The NZ$35.00/hour median wage is the central wage requirement for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). Get this wrong and the Job Check fails — meaning the employer can't hire the migrant worker and must start over.
But the threshold isn't a simple pass/fail for every role. There are exemptions, sector-specific rates, and rules for part-time work that change the calculation significantly. This guide covers all of it.
The Current Threshold (2026)
| Threshold | Amount | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration median wage | NZ$35.00/hour | March 9, 2026 |
| Previous rate | NZ$31.61/hour | Until March 8, 2026 |
| Minimum wage (all work) | NZ$23.95/hour | April 1, 2026 |
The immigration median wage is updated annually by INZ based on Statistics NZ data. It's reviewed each March. The median wage for immigration is not the same as the national median weekly earnings — it's a specific hourly rate set by INZ policy.
Who Must Meet the Median Wage?
The median wage threshold applies to:
- All AEWV roles where neither the Green List nor a sector agreement exemption applies
- Job Checks — assessed at the Job Check stage, not just the migrant's application
A role that doesn't meet $35.00/hr will fail the Job Check unless it qualifies under one of the exemptions below.
Exemptions: When You Don't Need to Meet $35.00/hr
Exemption 1: Green List Occupations
Occupations on the Green List have their own wage floor, which is not automatically the median wage. Some Green List roles (particularly Tier 2) have a lower threshold. Check the specific occupation's Green List entry for its applicable wage floor.
Examples:
- Registered Nurse (Green List Tier 2): must meet a specified nursing wage, currently below the $35.00 median
- Civil Engineer (Green List Tier 2): must meet an engineering-specific floor
- Specialist physicians (Green List Tier 1): different wage expectations apply
Always verify against the current INZ Green List publication, not third-party summaries.
Exemption 2: Sector Agreements
INZ has formal sector agreements with specific industries that allow hiring at below the median wage. Currently active sector agreements with AEWV wage exemptions:
| Sector | Approximate Minimum | Who Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Care and support | ~NZ$26.00–29.00/hr | Aged care, disability support |
| Dairy | Role-specific (close to median) | Dairy farm workers |
| Meat processing | Role-specific | Meat industry workers |
See the dedicated Care and Support Worker Visa page for details on the care sector agreement.
Exemption 3: Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme
RSE workers (horticulture and viticulture, Pacific nations only) are paid at minimum wage rather than median wage. The RSE scheme operates under separate rules entirely — see the RSE guide.
How the Threshold Is Calculated
Hourly Rate
The most straightforward case: a role paying NZ$35.00 or more per hour passes the wage threshold check. INZ uses the agreed base hourly rate in the employment offer — not OTE, not expected total earnings.
Salary Roles
For salaried workers, the hourly equivalent is calculated by dividing annual salary by standard hours:
Annualised hourly rate = Annual salary ÷ (hours per week × 52)
Example:
- Annual salary: NZ$80,000
- Hours per week: 40
- Hourly equivalent: $80,000 ÷ (40 × 52) = $38.46/hr ✅ Passes
Example that fails:
- Annual salary: NZ$68,000
- Hours per week: 40
- Hourly equivalent: $68,000 ÷ 2,080 = $32.69/hr ❌ Fails ($35.00 required)
Part-Time Roles
Part-time roles must still pay at or above NZ$35.00/hr — the threshold applies to the hourly rate, not total weekly earnings. A 20-hour/week role at $35.00/hr earns $700/week; INZ does not require $35.00 × 40 hours minimally — just that the hourly rate itself meets the threshold.
However: INZ scrutinises genuinely part-time AEWV applications more heavily, as the migrant's total income may be insufficient for cost of living. Part-time AEWVs below 30 hours/week face higher scrutiny at the Job Check stage.
Overtime and Variable Hours
Only guaranteed base hours count toward the threshold calculation. Overtime, commission, tips, and variable-hours arrangements cannot be used to bring a base rate up to the threshold. If the base rate is $30.00/hr but overtime regularly brings total earnings to $40.00/hr, the Job Check will still fail because the base rate doesn't meet threshold.
