New Zealand Sponsored Job Offer Checklist: Salary, Hours, Deductions, Housing

If you are applying for a New Zealand sponsored job (most commonly through the Accredited Employer Work Visa – AEWV), the job offer is not just a “congratulations” letter. It is evidence Immigration New Zealand (INZ) uses to confirm your employment is genuine, compliant, and safe.

This guide gives you a practical, document-style checklist you can use to review any sponsored job offer—especially offers that include accommodation, payroll deductions, or “guaranteed hours.” It is written for migrants who want to avoid the most common traps: underpay, unclear hours, illegal deductions, and housing arrangements that create dependency.

Key context: For AEWV, INZ requires a full-time job offer (at least 30 hours/week) from an accredited employer with an approved job check, and the pay must meet INZ pay requirements (including at least market rate and other legal minimums). (Immigration New Zealand)

1) Before You Check Anything: Confirm the “Sponsorship Type”

In New Zealand, “sponsorship” is often used casually. What matters is the formal pathway:

Most common “sponsored job” pathways

AEWV (Accredited Employer Work Visa) – employer-led work visa tied to one employer/job.
Green List roles – may have specific pay thresholds for residence pathways (separate from AEWV approval rules). (Immigration New Zealand)
Seasonal pathways – separate rules may apply (for example, RSE arrangements or seasonal AEWV categories depending on your situation). (Immigration New Zealand)

Quick verification steps

Confirm the employer is accredited and your role has a job check approval (AEWV framework). (Immigration New Zealand)
Ask for the job token / job check reference (employers commonly provide this during the AEWV process).
Ensure your offer is current (not expired) at the time you apply. (Immigration New Zealand)

2) Salary Checklist: What “Good” Looks Like on a Sponsored NZ Offer

Salary is the fastest way to identify a risky job offer. The most common issues are:

“Looks fine” hourly rate, but unpaid extra hours.
Hourly rate is okay, but deductions or accommodation charges push take-home pay below minimum wage.
The offer is below market rate for the role/region.

A. Confirm the pay structure is clear

Your offer should explicitly state:

Hourly rate or annual salary (with equivalent hourly calculation)
Pay period (weekly/fortnightly/monthly)
Overtime rate rules (if applicable)
Any allowances (tool allowance, uniform allowance, shift allowance)

INZ expects the employment agreement to show pay and conditions clearly as part of job check evidence. (Immigration New Zealand)

B. Minimum wage baseline for 2026

New Zealand’s adult minimum wage is set to rise to NZD $23.95/hour from 1 April 2026. Any offer that lands below the legal minimum is immediately high-risk. (The Beehive)

Practical note: If you start before 1 April 2026, the minimum wage rate applicable to your start date may differ. Always compare against the rate in force for your start date. (Business.govt.nz)

C. AEWV pay rule: “Market rate” + legal minimums

For AEWV roles, INZ indicates jobs must pay at least the market rate for the job and meet other legal pay requirements such as minimum wage. (Immigration New Zealand)

What “market rate” means in practice

INZ assesses whether the pay is consistent with what New Zealand workers typically earn for comparable roles in that region/industry.
If a role is suspiciously low, it can trigger scrutiny or refusal risk.

D. Green List and “threshold confusion”

Many applicants mix up:

AEWV eligibility (market rate + legal requirements), versus
Residence pathways (often use specific wage thresholds, including references to median wage for certain Green List routes). (Immigration New Zealand)

If your long-term plan includes residence, check whether your role has a specific wage threshold (some Green List tables list explicit hourly figures). (Immigration New Zealand)

E. Salary “sanity-check” table (examples you can use)

Below are basic examples using NZD $23.95/hour (adult minimum wage from 1 April 2026). (The Beehive)

Hours/Week	Hourly Rate (NZD)	Gross Weekly (NZD)	Gross Annual (NZD, 52 wks)
30	23.95	718.50	37,362.00
40	23.95	958.00	49,816.00
45	23.95	1,077.75	56,043.00

Interpretation

If your offer says “30 hours guaranteed,” your gross weekly pay should align with the numbers above (or higher).
If your offer is salary-based, convert it to an hourly equivalent and verify it makes sense against your guaranteed hours.

