Essential Skills work category requirements

If you have a job offer from a New Zealand employer you may be able to get a temporary work visa under the Essential Skills work category.

Other categories of work visa and requirements are listed on our Working in New Zealand page. 

The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)

The ANZSCO is a list of occupations that we use as part of the assessment of applications under the Essential Skills work category. It provides information about:

• the skill level of an occupation (ranging from skill level one for the highest skilled positions, to skill level five for the lowest skilled)
• the tasks and duties normally undertaken in an occupation
• the level of the qualification and/or amount of work experience required to work in an occupation.

Find out more, and see the ANZSCO.

Requirements you must meet

In addition to meeting our good health and good character requirements, you will need to prove that you are suitably qualified for the position by showing evidence of qualifications or training you have undertaken or work experience you have gained. When assessing whether you are suitably qualified for a position, we will consider whether you have the qualifications and/or work experience described as the prerequisite for the occupation on the ANZSCO.

Requirements your job offer must meet

Your job offer must:

• come from a New Zealand employer who can prove to us that there are no suitable New Zealand workers available to do the job
• be for full-time employment. Full-time employment is considered to be at least 30 hours of work per week.

Evidence there are no New Zealand workers available

The employer has to show that they have genuinely searched, and, where appropriate, have engaged Work and Income for suitably qualified and trained New Zealand workers.

The employer also has to explain why:

• their particular job specifications are necessary for the work
• New Zealand applicants are not suitable
• New Zealand applicants cannot be readily trained.

We also need to be satisfied that the employer has previously met – and will continue to meet – New Zealand employment and immigration laws.

We are required to conduct a labour market test to confirm that no suitable New Zealand workers are available. As part of the labour market test, INZ may seek advice from Work and Income whether suitable New Zealand workers are available

We will not consider that the evidence is sufficient if either of the following situations apply.

• The advertising for the position is written in a way that discourages New Zealand workers from applying. A common example of this is where the employer makes foreign language skills a requirement when it is not considered necessary for the performance of the work.
• There are suitable New Zealand workers available. This includes cases where New Zealand workers are unwilling to take up the work because of the terms and conditions, such as salary or wages, the employer is offering.

Employers are encouraged to engage with Work and Income prior to a migrant submitting an Essential Skills work application to show a genuine attempt to recruit suitable New Zealanders.

Early engagement with Work and Income, and obtaining their support if New Zealand workers are not available, may help reduce the processing time of the Essential Skills work application.

To lodge an employment vacancy the employer can visit Work and Income or they can contact their local Work and Income Work Broker.