Applying for a New Zealand work visa involves more than finding an accredited employer and receiving a job offer. Applicants must also demonstrate that they have the qualifications, skills or relevant work experience required under Immigration New Zealand (INZ) instructions. For many international workers, preparing reliable employment records is one of the most important parts of the application process.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) has a minimum skills requirement that can generally be met through at least two years of relevant work experience or an eligible qualification at Level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF). However, simply claiming that you have worked for two years is not enough. You must provide credible evidence from sources other than yourself to establish your employment history.
Applicants should understand that INZ examines the supporting documentation rather than relying exclusively on a CV or a statement of previous employment. A well-prepared application should demonstrate where you worked, what responsibilities you performed, how long you worked, how many hours you completed and why your experience is relevant to the New Zealand job offered.
This guide explains how to prepare your evidence, which documents can support an application, what to do when employment records are incomplete and how to avoid common documentation problems.
Understanding the Work Experience Requirements for an AEWV
Immigration New Zealand generally requires applicants using the work experience pathway to demonstrate at least two years of relevant employment experience. Alternatively, an applicant may meet the minimum skills threshold through a relevant NZQCF Level 4 or higher qualification.
The experience or qualification must generally relate to the same field or industry as the New Zealand job offer. However, a bachelor's degree or higher can be considered relevant regardless of its field or industry for this minimum qualification threshold.
The two-year requirement refers to the equivalent of two years of full-time work experience. The employment does not necessarily have to be continuous or completed with one employer. Part-time employment may also count when the combined experience reaches the required full-time equivalent.
Applicants must provide evidence of the hours they worked, particularly when relying on part-time employment or multiple employment periods.
It is also important to understand that meeting the minimum skills threshold does not automatically mean that an applicant meets every requirement of the offered position. An employer may specify additional qualifications, experience, technical skills or occupational registration requirements. Applicants must satisfy the applicable requirements for both the visa and the particular job.
What Documents Can Prove Work Experience for an AEWV Application?
INZ accepts several forms of third-party employment evidence. These include employment certificates, payslips, tax certificates and former-employer reference letters supported by other employment documentation.
The strength of an application often depends on how well these records support one another.
An employment certificate may confirm the period of employment, while payslips demonstrate that the applicant received payment. Tax records can provide additional confirmation that the employment was reported through the relevant taxation system.
Providing different forms of consistent evidence can make an employment history easier to assess and independently verify.
How to Prepare an Employment Reference Letter
An employment reference letter can help demonstrate the applicant's previous position, responsibilities and employment period. However, a reference letter should not be treated as the only document required to prove work experience.
INZ warns that an unsupported reference letter or employment certificate may not be sufficient. Supporting evidence, such as payslips or tax certificates, may also be necessary.
A useful employment reference should be issued by the former employer on official company letterhead. It should identify the employer and applicant clearly and provide enough information to verify the employment relationship.
The letter should state the applicant's full name, job title, employment commencement date, employment end date where applicable and whether the position was full-time or part-time.
It should also explain the main duties performed, the normal working hours and the employer's contact information.
Where relevant, the letter can explain changes in position, promotions, transfers or changes in working hours. This helps INZ understand the applicant's employment history rather than relying on a job title alone.
The person issuing the letter should be identifiable and available for verification. A generic letter that only confirms that someone worked for a company, without describing the position or employment period, may provide insufficient information.
Applicants should also check that the details in the letter agree with their CV, employment agreement, payslips and other supporting records.
Can Payslips Be Used as Proof of Work Experience?
Yes. Payslips are one of the recognised forms of evidence for demonstrating previous employment.
They can help establish that the applicant received payment from an employer during a particular period. They may also support information about salary arrangements and the duration of employment.
Applicants should retain payslips covering their claimed employment periods wherever possible. A small collection of unrelated payslips may not adequately establish a complete two-year employment history.
For example, an applicant claiming three years of employment should ideally provide a consistent set of records that covers the relevant period, together with an employment certificate or reference letter.
If payslips are missing for certain months, the applicant should consider obtaining other independent records that can help establish the missing employment periods.
The objective is to provide a credible and consistent record rather than relying on a single document to establish every aspect of employment.
How Tax Records Can Strengthen an AEWV Application
Tax certificates and official taxation records can provide valuable supporting evidence because they originate from government or recognised tax-reporting systems.
Depending on the country where the applicant worked, these records may demonstrate declared employment income, taxation periods or payments associated with previous work.
Applicants who have worked in New Zealand may also be able to use relevant Inland Revenue employment and income records to support their claims.
Tax documents can be particularly useful when an applicant has difficulty obtaining old payslips or when a previous employer has closed down.
