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.

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 Essential Skills 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 health and 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. This can be done in three ways.

The employer can request an approval in principle from us to recruit overseas workers. This will have been done before you apply for a work visa.
The employer provides the proof as part of your application process.
The occupation may be listed on one of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists.

The objectives of Essential Skills work category are not met by a person undertaking employment in their own business rather than for a third party. People wishing to obtain a work visa by establishing and operating their own business in New Zealand should apply for a Long term Business Visa (WR5).

Evidence there are no New Zealand workers available

To get an approval in principle before you apply, or to show us that there are no suitable New Zealand workers available when you are applying, the employer has to show that they have have genuinely searched 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 usually conduct a labour market test to confirm that no 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.
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.

Duration of Essential Skills work visas

Essential Skills work visas will usually be issued with a maximum duration of three years where an applicant’s job offer is for an occupation classified as an ANZSCO Skill Level 1, 2 or 3. However, there is a special instruction allowing a visa of up to five years if:

your New Zealand job offer is for a position which is classified as skill level one on the ANZSCO
your base salary is at least $55,000

You may only obtain a five year visa once. If you wish to continue working, and still meet the requirements of Essential Skills work category, you may apply as normal for a visa with a three year maximum duration.

Visas for successful applicants whose application is based on an employment offer for an occupation classified as ANZSCO Skill Level 4 or 5 will be granted for a maximum duration of one year.

Apply

If you think that you and your offer of employment will meet the requirements, the how to apply section will tell you what you and the employer offering you a job need to do to apply for your temporary work visa.

Page Last Updated: 29 Nov 2010