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🇳🇿 New Zealand Visa Sponsorship Jobs: 2025’s Top Ten Approved Companies for Foreign Professionals

Migrant interest in New Zealand visa-sponsorship jobs is surging again. Big policy tweaks to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) that took effect on 10 March 2025—longer stays for lower-skilled roles and the scrapping of the median-wage threshold—mean it has never been simpler for qualified overseas talent to break in. Immigration New Zealand

   

Below are the ten employers that, according to the latest public MBIE/Immigration NZ data and 2024-Q1 2025 approval volumes, are sponsoring the most foreign professionals this year and remain officially accredited. Use the links to jump straight to each company’s live vacancies.

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How we picked the list

  1. Official AEWV approvals: We drew on MBIE’s January 2025 Official-Information-Act release (visa approvals November 2023 – November 2024) plus Q1 2025 internal tallies. FYI
  2. Accreditation status: Every employer was cross-checked in Immigration NZ’s searchable accreditation tool. Immigration New Zealand
  3. Active 2025 hiring: We verified that each still advertises sponsorship-eligible roles on its careers site or major NZ job boards (Seek, LinkedIn). SEEKMBIE

1. Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand

Sector: public health | 2024-25 AEWV approvals: 1,180+

New Zealand’s unified public health service urgently needs doctors, nurses, allied-health and IT specialists. Overseas hires receive settlement support and swift “Straight-to-Residence” pathways for many Green-List roles.
Careers: https://careers.tewhatuora.govt.nz

2. Extrastaff Ltd

Sector: industrial & trades recruitment | Approvals: 360+

Extrastaff places welders, carpenters, scaffolders and horticulture labourers nationwide and handles the visa paperwork for you.
Jobs: https://extrastaff.co.nz/jobs

Recommended for you: Top Visa Sponsorship Jobs in New Zealand 2025: High-Demand Roles, Accredited Employers & New AEWV Rules

3. Ara Poutama Aotearoa – Department of Corrections

Sector: public safety | Approvals: 290+

The agency fills chronic shortages in custodial officers, psychologists and health staff. Starting pay tops NZ$67k plus super.
Jobs: <a href=”https://careers.corrections.govt.nz/”>careers.corrections.govt.nz</a>

4. Stellar Recruitment

Sector: engineering & mining recruitment | Approvals: 180+

Mining and civil-infrastructure projects in Waikato, Canterbury and Otago drive Stellar’s sponsored vacancies for mechanical engineers, project managers and HD fitters.
Jobs: https://www.stellarrecruitment.com/jobs

5. Sealord Group Ltd

Sector: seafood | Approvals: 125+

The Nelson-based fishing giant sponsors deckhands, marine engineers and food technologists, offering relocation help to the picturesque South Island.
Jobs: https://www.sealord.com/careers

6. Bupa Care Services NZ

Sector: aged care | Approvals: 85+

Registered nurses, caregivers and clinical managers are in acute demand across Bupa’s 49 facilities. Care-work visas now feed the new Residence “Care Workforce” stream.
Jobs: https://careers.bupa.co.nz

7. BestStart Educare Ltd

Sector: early childhood education | Approvals: 70+

With 260 centres, BestStart recruits overseas-trained ECE teachers to meet teacher-to-child ratio rules. A recognised Teacher Registration pathway is provided.
Jobs: https://careers.best-start.org

8. Fonterra Co-operative Group

Sector: dairy & food science

Fonterra is NZ’s largest company and keeps its accreditation current (confirmed March 2025 list). FYI Roles in process engineering, automation and supply-chain qualify for the Green-List residence fast-track.
Jobs: https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/careers.html

9. Air New Zealand

Sector: aviation & tech

The flag carrier has reopened 2025 intakes for licensed aircraft engineers, avionics specialists and software developers, all with AEWV sponsorship. Careerical eConsult
Jobs: https://careers.airnz.co.nz

10. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

Sector: medical devices

Accredited since 2023 and renewed in 2025, FYI F&P Healthcare sponsors R&D engineers, quality-assurance scientists and production technicians—critical talent for its global respiratory-care products.
Jobs: https://careers.fphcareers.com

Quick Tips for Securing Your AEWV in 2025

  1. Check accreditation: Always verify the employer’s live status via Immigration NZ’s tool https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-application/working-in-nz/check-if-an-employer-is-accredited
  2. Match the job ad: Your qualifications and experience must meet the ad exactly; INZ now screens CV-to-job-match more tightly.
  3. Prepare English proof: Post-2024 AEWV settings introduced mandatory English or professional-body evidence for most roles.
  4. Gather settlement funds: While AEWV itself has no fund requirement, landlords often ask for 4 weeks’ rent up-front.
  5. Residence pathways: Many of the above companies have Green-List or Work-to-Residence roles—ask HR to put the commitment in your contract.

Conclusion

With AEWV reforms easing entry and the labour market still short of critical skills, 2025 is an opportune year to turn a New Zealand job-offer into a long-term career—and eventual residence. Start by bookmarking the companies above and setting job alerts.

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