However, tax records should be interpreted carefully. A record showing income does not necessarily establish the applicant's exact job responsibilities, working hours or occupational skills. It should therefore be combined with other relevant evidence wherever possible.
What If You Do Not Have Payslips?
Not every applicant has access to a complete history of payslips. This can happen when an employer has closed, employment records have been lost, payroll systems have changed or the applicant worked for a small business with limited administrative documentation.
The absence of payslips does not automatically mean that an applicant cannot demonstrate previous employment. However, the applicant must still provide sufficient credible third-party evidence.
Depending on the circumstances, other records may help establish the employment relationship. These can include official tax documents, employment contracts, social security contribution records, employer-issued salary statements, bank statements showing identifiable salary deposits and relevant government employment records.
The applicant should also try to obtain an employment certificate or detailed reference from the former employer.
A bank statement can help support a claim that salary payments were received, but it may not establish the job title or actual duties performed. Similarly, an employment contract can show that a position was offered, but it does not necessarily prove that the applicant completed the claimed period of work.
The strongest approach is to combine available records so that they collectively establish the employment relationship, duration, remuneration and nature of the work.
Applicants should not create replacement payslips or alter existing employment documents. If original records are unavailable, the circumstances should be explained honestly and supported by genuine alternative evidence.
Can Part-Time Employment Count Towards the Two-Year Requirement?
Yes. Part-time employment can contribute towards the two-year AEWV work experience threshold.
INZ allows applicants to combine employment periods, provided the total amounts to the equivalent of two years of full-time experience. The experience does not have to be consecutive.
However, applicants must provide evidence of the hours they worked. This is particularly important when the claimed experience consists of several part-time positions.
For example, an applicant who worked in a relevant occupation for two different employers may be able to combine those periods if the total employment meets the required equivalent experience threshold.
The applicant should provide employment certificates, payslips, contracts or other reliable records showing the working hours and duration of each position.
Simply stating that someone worked part-time for several years is not enough to establish the full-time equivalent. INZ needs sufficient evidence to assess the actual work undertaken.
Does AEWV Work Experience Need to Be Consecutive?
No. The required experience does not necessarily have to be gained continuously.
Applicants may have employment gaps between different jobs, periods of unemployment or changes in employers. These gaps do not automatically invalidate otherwise qualifying work experience.
For example, an applicant may have completed one year of relevant employment, taken a break and then completed another year in a relevant position.
The important consideration is whether the combined experience meets the required equivalent full-time duration and can be supported by credible third-party evidence.
Applicants should prepare a clear employment timeline showing the start and end dates of each position. This makes it easier to identify overlapping employment periods, breaks and any missing documentation.
Employment periods should not be counted twice simply because an applicant held multiple jobs simultaneously. The actual hours worked and the overall equivalent experience must be established accurately.
How to Prove Overseas Work Experience
Applicants applying from outside New Zealand frequently rely on employment completed in their home countries or other overseas locations.
Overseas work experience can be used when it meets the relevant AEWV requirements. The important issue is not where the employment took place but whether the experience is relevant and adequately documented.
Applicants should obtain official employment certificates from their previous employers and collect supporting records such as payslips, taxation documents and relevant employment agreements.
Where available, official social security or employment contribution records can provide additional confirmation.
Applicants should also ensure that their overseas employment documents contain accurate employer contact details. INZ may need to assess whether the information is genuine and independently verifiable.
If documents are written in another language, providing an English translation is advisable to help INZ assess the information. Applicants should follow INZ's current translation requirements for the relevant document category.
The translated documents should accurately reflect the original records, including names, employment dates, job titles and salary information.
How to Prove Work Experience When Your Employer Has Closed Down
A previous employer closing down can create difficulties when an applicant needs to obtain employment records.
However, applicants should not assume that their employment history becomes unusable simply because the former business is no longer operating.
They should first identify which records are already available. These might include original employment contracts, payslips, tax records, social security statements and employer-issued certificates.
If the business has been dissolved, official business closure or registration records may help explain why a new reference cannot be obtained.
Applicants may also investigate whether former managers, payroll administrators or authorised company representatives can confirm the employment history through genuine records.
The important consideration is whether the available documents provide sufficient independent support for the claimed employment.
Where evidence is incomplete, the applicant should explain the circumstances rather than attempting to conceal missing information.
Can Self-Employment Count as Work Experience for an AEWV?
Self-employment requires particular care because owning a business does not automatically demonstrate that the applicant personally performed relevant work.
INZ's historical Visa Pak 611 explains that self-employment may be considered where the applicant can establish lawful involvement in a genuinely operating business.
