 2 residence, check our Work to Residence employment and wage requirements alongside the employer search. Accreditation alone does not establish the worker’s qualifying history or occupation eligibility.
The Immigration stand-down list is a separate official check for employers prevented from supporting migrant visas for a period. It provides a way to investigate that specific issue. Passing one check does not remove the need for the others.
If residence is part of your plan, compare our Skilled Migrant Category guide after establishing the job. The employer list does not assess your SMC pathway or award points.
What if your employer loses accreditation after you start work?
Separate an existing worker’s position from a new application or travel plan. INZ’s employer process guidance says workers already employed and in New Zealand can continue working when an employer’s accreditation is suspended or revoked, while the position for new recruitment and workers outside the country differs.
The accreditation renewal guidance also explains what happens when accreditation expires. Do not assume either that your current visa disappears immediately or that the employer can support a further application without the necessary accreditation.
Read your actual visa and any official notice. If changing employer, job or location, use the official work-condition and Job Change guidance before starting employment outside the conditions granted. For an unresolved individual case, obtain appropriate official or licensed advice rather than drawing a conclusion from a missing directory entry.
A practical employer-verification worksheet
Keep a private record for each serious opportunity. The value is in the evidence and unresolved questions, not a decorative “verified” badge. This is a planning worksheet, not an official certificate.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Employer identity | Legal name, trading name and NZBN |
| Vacancy | Exact advert URL, role, location and closing date |
| Accreditation check | Official page, search term, check date and result or unresolved issue |
| Independent contact | Where you obtained the contact and what the business confirmed |
| Agreement | Employer, duties, hours, pay and consistency with the offer |
| Next immigration step | Job check, worker application or Job Change question as applicable |
| Action | Outstanding evidence, responsible person and next review date |
A concise enquiry can help: “Please confirm the legal employer name and NZBN for this role, whether this recruiter represents your business, and the relevant accreditation and job-check position. I would also like to confirm the role’s location, hours and application channel.”
Send that enquiry through a contact you independently verified. Keep the response, but continue checking any inconsistencies. Do not interpret a polite reply as an immigration approval.
Before applying for a visa
Once the business and offer are properly identified, follow the official AEWV worker instructions. The employer’s approval stages and your own identity, skills and other requirements are separate. Our visa application workflow explains how to retain the submitted form, payment and decision records.
A useful final check is to ask: “What have I proved, and what am I still assuming?” Resolve assumptions about the legal employer, vacancy and current status before they become inaccurate application declarations.
Resolve three names before treating an offer as verified
A search can involve a trading name, a legal employer and a recruiter. Write each one down separately. The recruiter’s brand does not necessarily identify the business that will sign the employment agreement, and a familiar trading name may cover more than one legal entity.
Match the intended legal employer and NZBN against the agreement, not merely against a logo in an email. Contact the business through a number or website you independently located if the person sending the offer cannot explain the relationship. Keep identity questions unresolved until the evidence actually matches.
The official INZ search is updated daily and allows some employers to opt out of public results. A missing name therefore calls for further checking, while a name present on an old directory does not establish current status.
After identity checks, use the AEWV process guide for the job and visa stages. The job-search guide covers current vacancies. If the plan involves SMC, check the points assumptions separately; accreditation is not a points award.
November 4, 2026 update: resolve three names before treating an offer as verified. Current official references checked for this added guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official New Zealand accredited employer list?
It is on immigration.govt.nz. Use the official search link near the start of this guide; GlobalVisora explains how to use it but does not operate that database.
Can I search using a company name or NZBN?
Yes. INZ’s instructions specify all 13 digits for an NZBN search, or at least the first three characters of the company or trading name.
Does no result mean the employer is not accredited?
Not necessarily. Some employers choose not to appear publicly. Check the legal identity and seek clarification rather than treating a missing name as a final decision.
Does a listed employer guarantee a job or visa?
No. Accreditation does not prove a current vacancy, authenticate the recruiter or replace the job check and worker visa application.
Can a PDF list replace a current check?
A PDF is a dated record. Check its source and data date, then use current official information before relying on an employer’s status.
Are all jobs with an accredited employer eligible for residence?
No. Residence depends on the specific category, occupation, job conditions and applicant requirements. Employer accreditation alone does not establish it.
GlobalVisora is an independent publisher, not Immigration New Zealand, a recruiter or a licensed immigration advisory service. Examples and the worksheet are editorial aids; verify the current official requirements for your circumstances.