3) Hours Checklist: Guaranteed Hours, Overtime, and “Full-Time” Rules

For AEWV and job check purposes, INZ ties “full-time” to at least 30 guaranteed hours per week. (Immigration New Zealand)

A. Your employment agreement should state:

Hours of work (at least 30/week) (Immigration New Zealand)
Work pattern (e.g., Mon–Fri, shift roster)
Start and end times (or roster system)
Overtime rules:
- When overtime starts (e.g., “after 40 hours/week”)
- Overtime pay rate (e.g., time-and-a-half)

B. “Guaranteed hours” is not the same as “expected hours”

A compliant offer usually states something like:

“Minimum 30 hours guaranteed per week.”

If the employer later reduces your hours below 30 in a sustained way, it may create immigration compliance risk because the role may no longer meet “full-time” for visa purposes. (Immigration New Zealand)

C. Watch for these red flags

“Up to 40 hours” without a guaranteed minimum
“Casual” or “as needed” wording for an AEWV role
No mention of overtime thresholds or maximum hours
A shift roster that implies frequent unpaid time (mandatory pre-shift meetings, travel between sites, etc.) with no pay clarity

4) Deductions Checklist: What Can Be Taken From Your Pay (and What Should Not)

This is where many migrants get exploited—especially when housing, transport, recruitment fees, or “admin charges” are deducted weekly.

A. Legal baseline: deductions must be agreed and reasonable

Employment New Zealand’s guidance indicates:

If you agree to or request a deduction, you can later ask in writing to change or stop it.
Deductions must be legal and reasonable.
Minimum wage calculation must be done before deductions are applied. (employment.govt.nz)

B. Your payslip should clearly show deductions

A payslip should show:

Gross wages
Each deduction amount and description
Net pay after deductions (employment.govt.nz)

If deductions exist but the payslip is unclear, that is a compliance warning sign.

C. Common lawful payroll deductions (normal in NZ)

In New Zealand payroll, employers typically deduct and remit items such as:

PAYE (income tax)
KiwiSaver employee contributions (if enrolled)
Student loan repayments (if applicable)
Child support (if applicable)
IRD lists these common deductions employers must make when paying salary/wages. (ird.govt.nz)

KiwiSaver employee contribution options are generally 3% default, with selectable rates such as 4%, 6%, 8%, or 10% (subject to eligibility and your choices). (ird.govt.nz)

D. Accommodation and “housing deductions” (very important)

Employment New Zealand guidance notes:

If there is no specific agreement about accommodation cost, an employer must not take more than:
- 15% of minimum wage for board (accommodation + meals)
- 5% of minimum wage for lodging (accommodation only)
The tenancy/accommodation agreement should be separate from the employment agreement. (employment.govt.nz)

Why this matters

Some offers advertise “free housing,” then later deduct high weekly amounts without clear agreement.
Others deduct “accommodation + utilities + admin” without explaining what is included.

E. Deductions that should trigger serious concern

Treat these as high-risk unless independently verified as lawful and properly documented:

Recruitment or “placement” fees deducted from wages
“Visa processing fee” deducted from wages
Training fees for mandatory onboarding
Charges for PPE/uniforms that are required for the job (especially if deductions are automatic and not clearly agreed)

5) Housing Checklist: Employer-Provided Accommodation Done Properly

Housing can be helpful—but it must be structured to avoid coercion, overcrowding, or unlawful deductions.

A. Make sure the accommodation arrangement is documented separately

As noted above, guidance indicates the accommodation agreement should be separate from the employment agreement. (employment.govt.nz)

Ask for:

A separate tenancy/accommodation agreement
What you will pay (if anything), and what that includes (utilities? internet? bedding?)
Notice terms (how much notice to move out if job ends)

B. Understand “service tenancy” (common in NZ)

New Zealand tenancy guidance explains that in a service tenancy, an employer provides accommodation for a worker to live in during employment. (tenancy.govt.nz)

This can be legitimate, but it increases dependency—so you must protect yourself with clear written terms.