Evidence may need to demonstrate that the business was actively trading and that the applicant personally performed work within it.
Depending on the circumstances, relevant records may include business registration documents, tax records, trading invoices, financial records, client contracts and other independent documentation.
However, business ownership alone is not sufficient to establish the nature, duration or relevance of the applicant's personal work experience.
An applicant who operated a small retail business, for example, should be able to explain their actual responsibilities, such as managing sales, purchasing stock, serving customers and supervising employees.
A person who simply holds shares in a large company should not assume that the ownership automatically establishes equivalent experience in the company's operational occupation.
Applicants relying on self-employment should be particularly careful to distinguish between owning a business and actively working in the occupation relevant to the New Zealand job.
How Does Immigration New Zealand Assess Whether Work Experience Is Relevant?
INZ considers whether previous employment is relevant to the job offered in New Zealand.
The experience generally needs to be in the same field or industry, but the applicant does not necessarily need to have held an identical job title or performed exactly the same duties.
For example, someone with experience in one practical agricultural occupation may have relevant experience for another agricultural position, depending on the nature of the work.
Similarly, employment in customer service, retail supervision or hospitality management may have overlapping responsibilities, but relevance must be assessed according to the actual job and the applicant's duties.
The applicant should therefore explain what they did rather than relying solely on their previous designation.
A detailed job description can help establish the connection between past employment and the New Zealand position.
It should describe the responsibilities performed, the skills used, the equipment or systems handled and the level of responsibility involved.
This explanation should be consistent with the employer's requirements for the New Zealand job.
Why a CV Alone Is Not Enough to Prove Work Experience
A CV or résumé is useful for presenting an employment history, but it is not sufficient evidence by itself for the AEWV minimum work experience requirement.
A CV is generally prepared by the applicant. It describes the person's claimed experience but does not independently establish that the employment took place.
INZ requires evidence from someone other than the applicant.
An employment certificate, payslip, tax certificate or properly supported former-employer reference can provide independent confirmation.
The CV should therefore be treated as an overview of the applicant's employment history, while supporting records establish the credibility of the claims.
Applicants should check that their CV matches the supporting evidence. Differences in dates, job titles or employment periods should be corrected or explained before submission.
What Happens If Your Employment Documents Contain Inconsistent Information?
Inconsistent information can make an application more difficult to assess.
For example, an employment reference might state that someone worked until December, while the final payslip indicates that employment ended in October. A CV might describe a position as full-time, whereas the employment certificate confirms part-time hours.
Such differences do not necessarily mean that the applicant is ineligible. However, unexplained inconsistencies can create questions about the accuracy of the claimed experience.
Applicants should review all records together before submitting their application.
Where there is a genuine reason for a difference, such as a notice period, unpaid leave, delayed salary payment or a change in job designation, the circumstances should be explained clearly and supported where possible.
It is better to provide an accurate explanation than to submit documents that appear contradictory.
How to Organise Work Experience Documents Before Applying
A well-organised evidence file helps demonstrate that the applicant understands and can substantiate their employment history.
The first step is to prepare a chronological employment record containing the names of all previous employers, job titles, employment dates, working hours and main responsibilities.
The second step is to match each employment period with supporting documentation. Employment certificates should be checked against payslips, tax records and other available evidence.
The third step is to identify missing information. Applicants should check whether any employment period lacks confirmation of working hours, job duties or actual payment.
The fourth step is to verify that the employer details are accurate and that the issuing organisation can reasonably be contacted if verification is required.
The fifth step is to arrange any necessary translations and ensure that the original documents are retained alongside the translated versions.
Finally, applicants should compare their employment evidence with the New Zealand job description and identify how their previous experience meets the relevant requirements.
This preparation can help identify documentary weaknesses before an application is lodged.
Common Mistakes That Can Weaken AEWV Work Experience Evidence
One common mistake is submitting only a CV without independent employment records. Another is relying entirely on a generic reference letter that does not explain the applicant's job responsibilities or working hours.
Applicants may also submit employment certificates without supporting evidence, particularly when they have worked for small businesses or overseas employers.
Another problem occurs when applicants claim two years of experience without establishing the full-time equivalent of their part-time employment.
Some applicants also focus too heavily on their previous job title and fail to explain how their actual duties relate to the New Zealand position.
Inconsistent employment dates, unexplained gaps, incomplete translations and unclear employer contact details can also make the evidence harder to assess.
A further mistake is assuming that owning a business automatically establishes relevant professional experience.
These issues can often be identified and addressed before lodgement through a careful review of the employment records.
Does Strong Work Experience Evidence Guarantee AEWV Approval?
