New Zealand Updates Policy on Submitting AEWV Applications

December 11, 2025

Effective Dec. 8, 2025, a valid police clearance certificate (PCC) must be provided when submitting Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) applications.

Going forward, receipts showing that the applicant has applied for a PCC will no longer be accepted and may result in the application being denied or the visa being issued with a shorter validity.

This change is intended to decrease AEWV processing times as applicants who submit all required documents, including a valid PCC, are expected to receive a quicker decision.

Immigration New Zealand will keep AEWV applications open and contact applicants to request any missing police certificates.

For further information related to New Zealand immigration process changes, please reach out to Clark Hill’s APAC team at apac@clarkhill.com

Authored by Melvin Ng, APAC/EMEA Immigration Manager

This publication is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation to provide legal services. The information in this publication is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional legal counsel. The views and opinions expressed herein represent those of the individual author only and are not necessarily the views of Clark Hill PLC. Although we attempt to ensure that postings on our website are complete, accurate, and up to date, we assume no responsibility for their completeness, accuracy, or timeliness.

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