Is the Accredited Employer Work Visa or the Skilled Migrant Category faster to get?

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is typically faster, around 2–4 months, versus 1–18 months for the Skilled Migrant Category. Real timelines depend on the country's caseload and how complete your application is.

Which costs more, the AEWV or the SMC?

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) costs more, about $3,900 in official fees, versus $900 for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). Both figures are government fees only and exclude legal, translation, and relocation costs.

Can I get permanent residency with the Accredited Employer Work Visa or the Skilled Migrant Category?

The AEWV leads to permanent residency in roughly 3 years, while the SMC offers a direct path to permanent residency. If long-term settlement is the goal, weight the route with the clearer PR pathway more heavily.

Does the AEWV or the SMC need a job offer?

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) requires a job offer or employer sponsor, while the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) does not, you can apply on your own profile. That makes the SMC more accessible if you don't yet have an employer lined up.

Accredited Employer Work Visa vs Skilled Migrant Category

New Zealand · AEWVvs New Zealand · SMC

Quick answerUpdated 2026-06-10

The AEWV is the faster route (2–4 months), the AEWV is cheaper on official fees ($900), both lead to permanent residency. Which fits depends on your nationality, profession, and whether you already have a job offer, the breakdown below maps each visa to a profile.

Maintained by Senne Bels, Founder, Transita

These are New Zealand's two main skilled-worker routes, and they sit at opposite ends of the same journey. The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) is points-based and self-petitioned: hit 6 points from skilled employment, qualifications, and experience, and you get residence directly, no employer accreditation needed. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the cheaper, faster way in (NZD ~$1,540 vs ~$6,450, decided in 2-4 months), but it's a temporary work visa that needs an accredited employer and only leads to residence after about 3 years. In practice many people land an AEWV first, then use that skilled job to qualify for the SMC.

Further reading: Accredited Employer Work Visa guide · NZ Skilled Migrant Category guide

Section 01

At a glance

AEWV

SMC

Processing time

2–4 months

1–18 months

Application fee

$900

$3,900

Initial validity

5 yrs

Path to PR

Yes, ~3 yrs

Yes

Points-based

Yes

Employer sponsor

Required

Not required

Minimum salary

—

Language test

Not required

Required

Verified

2026-06-10

Section 02

Which one fits you?

01
Do you have a job offer?
Pick AEWV
You have an offer from an NZ-accredited employer
Pick SMC
No offer yet but you can self-score 6 SMC points
02
Residence now or later
Pick AEWV
AEWV is temporary first, residence after ~3 years
Pick SMC
SMC grants residence directly once approved
03
Cost and speed
Pick AEWV
Lower fee (~USD 900), decided in 2-4 months
Pick SMC
Higher fee (~USD 3,900), can stretch to 18 months
04
Language test
Pick AEWV
AEWV has no language-test requirement
Pick SMC
SMC requires an English test

Section 03

Common questions

Is the Accredited Employer Work Visa or the Skilled Migrant Category faster to get?: The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is typically faster, around 2–4 months, versus 1–18 months for the Skilled Migrant Category. Real timelines depend on the country's caseload and how complete your application is.
Which costs more, the AEWV or the SMC?: The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) costs more, about $3,900 in official fees, versus $900 for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). Both figures are government fees only and exclude legal, translation, and relocation costs.
Can I get permanent residency with the Accredited Employer Work Visa or the Skilled Migrant Category?: The AEWV leads to permanent residency in roughly 3 years, while the SMC offers a direct path to permanent residency. If long-term settlement is the goal, weight the route with the clearer PR pathway more heavily.
Does the AEWV or the SMC need a job offer?: The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) requires a job offer or employer sponsor, while the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) does not, you can apply on your own profile. That makes the SMC more accessible if you don't yet have an employer lined up.

Section 04

Read the full pathway