Key Takeaways
• Only four prosecutions resulted from 3,925 migrant exploitation reports in New Zealand over the past year.
• March 2025 rule change lowered the Accredited Employer Work Visa wage threshold to the legal minimum wage.
• Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa is now limited to one issuance per person, with stricter eligibility.
Migrant worker exploitation continues to be a major problem in New Zealand 🇳🇿 as of 2025. Despite new rules aimed at making it easier for businesses to hire foreign workers, many people on the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) still face unfair treatment in the workplace. This includes wage theft, working long hours for little pay, and even threats if workers complain. New rules have changed how much workers need to be paid and how complaints are handled, but many say these changes are not enough to keep people safe.
Migrant Worker Exploitation: What the Reports Show
In early 2024, reports from workers holding the Accredited Employer Work Visa, especially from sectors like restaurants and construction, showed that these workers still face worrying conditions. Five Punjabi workers, for example, said they were forced to work long hours in an Auckland restaurant without getting their promised pay. Some of them arrived in late 2023 and were told they had to pay tens of thousands of dollars just to keep their jobs. When they could not pay, their employers threatened their families back home.
This is not a rare situation. A study from the University of Auckland Business School, released in March 2025, looked at workers in hospitality, horticulture, and construction. It found that both local and migrant workers sometimes work up to 18 hours a day or 80 to 90 hours a week. Some were paid for only half their work, getting as little as $4 to $5 per hour. Many had no written contracts, no holiday pay, and were told they would lose their jobs—or worse—if they refused these demands.
There have also been scams where workers are made to pay extra money under the table, hoping this will help them get permanent residency. For instance, a staffing agency was caught charging Singaporean carpenters NZ$11,700 each in recruitment fees, only to fire them after just one week of work. The Employment Relations Authority fined that company and its director a total of more than NZ$33,000.
These real stories paint a clear picture: migrant worker exploitation is widespread, even with the current visa rules. Those on temporary permits, such as the AEWV, seem to suffer the most from wage theft and other abuses.
Changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
Wage Thresholds and the New Rules
In March 2025, the government made big changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Before March, anyone on this visa had to be paid at least the national median wage, which was $31.61 an hour. After March 10, 2025, the rule changed. Now, the only requirement is that employers pay migrants the legal minimum wage, which is $23.15 an hour (and will rise to $23.50 in April 2025).
The government says this change makes it easier for employers who cannot pay the higher wage to still find workers. But many unions and migrant groups are worried. They say lowering the pay standard, without making new checks stronger, just makes it easier for bad employers to take advantage of desperate migrants. As Anu Kaloti from the Migrant Workers Association puts it, “Room for exploitation remains… Cleaners could be offered higher pay on paper but actually paid less.”
Employers are still required by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to pay migrants the same as locals for the same work. But as reports and studies show, what looks fair on paper does not always match what workers actually get.
Oversight: Are Employers Being Watched Closely Enough?
The Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE) and Immigration New Zealand say they are checking on employers more often since 2024. They inspect companies after they become accredited, hoping to stop abuses before they start. But groups supporting migrants argue that these checks are not catching many of the real cases of migrant worker exploitation, especially wage theft.
Regular inspections are important, but as long as some employers feel they can get away with breaking the rules, the problem is far from solved.
Support for Exploited Migrants: What Has Changed in 2025
Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV)
To help workers facing abuse, the government created the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV). This visa lets workers stay in New Zealand 🇳🇿 for up to six months while looking for a new job. But the rules around this visa are also changing in 2025.
From October 31, 2024, workers can only get this protection visa once. If someone’s first MEPV is about to expire by November 30, 2024, they must apply for a second one before October 30, 2024. After that, no second MEPV will be given. Also, only abuse that happens in an actual job counts as exploitation under the new rules. Lawful layoffs, or not being paid because a company went out of business, will not qualify.
This means the bar is higher for getting protection—and some people who face abuse may not be able to use the visa if their situation does not fit these new definitions.
Short-Term Financial Support: Ended for Good
Until March 18, 2024, the government provided temporary financial support, like help with finding a place to stay, for migrants who had been exploited. This support has now ended. INZ and its partners no longer provide direct help with money or accommodation. Affected workers were told about this change before it happened.
People who have a valid MEPV can still work, but they now need to rely on their own savings or help from community organizations.
Enforcement and Prosecution: Why Are So Few Cases Going to Court?
Low Prosecution Rates Despite Thousands of Reports
VisaVerge.com’s investigation reveals that, in the past year, officials received 3,925 reports about worker exploitation in New Zealand 🇳🇿 and opened 812 formal investigations. However, just four cases led to prosecutions in court during that period. Opposition politicians and migrant rights groups say this number is shockingly low.
Phil Twyford, the Labour spokesperson, put it like this: “It beggars belief… only four prosecutions… It’s time [Minister Erica Stanford] cracked down.” Many groups supporting migrants say that victims are too scared or in too much debt to speak up. There is a common fear that if they make a complaint, they might lose their visa and be forced to leave the country. Interviews with affected workers back up this claim.
