New Zealand warehouse and packing jobs for Indians: AEWV rules, pay, English and the checks to make (2026)

What the AEWV is

The AEWV is New Zealand's main work visa for people who have a job offer from an employer that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has accredited. It ties you to one employer, one job and one location. You cannot take a second job, and changing employer needs INZ approval through a Job Change or variation of conditions.

INZ lists these requirements on its AEWV page:

• A current offer of full-time work, at least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer with an approved job check for that role.
• At least the minimum wage for the job.
• 2 years or more of relevant work experience (full-time equivalent, backed by evidence from others such as payslips or tax certificates), or a qualification at level 4 or higher on New Zealand's qualifications framework (NZQCF) in the same field. A bachelor's degree in any field also counts.
• English, for jobs at skill levels 3, 4 and 5.
• Good health, good character and genuine intentions.

The fee starts at NZD 1,540, and INZ says 80% of applications are decided within 5 weeks. Partners and children cannot be included in the AEWV itself; depending on your pay and skill level, they may be able to apply for their own visitor, work or student visas.

One exclusion matters for "packing jobs": INZ does not allow an AEWV for planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing crops in horticulture or viticulture. A fruit packhouse job is not an AEWV job. Warehouse, distribution, food manufacturing and factory packing roles are different and can be eligible.

Warehouse and packing jobs that fit this route

Warehouse roles are classified under ANZSCO, the occupation list INZ uses for any job not on its newer National Occupation List. On ANZSCO, Storeperson and Forklift Driver sit at skill level 4, and hand packer roles at skill level 5. Check the code your employer puts on the job check, because the skill level decides the English rule and how long you can stay.

The roles you will most often see advertised are:

• Storeperson or warehouse assistant: receiving stock, keeping inventory records, preparing dispatch.
• Picker and packer: picking customer orders, packing cartons, scanning and labelling.
• Production or packing assistant in food or manufacturing: line work, quality checks, labelling, hygiene rules.
• Forklift driver: loading, unloading and moving pallets. New Zealand employers will expect a forklift certificate and real experience.

What "10th or 12th pass" does and does not do: your school certificate proves your education, nothing more. For the AEWV, what counts is 2 years of experience in the same kind of work, proved by documents from your employers. A CV alone is not proof. A Gujarat candidate with two years in a Sanand or Ahmedabad logistics park, with salary slips, an experience letter and bank credits, has a far stronger file than a candidate with only a 12th marksheet.

English: the step most candidates miss

For skill level 3 to 5 jobs, you must show you can speak and understand English. INZ's AEWV English page accepts IELTS (General or Academic), IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge B2 First. For IELTS, the bar is 4.0 overall. Results must be less than 2 years old when you apply. The rule can be waived if you already showed English ability in an earlier AEWV application.

Book the test early. A job offer without the English result cannot become a visa.

What the employer must do before your offer is real

An advertisement on a New Zealand job board is not an offer to overseas workers. Before an employer can hire you on an AEWV, INZ requires:

1. Accreditation. The employer must appear on INZ's accredited employer list. Search it by the company's legal name.
2. Advertising in New Zealand. For skill level 4 or 5 roles the job must be advertised for at least 21 days (14 days for levels 1 to 3).
3. Work and Income. For skill level 4 or 5 roles the employer must also engage in good faith with Work and Income, New Zealand's public employment service, to see if a local jobseeker can fill it.
4. An approved job check for the role, the number of places, the pay and the location.

Only after this does the employer send you a job token to apply online. Since steps 2 and 3 put local jobseekers first, warehouse places offered to overseas workers are limited. Be suspicious of anyone who claims to have "50 confirmed NZ warehouse visas" ready.

Pay: what NZD 23.95 an hour works out to

New Zealand's adult minimum wage is NZD 23.95 an hour before tax, effective from 1 April 2026. Your offer must meet it, and your employer must keep paying the rate written in the offer for the whole visa.

These are gross figures before tax. Monthly pay is the weekly figure times 52, divided by 12. At the 30-hour minimum, NZD 23.95 an hour is NZD 718.50 a week. Rent, transport and food in Auckland cost a large part of this, so compare the offer with real costs in that city before you accept.

Money you should never pay

INZ is clear on what employers must not do:

• An accredited employer pays all recruitment costs, in New Zealand and overseas, including agency fees, advertising and its own accreditation and job check fees. It must not pass them on to you.
• It must not charge you, inside or outside New Zealand, any fee that would be illegal in New Zealand, including a payment to secure a job.

If anyone asks for money "for the job offer", "for the employer's file", or "for a guaranteed visa", walk away. Paying for an offer can also get your AEWV declined. The only money you should expect to pay is the INZ visa fee on the official site, your English test, medicals and police certificates, and any lawful charge from a registered Indian agent with a receipt.

Rules on the Indian side

Recruiting agents. Under the Emigration Act, 1983, only recruiting agents registered with the Ministry of External Affairs can run overseas recruitment. MEA's overseas employment FAQ tells you to check that the agent shows a valid Registration Certificate and to confirm the employer with the Indian Mission in that country. You can check registered agents on eMigrate. The service charge an agent may take is capped by MEA; ask for the cap and a receipt in writing.

Your passport. New Zealand is not one of India's Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries, so an ECR passport does not stop you going there for work. Still register on eMigrate if your agent is handling the move.

New Zealand immigration advice. Anyone giving you New Zealand immigration advice, inside or outside New Zealand, must be a licensed immigration adviser or exempt (for example a New Zealand lawyer). Check the name on the Immigration Advisers Authority register. An MEA registration and an IAA licence are separate. An Indian agent with one does not automatically have the other. The IAA's guide for migrants explains how to complain about an unlicensed adviser.

Step by step, from India to a New Zealand warehouse

1. Build your proof. Experience letters, payslips, bank statements, forklift or safety certificates, passport.
2. Take the English test. IELTS 4.0 overall or an accepted equivalent.
3. Find the employer. Apply on New Zealand job boards and company career pages, or through a registered Indian agent.
4. Check the employer. Search the accredited employer list. Ask for the company's legal name and NZBN.
5. Interview and offer. Get a written employment agreement with pay, hours (30 or more), duties and location.
6. Job token and visa. Apply online on immigration.govt.nz with the employer's job token. Pay the fee only there.
7. Travel after approval. Book flights only once the visa is granted.

Documents to keep ready

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you apply.