International recruitment in New Zealand
Information for employers who wish to recruit skilled migrants to New Zealand
Employers who wish to undergo the process of recruiting migrants without the guidance of an experienced professional need to be meticulous in ensuring that they have all of the information required for the process before commencing international recruitment.
Failure to be fully prepared for the international recruitment process, and being unaware of any changes that may have come into play during the application process will inevitably result in extended delays.
Recruitment from overseas is an area best served by experienced professionals who work in a knowledgeable and ethical manner. RecruitNZ is a leader in this regard.
DMW Licensed Philippine Recruitment Agencies work closely with our international recruitment team and we are guided by the expertise of VisaAide – our inhouse licensed immigration advisers.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
NZ employers can obtain accreditation to use the AEWV to hire migrants on visas. From 10 March 2025, the median wage requirement has been removed. Employers must pay at least the New Zealand minimum wage (NZD $23.50 per hour as of 1 April 2025) and ensure wages align with the market rate for the role and location.
As an employer you must first apply for Employer Accreditation, advertise if you need to, and get a job check to show there are no suitable New Zealanders for the job you want to fill.
The AEWV is for skilled workers. Previously, the median wage was used to distinguish between high and lower-skilled roles, but this requirement has been removed from 10 March 2025. Employers can still hire migrants for lower-skilled roles under other visa types, such as working holiday, student, and post-study work visas.
Why recruit from the Philippines?
Recruiting from the Philippines is a fantastic way for New Zealand employers to get the skills that they require to complete projects on time. With the pressure in the construction industry being as it presently is, cost blowouts due to project delays must be avoided whenever possible – labour availability being one of the most common causes for delay.
Recruiting skilled workers from overseas has been an option available to New Zealand employers for many years, but in more recent times it has become a very popular trend, evolving as a mini industry requiring specialist recruitment skills and experience.
This is why RecruitNZ established a specialist international division several years ago – including specialist recruiters and administrators to manage as seamless a process as possible for employers through a complex set of requirements.
Is it cost effective to outsource overseas recruitment?
In our experience, if an employer is spending on average more than 1.5 days per month on the recruitment of skilled workers, or on recruitment in general for construction projects, it works out far more cost effective to outsource this function to a specialist international recruitment consultant.
RecruitNZ keeps our employer clients fully informed and in control of every step of the process which frees up their time and ensures the recruitment continues to move forward as quickly as possible, thereby avoiding unnecessary delays due to process or compliance errors.
The administrative steps for international recruitment are continually evolving. Every oversight or omission can cause lengthy delays. Due to the close relationships we maintain with advisors, our international recruiters are across all process changes if they occur.
When working with RecruitNZ, employers are also able to access expert advice from our in-house licensed immigration consultants VisaAide, who advise clients on all aspects of migration and visas to both New Zealand and Australia. Only licensed immigration consultants may give employers advice on visa applications for employees.
International recruitment – a different process
When RecruitNZ established migrant recruitment as a service, we soon realised that we needed to take a different approach to that taken with general domestic recruitment. While many of the steps are the same, in the case of migrant recruitment there are a lot more steps and administrative requirements. You are dealing with an environment in which either the NZ government or the overseas government could announce policy and/or procedural changes at any time. This makes it a complex undertaking for those not fully immersed in it.
International recruitment affects human lives, and families are impacted to a far greater degree than standard recruitment. The transition for workers from the Philippines, where we source our skilled migrants, is huge.
We take steps as part of our own process – outside of the minimum requirements – to minimise culture shock on arrival, and to make sure the people coming to New Zealand feel at home and are properly welcomed.
Regardless of the many official requirements (which are covered later on this page), it is of vital importance to us that we take into consideration that these people are being separated from their families and loved ones for an extended period.
Pastoral care is part of our culture
As we specialise in recruitment, the well-being of all employees and employers is foremost in our hearts and minds.
One of the first things we discovered in the international recruitment arena was that many consultants were operating in an unethical manner.
Government was concerned about the poor treatment of some migrants and took steps to penalise employers whose conduct was considered to be unethical and unacceptable. In fact, some employers were completely banned from employing migrants in future because of the way they had treated their migrant workers.
Consequently in 2022 Immigration New Zealand (INZ) introduced changes to visas and policies including the requirement for all employers who hire migrant workers to become an approved accredited employer. To be approved as an accredited employer and employ migrant workers on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) a business must prove that their business is viable, meets immigration and employment standards, and will not exploit the migrants they may hire.