No. Strong employment evidence can help establish that an applicant meets the relevant experience requirement, but it does not guarantee visa approval.
INZ assesses the application as a whole, including the job offer, employer accreditation, applicable Job Check requirements, applicant suitability, health, character and other relevant immigration criteria.
Applicants must also meet the specific experience, qualification or registration requirements applicable to their offered occupation.
An applicant may have several years of documented employment but still fail to meet an additional job-specific requirement.
Likewise, having a strong job offer does not remove the need to provide sufficient evidence where the applicant relies on the work experience pathway.
The objective should be to submit an accurate, complete and credible application that addresses the relevant immigration requirements.
How Professional Immigration Guidance Can Help With Work Experience Evidence
Preparing work experience evidence can become complicated when an applicant has worked for several employers, changed occupations, completed part-time employment or operated a business.
A professional review can help identify missing records, inconsistencies and potential problems with the relevance of previous employment.
It can also help applicants understand the distinction between the minimum AEWV skills threshold and the additional requirements of their particular job.
For applicants who are unsure whether their employment history is sufficiently documented, obtaining advice before submitting an application may help them understand what additional information they should collect.
Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. provides immigration-related assistance for people considering work and other visa pathways. Applicants can explore the Accredited Employer Work Visa service information to understand the application process and available assistance.
Workers considering eligible seasonal employment should also understand that seasonal visa categories have separate requirements. Further information is available in the Seasonal Visa New Zealand 2026 guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many years of work experience are required for an AEWV?
Applicants using the standard work experience pathway generally need at least two years of relevant experience equivalent to full-time employment. Alternatively, they may meet the minimum skills threshold through an eligible NZQCF Level 4 or higher qualification.
Is an employment reference letter enough for an AEWV?
Not necessarily. INZ recognises former-employer reference letters, but warns that a reference letter or employment certificate without supporting evidence such as payslips or tax certificates may not be sufficient.
Can I apply for an AEWV without payslips?
The absence of payslips does not automatically make an applicant ineligible. Other credible third-party evidence, including tax records, employment contracts and official employment records, may help establish the claimed experience. The overall evidence must still satisfy INZ.
Does my work experience need to be continuous?
No. Relevant work experience does not have to be consecutive. Different employment periods may be combined if they amount to the required equivalent full-time experience and are supported by sufficient evidence.
Can part-time work count towards AEWV experience?
Yes. Part-time employment can count, but the combined experience must reach the required full-time equivalent. Applicants must provide evidence of their working hours.
Can overseas employment be used for an AEWV application?
Yes. Overseas employment can be used if it meets the relevant experience requirements and is supported by credible evidence from third parties.
Can self-employment count as AEWV work experience?
Self-employment may be considered where the applicant can demonstrate genuine and lawful involvement in the business and establish the actual work performed. Business ownership alone does not automatically prove relevant work experience.
Does my previous job title have to match my New Zealand job title?
No. Previous employment does not necessarily need an identical job title. INZ considers whether the experience is relevant to the same field or industry and assesses the nature of the work as a whole.
Can I combine work experience from different employers?
Yes. Experience from different employers can be combined where the employment is relevant and the total amounts to the required equivalent full-time duration.
How does INZ verify work experience?
INZ may assess the authenticity and consistency of the supporting documents and take steps to verify information provided with an application. Applicants should ensure that their employment records are genuine, complete and independently verifiable.
What should I do if my former employer refuses to provide a reference?
Try to obtain alternative independent employment records, such as employment certificates already issued, payslips, tax records, employment contracts or official contribution statements. Explain the circumstances honestly and ensure that the alternative evidence sufficiently supports the claimed experience.
Is a qualification an alternative to the two-year work experience requirement?
Yes. A relevant NZQCF Level 4 or higher qualification may satisfy the minimum skills threshold instead of the two-year work experience pathway. Additional requirements for the particular job may still apply.
Can INZ decline an AEWV application because of insufficient work experience evidence?
Yes. If an applicant cannot demonstrate that they meet the applicable work experience or qualification requirements, the application may be declined. Providing complete and credible supporting documentation is therefore important.
Final Advice
Proving work experience for an AEWV application requires more than listing previous jobs on a CV. Applicants should provide a clear employment history supported by reliable records that establish the duration, working hours, responsibilities and relevance of their experience.
Preparing these documents carefully before applying can help reduce avoidable evidence gaps and make it easier for Immigration New Zealand to assess whether the applicant meets the applicable requirements.
Immigration requirements can change, and individual circumstances differ. Applicants should check the latest Immigration New Zealand instructions and obtain appropriate professional advice when their employment history or supporting documents are complicated.
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