C. Minimum housing due diligence (practical checks)

Ask the employer to confirm in writing:

Exact address (or at least suburb and type of housing)
Number of people sharing:
- bedroom
- bathroom
- kitchen
Who pays utilities
Whether you can choose alternative housing instead
Whether housing is optional or mandatory
What happens if you resign or are terminated (move-out timeline)

D. Housing red flags

You must live only in employer housing, no alternative allowed
No written accommodation terms
Overcrowding (many workers in one room)
Large weekly deductions without itemization
Threats like “If you complain, you lose your room and your job”

6) The “Sponsored Job Offer Document Pack” You Should Request

For most AEWV-style sponsored roles, aim to collect:

Core documents

Signed employment agreement including:
- job title, duties
- hours (≥30/week) (Immigration New Zealand)
- pay rate and pay period
- overtime rules
- work location(s) (Immigration New Zealand)
Confirmation employer is accredited and the role passed a job check (or job token details) (Immigration New Zealand)
Any policy documents referenced (code of conduct, roster policy, disciplinary policy)

If housing is included

Separate accommodation agreement
Written breakdown of accommodation charges/deductions (if any) (employment.govt.nz)

If deductions are included

Written consent details (what, how much, how long)
Confirmation you can stop voluntary deductions (process and timeline) (employment.govt.nz)

7) Final Red-Flag Checklist (Use This Before You Accept)

If you see two or more of these, pause and verify carefully:

Offer does not clearly guarantee 30 hours/week for AEWV-style employment (Immigration New Zealand)
Pay is not clearly stated or looks far below normal market rate (Immigration New Zealand)
Employer wants you to pay money upfront for the job (or deduct “agent fees”)
Housing deductions are high and not supported by a separate written agreement (employment.govt.nz)
Payslip/deductions are unclear or not provided properly (employment.govt.nz)
Contract uses “casual/as needed” language but the visa path requires full-time hours (Immigration New Zealand)

Conclusion

A New Zealand sponsored job offer should read like a compliant employment agreement—not like a vague promise. Your safest approach is to evaluate the offer in four pillars:

Salary: meets market rate and legal minimums (and aligns with your guaranteed hours). (Immigration New Zealand)
Hours: clearly guarantees at least 30 hours/week for AEWV-style roles. (Immigration New Zealand)
Deductions: only lawful, agreed, reasonable deductions—fully transparent on payslips. (employment.govt.nz)
Housing: written terms, separate agreement, fair costs, and no coercive control. (Immigration New Zealand)

If you treat the offer as a compliance document (not just an opportunity), you will dramatically reduce avoidable refusals, disputes, and exploitation risk.

FAQs

1) For an AEWV-sponsored job, what is the minimum number of hours I must be offered?

INZ’s AEWV framework requires a full-time job offer of at least 30 hours per week, and job check documentation typically includes “hours of work (at least 30 each week).” (Immigration New Zealand)

2) Does New Zealand still require the median wage for AEWV jobs in 2026?

INZ indicates that for AEWV, jobs must pay at least the market rate and meet legal pay requirements like minimum wage. Median wage figures still appear in other contexts (for example, some residence pathways and certain visa settings), so you should check which pathway you’re relying on. (Immigration New Zealand)

3) Can an employer deduct accommodation costs from my wages?

Yes, but accommodation deductions must be properly agreed and reasonable, and guidance notes limits may apply where there is no specific written agreement (for example, 15% for board or 5% for lodging based on the minimum wage). Accommodation terms should be clearly documented, ideally in a separate agreement. (employment.govt.nz)

4) What deductions should I normally expect on a New Zealand payslip?

Common lawful payroll deductions include PAYE and may include KiwiSaver, student loan repayments, or child support depending on your situation. IRD lists typical deductions employers may need to make from salary and wages. (ird.govt.nz)

5) What is the adult minimum wage in New Zealand for 2026?

The adult minimum wage is set to increase to NZD $23.95/hour from 1 April 2026. (The Beehive)

6) If my employer provides housing, do I still need a tenancy agreement?

You should have clear written accommodation terms. New Zealand recognizes arrangements like a service tenancy where an employer provides accommodation during employment, and housing terms should be documented so you understand notice periods, costs, and your rights. (tenancy.govt.nz)