Altering a job advertisement mid Job Check can cost you the application

The immifgraiton advice ndustry has flagged a rise in altered job advertisements being submitted in support of Job Check applications. As a general reminder, job advertisements are expected to remain unchanged when they are live and after they close, because the advertising period itself is part of what Immigration New Zealand relies on to assess a Job Check.

Why the advertising period matters

Immigration instructions require a role to be advertised for at least 14 days for skill level 1 to 3 positions, or 21 days for skill level 4 to 5 positions. Any change made to an advertisement during that time effectively resets the clock, because the version that was live for the full period is no longer the version being assessed.

A working example

A job advertisement for a Cook is listed on Seek on 1 May, requiring one year of experience and paying $30 per hour. On 9 May, the advertisement is altered to require two years of experience and a pay range of $30 to $35. The advertisement closes on 15 May, 14 days after the original listing date. In this scenario, the role as altered, requiring two years of experience and paying $30 to $35, was only listed for six days, which does not meet the advertising requirement.

What is fine, and what is not

Minor changes such as fixing a typographical error or making small adjustments to the job description are unlikely to be treated as significant. Substantial changes, particularly to pay or work experience requirements, are a different matter. Making them during or after the advertisement period may be assessed as providing false or misleading information.

An application affected by a significant advertisement change can be declined. In some cases, it can also lead to a business's accreditation being reviewed.

Checklist for employers

• Finalise pay, experience, and role requirements before the advertisement goes live.
• Avoid editing an advertisement once it is published, beyond correcting genuine typographical errors.
• If requirements change, consider closing the advertisement and re-advertising from day one instead.
• Keep a dated record of the original advertisement and any edits made.

If you have questions

If you are unsure whether a change you are planning to make to a live advertisement would be considered significant, talk to our team before you make it.