Cultural differences
People from the Philippines generally settle into New Zealand really well and they make great employees.
They are generally reliable and almost always show up every day with a happy attitude and are ready to work – this can come as a nice surprise for some employers!
Regulations in place are there to ensure that migrant employees are not being taking advantage of.
Once the workers have arrived and are settled in, as long as you work within New Zealand employment law requirements, you will be fine.
Migrant workers in NZ with a NZ work visa come under NZ’s employment law. They must be paid for a minimum of 30 hours per week for the duration of their employment agreement and visa. Employers may not stand migrants down if their workload is light.
Employing skilled workers from overseas enables employers and project owners to have projects continued without interruption, meeting important deadlines and saving in project cost caused by delays.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) (formerly POEA)
Outside of and separate from the requirements of Immigration NZ are the requirements of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which replaced the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in 2022. This agency supervises and regulates the international recruitment of Philippine nationals.
Approval is required from the DMW before employers can recruit from the Philippines. The paperwork is significant to gain approval, and requirements can change often.
Internally, we have developed a ‘catch-all’ process, to ensure that we capture all information required or potentially required in the interest of avoiding delays.
While the initial information gathering may feel onerous, experience has taught us it is a valuable and worthwhile process.
Employment process for Filipino recruitment
When a position description and person specification has been developed using the same standard as we use for national recruitment, RecruitNZ advertises your position in the Philippines and commences the ‘search’ step.
Unlike New Zealand-based job advertisements, all positions advertised in the Philippines receive literally hundreds if not thousands of applications to select from, therefore significant time is required to process and assess these applications.
Following the initial application screening process, we then conduct interviews online – each interview is recorded for future reference. For every position, our team may potentially interview dozens of applicants, saving employers many hours!
This extensive interviewing has the side bonus of having many pre-screened applications available for other employers in various industry sectors. Summaries of candidate details are uploaded onto the RecruitNZ website.
Trade testing for skilled Filipino workers
The next step in the recruitment process is for the preferred candidate(s) to seek a practical trade test assessment. While some employers prefer to travel to the Philippines to undergo this part of the process themselves, it is not really necessary to do so.
It is however strongly recommended that employers pay an assessment fee for an ‘official’ skills assessment to be done so that they can be sure that the trade test is conducted professionally.
While we do not wish to dwell upon this point, cutting corners and costs with non-official channels during processes in the Philippines does leave one open to unethical practices, which will more than likely backfire in the future.
Our experience in this arena saves employers not only time but also lots of money.
Following successful trade skill assessments the employee needs to get checks on medical, passport and a police record. This is the one part of the process that the employee is required to fund if the employer chooses not to. Employers are required to pay for every other step of the process including airfares and arrival costs. Not many workers in the Philippines have the funds available to travel to New Zealand and find accommodation before they are paid.
Arrival in New Zealand
Assuming your employee is successful in all the various administrative processes, including getting a NZ work visa, when they arrive in New Zealand you need to meet them at the airport or have someone meet them on your behalf.
From there you will take them to their accommodation and settle them in. You are required to accommodate newly arrived migrants at your expense for at least the first 2 weeks of their employment.
Providing new arrivals with a meal, some groceries and information on their local area is recommended. While in your care, your employees are your responsibility. You are not required to feed them, but until they are able to purchase food themselves, this would be a good thing to do and is a small cost in the overall scheme of their employment with you and the value that they will add to your business.
Employers are required to provide transportation to and from the workplace for migrants for the initial period of their employment. Any form any form of transportation is acceptable, including bicycles or on foot, if it’s safe and close enough. Bear in mind that many Filipinos do not have a driver’s licence and obviously will not have a New Zealand driver’s licence on arrival. Most employers provide a vehicle to pick them up and take them off to the workplace each day, as well as dropping them off home after work.
Other types of information you are required to provide your migrant worker(s) must cover important aspects of living and working in New Zealand including how to:
- find somewhere to live
- access health care
- locate public transport
- get an IRD number
You must also include local services and community support groups that might be of benefit to new migrant employees.
In addition, you will need to provide employment-related information that will help new migrant employees understand their employment rights as well as any industry-specific hazards.
Filipino workers are happy to be co-accommodated in lodgings with other workers and this helps them settle in more quickly and bond as a team.