What Happens at the Job Check
During the Job Check stage, the accredited employer submits:
- The employment offer (including wage/salary details)
- Evidence of genuine advertising and local recruitment attempts
- Wage justification (if near the threshold)
INZ assesses whether the offered rate meets the applicable threshold for the specific occupation. If the role is on the Green List or covered by a sector agreement, they apply the relevant threshold.
Job Check fee: NZ$610. If it fails for wage reasons, the employer must resubmit with a higher wage offer.
When the Wage Threshold Was Removed (and When It Wasn't)
In March 2025, INZ removed the median wage as a universal AEWV requirement for lower-skilled roles — a significant policy change that generated confusion. Here's what actually changed:
What was removed:
- The median wage requirement for AEWV roles at Skill Level 4 and 5 (low-skill jobs)
What was NOT removed:
- Median wage threshold for Green List settings (pay floors linked to median wage)
- Median wage as a benchmark for various other visa settings
- The requirement for roles that still need to demonstrate they're "skilled" or meet specific thresholds
In practice for Skill Level 1–3 roles: The median wage remains effectively the standard because high-skill roles in NZ generally pay at or above $35.00/hr anyway. If your role is Skill Level 1–3 and pays below $35.00/hr, you either need a sector agreement exemption or the Green List applies.
What If Your Role Pays Less Than $35.00/hr?
Options in order of likelihood to succeed:
1. Negotiate a pay increase The most straightforward path. If the role genuinely requires the skills of the candidate, the employer has market reasons to pay competitively. A pay increase to $35.00/hr may be the simplest fix.
2. Check for a sector agreement Does your industry have an active sector agreement? Care, dairy, meat processing have formal agreements. Others don't.
3. Verify the Green List wage floor If the occupation is on the Green List, the applicable floor may be lower. A Green List Tier 2 role in nursing may have a lower threshold than $35.00/hr for the Job Check.
4. Consider a different visa pathway If the role genuinely can't meet threshold and no exemption applies, AEWV may not be the right pathway. Working Holiday Visa, partner visas, or other open work visas don't have wage threshold requirements.
5. RSE (for Pacific horticulture workers) If in horticulture/viticulture with Pacific workers, RSE operates entirely outside the AEWV median wage framework.
The Median Wage and Residence Pathways
The median wage threshold is also important in the context of residence, not just the AEWV:
Skilled Migrant Category (current)
SMC points are partially wage-linked — higher-paying roles score more points.
New SMC Pathways (August 2026)
The Skilled Work Experience Pathway requires earnings of at least 1.1× the median wage — currently NZ$38.50/hr — during the qualifying NZ work period.
Green List Straight to Residence
Some Tier 1 Green List occupations require meeting a specific income floor to qualify for straight-to-residence — usually expressed relative to the median wage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the $35.00/hr apply to the employer's cost or the employee's take-home?
The gross hourly rate paid to the employee — before tax. Employer costs (KiwiSaver contributions, ACC levies) are not counted toward the employee's wage for threshold purposes.
What if we offer allowances (accommodation, meals) on top of base pay?
Non-cash allowances (accommodation, vehicle, meals) generally cannot be counted toward the wage threshold. The threshold applies to the cash wage only.
Can the employer pay different workers in the same role different rates?
Yes — individual workers can be paid different rates as long as each worker's rate meets the applicable threshold. INZ assesses the specific offer in the Job Check for each worker.
If the median wage increases after the Job Check is approved, do we need a new one?
No. A Job Check is valid for the period it was issued. The wage threshold that applied when the Job Check was lodged is what matters for that token. New Job Checks lodged after a threshold change must meet the new rate.
Does the threshold apply differently for senior vs junior roles in the same occupation?
INZ expects that senior roles in an occupation pay more than the threshold, not just at it. A senior engineer offered exactly $35.00/hr when the market rate is $55.00/hr may trigger INZ scrutiny about whether the offer is genuine, even if it technically meets the threshold.
Need to confirm whether your specific role meets the 2026 threshold or qualifies for an exemption? Find a licensed immigration adviser experienced in Job Check applications.