Faults in Immigration New Zealand's ADEPT system affected Job Checks and employer records. Here is what job seekers should know about offers, sponsorship and protecting themselves.
If you are looking for work in New Zealand from overseas, your job offer is only half the story. The other half is the visa process behind it, and that process just made headlines. According to RNZ on 30 September 2026, briefings to Immigration Minister Erica Stanford revealed that software faults in the government's ADEPT platform approved 32 visitor visas and 23 Job Check applications without any officer assessing them.
For most job seekers, the practical risk is small. But the story is a useful prompt to understand how sponsored employment works and how to keep your own position secure.
How a job offer becomes a work visa
Migrants who want to work for an accredited employer in New Zealand generally need three things to line up:
- 1. An accredited employer: a business that has been approved by Immigration New Zealand to hire migrant workers.
- 2. A Job Check: the step where the employer shows it tried to fill the role with a New Zealander before hiring from overseas.
- 3. A job token and visa application: the employer passes a token to you, and you use it to apply for an accredited employer work visa.
The reported faults touched the middle and end of this chain. Twenty-three Job Check applications were approved between February and November 2022 with no manual assessment. Separately, a 2025 glitch affected around 2,300 businesses whose accreditation had lapsed and been renewed. Their migrant workers vanished from employer dashboards, which meant the employers couldn't resend job tokens or report that a worker had left.
What actually went wrong
Officials said a technical fault sometimes let the same automated process run more than once on an application, which skipped the manual assessment step. It took two months to fix. Other issues included a tuberculosis screening question that was not asked of 364 parent and grandparent visitor visa applicants in 2025, and an August 2026 bug that stopped some visitor applicants submitting drafts once a second person was added.
Officials reviewed all 32 visitor visas. Twenty holders have travelled to New Zealand with no adverse outcome noted, six files were reopened for full assessment, and one was recommended for decline.
Should this worry you as a job seeker?
Probably not in a way that changes your plans. Nothing in the reporting suggests genuine applicants are being wrongly refused. The concern is oversight and record accuracy. Still, a few sensible precautions apply.
Ask your employer the right questions
- 1) Is your accreditation current, and has it ever lapsed?
- 2) Has the Job Check for your role been completed and approved?
- 3) Who will send your job token, and when?
Keep your own paper trail
- 1. Save your job offer, contract and all correspondence with the employer.
- 2. Keep copies of every form, confirmation page and email from Immigration New Zealand.
- 3. Store medical results and police certificates safely.
- 4. Note dates: when you applied, when you were asked for information and when you responded.
Answer everything fully
If a form doesn't ask about your health history or past residence but you know it is relevant, mention it or check with a licensed adviser. Gaps in a system's questions don't remove your duty to be honest.
Red flags in any sponsored job offer
Whatever happens with software, a few warning signs are worth taking seriously:
- 1. An employer who cannot show current accreditation
- 2. Requests for payment in exchange for a job or a visa
- 3. Vague answers about the Job Check or job token
- 4. Pressure to travel before your visa is properly granted
If something feels wrong, verify it through official Immigration New Zealand channels before you commit.
The bigger picture
The Government said automation would help approve applications while decisions to decline stay with staff. Automated decision-making is legal, but the agency reportedly hadn't yet used it and said in 2025 that it was around two years from being ready. The wider Our Future Services programme has also been sent back for a new business case after projected savings were overstated by $134 million, with a report due before April 2027. Expect the system to keep evolving, which means your best defence is a well-documented application.
The takeaway
A visa platform can make mistakes, but a prepared candidate is hard to derail. Choose accredited employers, ask direct questions, keep your own records and stay honest on every form. The job search is challenging enough without paperwork surprises.
Looking for your next role in New Zealand or beyond? Browse the latest openings on Job Finder.
This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Check official sources or consult a licensed adviser about your circumstances.