Site safety and induction training
Once the workers have arrived, you will be required to take them through a site safety and standard induction programme as you would for any new employee.
English language testing will have been conducted as part of the standard interviewing process, but please make sure that your managers or site managers understand that English is the second language for these people. Most Filipino workers speak fluent conversational English.
Of course, you will be required to complete all standard HR compliance processes – including employee records, training and development plans, key performance indicators and one to one interviews.
Employers should ensure migrant workers receive employment and settlement information through freely available online resources. Providing this information helps workers understand their rights and reduces the risk of employment disputes.
You must keep records of whether your migrant workers have completed the modules – and you may be asked to see them.
Both RecruitNZ and ConsultingHQ, our HR consulting team can help you establish correct, compliant HR processes if you do not already have them in place.
Hiring temps from the Philippines
Some international recruitment agencies specialise in hiring temps.
Employers hire temporary workers from the agencies and pay above average rates for workers to be on site short term. This works for short term jobs and small employers, but to gain the advantage of work continuity and reduced site safety training (temp agencies can switch out workers), employers are advised to consider hiring permanent employees on a working visa who can develop a relationship with other workers in your team for a full visa period. Overall, the cost to you will be lower, even with recruitment fees taken into consideration.
Temp agencies charge far greater than your hiring costs will be over the work visa period, and you – the employer, have control over the quality of worker that you bring onto your site, and the opportunity to build a team with your site workers.
Read more about hiring temporary workers for construction jobs
Frequently Asked Questions on Overseas Recruitment
Question: How long will the process of recruiting from overseas take
Answer: Three to four months from the recruitment process initiation kick off to your migrant landing in New Zealand. We have a very thorough process that is ethical and full of care. The visa being issued is generally one of our longest delays which we cannot control.
Question: How long do we have to help with accommodation?
Answer: Usually up to 2 weeks is appropriate. With limited funds when they arrive, they will need to wait until they have been paid to be able to pay board.
Question: Why do Filipinos want to work in NZ?
Answer: NZ has a reputation amongst Filipinos for being friendly, respectful and kind. NZ is also seen as having beautiful landscapes and good working conditions. Working in NZ carries a lot of pride in the Philippines, it is seen as one of the top places in the world to work.
Question: Can they bring their families with them?
Answer: Immigration changes are coming to allow more workers to bring their families. It is important to consider the costs involved as sometimes they will be living on one income.
Question: How much will I have to pay a Filipino worker?
Answer: Immigration NZ has market rates that need to be adhered to. They ensure the worker is paid fairly in comparison to other workers in your business and not more than the market rate.
Question: Do they have to pay for anything during recruitment process?
Answer: Honouring the agreement between governments, RecruitNZ does not charge any fees to the worker. The only charges they will face is medical testing, police checks and renewing their passport. They also pay their Philippine administrative costs.
Question: What if I want my worker to be able to work in different locations?
Answer: If they are on an essential skills work visa, it will be tied to a location/region. If you want them to work in multiple regions, then we need to have advertising running to cover each place at the start of the process. If this isn’t done, you will need to pay for another visa once they arrive in NZ.
We hear of some who arrive with big loans, RecruitNZ does not believe this is a positive or ethical approach. Every step of our process is ethical and in the best interests of both the employee and the employer. We do more than just comply with the regulations.
Question: Why do I need to pay for the flights?
Answer: This is part of the agreement between the two governments and is practised around the world. Most Filipinos do not have the funds to purchase flights to or from NZ.
Question: How long will their visa be?
Answer: Their visa length will be determined by Immigration NZ. Currently for lower skills it will be 1 year and mid-skilled up to 3 years.
Question: What are my responsibilities when landing a Filipino worker?
Answer: You will be expected to greet them at the airport, ensure they have a method to get to work each day, help them finalise their NZ bank account and IRD number, complete their induction and check in with them as time goes by to ensure they are coping with the job and with being away from home. It can be a big adjustment coming to NZ, so the more you assist at the beginning the more quickly they will become productive.
Question: May we use our own advertising?
Answer: Yes, you may if you wish. We will, however, check it to make sure it meets Immigration NZ requirements and make suggested edits. It is often more time effective to have us handle the entire process, but we try to work in with client requirements as much as possible.
How we can help you become an Immigration NZ accredited employer
Together with our partners VisaAide and ConsultingHQ, we provide end-to-end services so you can recruit the migrant workers you need.