Occupations exempt from the AEWV median wage threshold
Under AEWV policy, you cannot pay a migrant less than the NZ median wage, unless their occupation features on one of the lists below.
Certain occupations in construction and infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, healthcare workforce sector, transport sector, and meat and seafood processing sectors qualify for an exemption to the median wage and have their own rates.
Find out what this rate is under each sector in the table below.
Stand down period
An AEWV holder paid below the median wage in these cases can be granted a work visa for 2 years before having to complete a stand-down period for 12 consecutive months outside New Zealand, when they can get another AEWV for 2 years.
If at any time they are offered employment at or above median wage, they can seek an AEWV for up to 5 years, without having to go through the stand-down period.
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