Licensed recruitment of skilled Filipino professionals for New Zealand employers. Your company is the direct employer — we run selection in Manila, the New Zealand permit process and the Philippine exit formalities end to end. From 1 worker.
Every New Zealand project runs on the same backbone: you define the roles, headcount and start date; our own DMW-licensed agency in Manila, Prime Search, sources and trade-tests candidates; you approve the shortlist (on-site or online); and the New Zealand visa is lodged by a licensed immigration adviser (IAA) or a New Zealand lawyer — we prepare the recruitment file and the candidate documents, and coordinate with your licensed immigration adviser while the Philippine side — contract verification, medical, pre-departure orientation and the Overseas Employment Certificate — runs in parallel. The employment contract is signed and verified before departure; your new employee lands, completes local onboarding and clocks in.
The New Zealand specifics below are the part that makes New Zealand different from every other market we serve.
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). New Zealand hires foreign workers through accredited employers. The employer first obtains AEWV accreditation from Immigration New Zealand (initially valid twelve months), then passes a job check for the specific vacancy: the job must be advertised to New Zealanders — 14 days for ANZSCO skill levels 1–3, 21 days plus engagement with Work and Income for levels 4–5 — unless the role is on the Green List or highly paid. With the job check approved, the worker applies for the visa. Roles at skill level 1–3 receive visas of up to five years; level 4–5 roles are limited to shorter stays and require an English test.
Labour-market test: Yes — the job check requires advertising the vacancy to New Zealanders (14 days for ANZSCO levels 1–3; 21 days and Work and Income engagement for levels 4–5), unless the role is on the Green List or pays at least NZD 70 per hour.
Shortage occupations: The Green List names occupations with residence pathways and exemption from advertising — including many construction, engineering, automotive and health roles.
Deploying a Filipino worker abroad is regulated by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). MWO Wellington (Philippine Embassy, 286 Thorndon Quay, Pipitea; established November 2019) has jurisdiction for New Zealand and verifies employers and employment contracts before deployment. The Philippine ban on direct hiring applies: beyond a small name-hire exemption, employers recruit through a DMW-licensed agency. The verified contract, together with the job order approved by the DMW, allows the worker to obtain the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) — the exit clearance without which no Filipino worker can legally leave for a job abroad. Pre-employment orientation, medical examination at a DOH-accredited medical clinic authorised to examine overseas Filipino workers and pre-departure orientation complete the sequence. Because we operate the licensed agency ourselves, this runs in parallel with the New Zealand permit rather than after it.
Typical gate-to-gate time for New Zealand is 3–6 months from signed engagement to the first arrival, driven mainly by the New Zealand permit and the embassy appointment in Manila. Sourcing and trade testing usually take two to four weeks and are not on the critical path. We give you a written timeline for your specific role before you commit.
Sectors where New Zealand employers most often hire Filipino workers through us:
Our contractual partner is the employer, and it is the employer we invoice for the service. You receive an individual offer for New Zealand covering sourcing, trade testing, documentation, the permit process and arrival support — there is no price list, because volumes, roles and the New Zealand route differ from project to project. Direct employment means the worker's wage is paid by you under your New Zealand contract; there is no intermediary employer.
A New Zealand employer briefs us on roles and headcount. Within two to four weeks we present trade-tested candidates from Manila with video assessments; the employer interviews online and approves. Your licensed immigration adviser lodges the Accredited Employer Work Visa — we supply the candidate file, contracts and DMW documents to them while Prime Search completes the DMW documentation. The employment contracts are signed and MWO-verified before departure; on arrival the workers complete registration and local onboarding and start on the floor — with our team reachable for the first months of integration. Whether the project is one specialist or a full shift, the mechanics are identical.
Typically weeks rather than months for standard accreditation; it must be in place before the job check, so your licensed immigration adviser starts it while we source in Manila — immigration advice in New Zealand is a licensed service and we do not provide it.
Yes — vacancies with the same job title, pay, location and terms can be covered by one job check and one advertisement.
For Green List occupations and some higher-paid roles, yes; level 4–5 roles have limited stay and no direct pathway.
Yes — dairy is a traditional AEWV sector; roles are usually ANZSCO level 4–5, so the 21-day advertising, Work and Income engagement and English test apply.