Essential Skills in Demand Lists Review
The Department of Labour has recently reviewed the Essential Skills in Demand Lists – including the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) and the Immediate Skills Shortage List (ISSL). The Canterbury Skill Shortage List (CSSL) will also be updated. Changes will be made to all three lists on 5 December 2011.
The LTSSL identifies occupations that have an absolute (sustained and ongoing) shortage of skilled workers both globally and throughout New Zealand. Migrants who gain employment in one of these occupations may be granted a work visa under the LTSSL Work to Residence or Essential Skills instructions. Migrants applying for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category may gain bonus points towards their application if they have an offer of employment, work experience or qualifications in an area of absolute skill shortage identified on the LTSSL.
Several changes to the LTSSL have resulted from the recent review, including:
The following occupations will be added to the LTSSL:
The occupations being removed from the LTSSL are:
The removal of these occupations is the result of extensive consultation with industry groups, other stakeholders and relevant government agencies alongside analysis of economic, labour market and immigration data.
Employers can still recruit migrants in occupations that have been removed from the list. The employer will need to demonstrate genuine attempts to recruit suitable New Zealand citizens or residents and Immigration New Zealand will conduct a labour market test. If this test shows that there are no suitable New Zealand citizens or residents available in that location, temporary work visas may still be granted.
Other changes to the LTSSL are made to clarify certain qualification, work experience or registration requirements. Full details of these amendments, and the updated LTSSL are included in Amendment Circular 2011-20 PDF [83KB].
The following note will be added at the end of the list to clarify that a “New Zealand Certificate” or "New Zealand Diploma” are deemed to be equivalent to a National Certificate or Diploma if the levels stated are the same:
Note 5: A "New Zealand Certificate" or "New Zealand Diploma" is deemed to be equivalent to a particular National Certificate or Diploma if the levels stated are the same.
For more information see Amendment Circular 2011-20 PDF [83KB] and the Review of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists.
The ISSL identifies occupations that have an immediate shortage of skilled workers either throughout New Zealand or in certain regions. People wishing to work in occupations listed on the ISSL may be granted work visas under Essential Skills instructions if they fit the skills criteria.
The recent review identified two occupations (Primary School Teacher and Early Childhood Teacher (Montessori Teacher)) to be removed from the ISSL as there are no longer shortages in these areas. No new occupations will be added to the ISSL.
In addition, the qualification requirements for the occupation Upholsterer have been amended to require a National Certificate in Furniture with a strand in Advanced Upholstery (Level 4).
The following note will be added at the end of the list to clarify that a “New Zealand Certificate” or “New Zealand Diploma” are deemed to be equivalent to a National Certificate or Diploma if the levels stated are the same:
Note 3: A "New Zealand Certificate" or "New Zealand Diploma" is deemed to be equivalent to a particular National Certificate or Diploma if the levels stated are the same.
For more information on the ISSL see the Review of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists.
The CSSL is a new temporary list that highlights occupations needed during the rebuilding in Canterbury. The list identifies the occupations in shortage in the Canterbury region. As a result of the review of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists, the requirements for the following four occupations will also be updated:
For more information on the CSSL see the Review of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists.