This gap between the number of complaints and actual court cases shows a system that is still much better at taking reports than at holding wrongdoers responsible.
Who Is Most at Risk? Groups Facing Higher Exploitation
While exploitation can happen to any worker, some groups are more at risk:
- Young people, who may not know their rights
- Women, who can face both job and gender-related abuse
- Citizens of Pacific Island nations like Samoa 🇼🇸 and Tonga 🇹🇴
- Carers from Fiji 🇫🇯, the Philippines 🇵🇭, and India 🇮🇳
- Chefs and hospitality staff from South and East Asia
A common thread is that many of these workers arrive in New Zealand 🇳🇿 already in debt. This debt often comes from paying high fees to agents or middlemen who promised them jobs or even permanent residency. Once in the country, they may find that what they were promised does not match their reality.
Common Types of Migrant Worker Exploitation
Wage theft is the biggest and most talked-about problem. But there are others, such as:
- Unfair demands: Workers told to give part of their pay back to the boss (sometimes called “kickbacks”), often with the promise it will help with their residency application
- Not being allowed time off or getting holiday pay
- Employers taking passports, threatening the worker’s immigration status, or making personal threats
- Paying upfront fees just to get or keep a job
- Being forced to accept poor or unsafe living conditions tied to the job
Many of these abuses have gone on even though the AEWV system—brought in back in 2019—was supposed to stop these kinds of bad actors from getting accredited and hiring migrants.
If You Are Being Exploited: What Should You Do?
Any worker in New Zealand 🇳🇿 who thinks they are being treated unfairly at work can get free help from Employment New Zealand. You do not need to worry about your visa or immigration status to ask for help. The phone number is 0800 200 088, and there are forms you can fill in online.
It is important to report things like:
- Being asked to pay money before or after starting a job, even for equipment or uniforms
- Being told to repay part of your wages back to the employer
- Getting poor-quality housing as part of your job, especially if it was not what you were promised
- Facing threats about your visa, your passport, or your family back home
These are all signs of migrant worker exploitation. The law in New Zealand 🇳🇿 says you do not lose your right to stay here just because you report mistreatment, as long as you follow the proper steps.
What Has New Zealand 🇳🇿 Learned and Where Is It Going Next?
The experience of the past few years shows that simply making stricter rules for employers or raising the bar to get a work visa does not always protect workers. According to Dr Christina Stringer, “Findings… put New Zealand’s reputation at risk… These industries form the lifeblood [of our economy], yet too many remain exposed.”
The government now reviews its policies and definitions every so often, trying to adjust the rules to keep up with changing tactics by bad employers. But improving the law on paper is just one piece. The key to real change is making sure that more abuse reports actually end in real action—like stronger investigations and real penalties for those who break the law.
What Should AEWV Holders and Other Migrant Workers Do Now?
- If you are thinking of accepting an Accredited Employer Work Visa job, read all the details and do not just focus on pay rates. Sometimes lower wages can still be legal, but if the offer is much lower than what others in the same job are paid, be careful.
- If you are already facing abuse—unfair pay, unsafe conditions, or threats—ask for help quickly. There are deadlines for MEPV visas and for getting other types of support, especially before October and November 2024.
- Community groups can sometimes help with food, housing, and advice if other support is not available.
- Always report suspicious demands or threats, since sometimes you can prevent others from being hurt too.
Summary and Next Steps
In April 2025, reports show that migrant worker exploitation in New Zealand 🇳🇿 is far from solved, with wage theft still common and accused employers often not facing justice. Major changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa and new limits on protection visas have been made, but critics say there needs to be much stronger action—especially with only four prosecutions last year out of thousands of reports.
Short-term help with money or housing is gone, but you can still report exploitation by contacting Employment New Zealand. Now more than ever, everyone involved—from the government to employers and workers themselves—must keep watching, reporting, and challenging migrant worker exploitation. This is the only way New Zealand 🇳🇿 can keep its promise of fairness for everyone who comes to work within its borders.
Learn Today
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) → A New Zealand work visa for migrants sponsored by accredited employers, intended to ensure fair treatment but often criticized for misuse.
Wage Theft → Unlawful practice where employers withhold wages or pay less than promised or legally required to workers, including migrants.
Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV) → Temporary visa allowing exploited migrant workers to remain in New Zealand for up to six months while seeking new employment.
Wage Threshold → The minimum wage level employers must pay to hire migrant workers, subject to recent policy changes under the AEWV program.
Employment Relations Authority → A New Zealand government body investigating and resolving workplace disputes, including cases of migrant worker exploitation and wage theft.
This Article in a Nutshell
New Zealand’s migrant workers still face exploitation despite new visa and wage rules as of 2025. Wage theft, threats, and unfair conditions remain common. Only four prosecutions occurred despite nearly 4,000 reports. Support for affected workers has been cut, and watchdogs warn reforms are not enough to stop abuses.
— By VisaVerge.com
