SM11.10 Requirements for recognition (to 27/08/2017)

Note: The instructions in this section cease to be effective from 28/08/2017.

Work experience is recognised and qualifies for points if it meets the requirements set out at (a) and (b) below:

1. An immigration officer must be satisfied that work experience is:
   1. relevant to the principal applicant's current skilled employment in New Zealand or offer of skilled employment in New Zealand (see SM7); or
   2. relevant to the principal applicant's recognised qualification (see SM14); or
   3. skilled, because it required, or enabled the principal applicant to gain specialist, technical or management skills and experience relevant to an occupation that is included in the lists of occupations held at Appendix 6 or Appendix 7.
2. Work experience must also have been gained in a labour market that is comparable to the New Zealand labour market unless:
   1. the work experience meets the requirements set out at SM13.20 for work experience in an area of absolute skills shortage; or
   2. the principal applicant has current skilled employment in New Zealand or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand (see SM7).

SM11.10.1 Definition: Comparable labour market

1. Work experience is assessed as being in a comparable labour market if it was undertaken in one of the following countries by:
   1. a citizen or permanent resident of that country; or
   2. a person who had the lawful authority to work in that country.

   Australia	Malaysia
   Austria	New Zealand
   Belgium-Luxembourg	Netherlands
   Canada	Norway
   Cyprus	Philippines
   Denmark	Portugal
   Finland	Republic of South Korea
   France	Singapore
   Germany	South Africa
   Greece	Spain
   Iceland	Sweden
   Ireland	Switzerland
   Israel	United Kingdom
   Italy	United States
   Japan

2. Work experience undertaken in a country not listed at (a) above will be assessed as being in a comparable labour market only if it was undertaken for a multinational commercial entity (including a wholly or majority owned subsidiary of such an entity that bears the same core name as the parent company) domiciled in one of the countries listed in (a) above.

SM11.10.5 Relevance of work experience to qualifications

Work experience is relevant to a principal applicant's recognised qualification if an immigration officer is satisfied that the qualification was:

1. an important factor in the principal applicant being able to obtain work or continue or advance in the position or field of work in which they have experience; or
2. an important factor in a career path that has advanced progressively from the principal applicant's pre-qualification work experience.

SM11.10.10 Relevance of work experience to an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand

Work experience is relevant to a principal applicant's offer of skilled employment in New Zealand if an employer considers, and an immigration officer is satisfied that:

1. the work experience is directly applicable to the employment offered; and/or
2. the offer of employment could not reasonably have been made if the principal applicant did not have that work experience.

Effective 29/11/2010