WA3.20 Labour market test

1. The labour market test must be met for any jobs that are approved as part of a Job Check, except where:
   1. The remuneration for the proposed employment is $67.12 per hour or above, or the equivalent annual salary (WA3.25); or
   2. The proposed employment is for an occupation included on the Green List, and the minimum requirements for the job include the requirements on the list for that occupation (Appendix 13).
2. The labour market test is met if:
   1. the employer has made genuine attempts to attract and recruit suitable New Zealand workers by advertising the job (WA3.20.1); and
   2. the employer did not find suitable and available New Zealand workers for the job.
3. Evidence that the labour market test is met must include:
   1. evidence of the advertising required by WA3.20.1 below; and
   2. a declaration from the employer about whether they found any suitable and available New Zealand workers for the job (WA3.20.10); and
   3. in the case of an ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 role (excluding roles treated at a higher skill level under WA3.16 (d)), a declaration from the employer that they:
      • have engaged with Work and Income in good faith as set out at WA3.20.3; and
      • did not find any suitable and available New Zealand workers for the job from either Work and Income or other advertising, along with a declaration about the reason(s) the New Zealand candidate(s) who applied for the role (if any), was or were not suitable or available, as defined at WA3.20.10.
4. Where the proposed work is required to be carried out in multiple locations (as per WA3.15.15(b)), evidence of advertising that meets the requirements of WA3.20.1 below must be provided for each location.

WA3.20.1 Genuine attempts to attract and recruit suitable New Zealand workers by advertising

1. The job must have been advertised:
   1. on a general national job listing website where suitable New Zealand citizen or resident class visa workers are likely to apply; or
   2. by other means, if those means are more likely to attract suitable New Zealand citizen or resident workers, for example on an industry-specific job listing website.
2. The job advert must have closed prior to the Job Check application being submitted and been listed for:
   1. at least 14 calendar days where the role is classified as ANZSCO skill level 1 – 3; or
   2. at least 21 calendar days where the role is classified as ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 (excluding roles treated at a higher skill level under WA3.16 (d) which come under WA3.20.1 (b) (i)).
3. The end date of the advertising must be within the 90 days prior to the Job Check application being submitted.
4. The advert must include:
   1. a job description detailing the key tasks and responsibilities; and
   2. the key terms and conditions of the employment, which are consistent with the information included with the Job Check application, including:
      • the minimum and maximum rate of pay or salary; and
      • where a significant portion of the actual earnings are not guaranteed, the estimated actual earnings (for example what the piece rates or commission rates are, or what the average bonuses are); and
      • the minimum guaranteed hours of work; and
      • the location(s) of the job; and
   3. the minimum qualifications, work experience, skills or other specifications required for the job (see (e) below).
5. The minimum qualifications, work experience, skills or other specifications required for the job must:
   1. only include those necessary to perform the work on offer (WA3.20.5); and
   2. be substantially consistent with those stated in the application form.

Note: Advertising submitted with Job Check applications does not have to specify an exact qualification or the minimum months or years of work experience required for a job to meet immigration instructions. For example, ‘relevant qualifications’, or ‘relevant experience’ may be accepted where an immigration officer is satisfied these are part of a genuine attempt to attract and recruit suitable New Zealand workers and establish, in a broad sense, the minimum qualifications or work experience required even if these are not quantified exactly.

WA3.20.3 Requirement to engage with Work and Income for roles that are assessed as ANZSCO skill levels 4 and 5

1. Before submitting a Job Check application for a role which is assessed as ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 (see WA3.20 (c) (iii)), the employer must have engaged with Work and Income, which requires the employer to:
   1. list the role with Work and Income, unless Work and Income advise that there is no supply of workers available; and
   2. interview candidates referred that the employer deems suitable (see WA3.20.10); and
   3. act in good faith at all times when engaging with Work and Income to recruit any suitable Work and Income candidates for the role, and when interviewing any suitable candidates.
2. Employers must retain sufficient evidence of their good faith engagement with Work and Income for any jobs they offer to migrants for at least the duration of their current accreditation period and may be asked to provide this by Immigration New Zealand.
3. When engaging with Work and Income:
   1. the person engaging with Work and Income must be responsible for making hiring decisions (for example the hiring manager, business owner, a human resource adviser) or engaged by the employer to provide specific recruitment advice (such as a recruitment agent); and
   2. where the person engaging with Work and Income is external to the employer (such as a recruitment agent), the employer must not use the same person or any person from the same organisation to assist or provide advice in their Job Check application.
4. Where the employer lists a role with Work and Income, the employer must retain evidence that this listing is consistent with the advertising undertaken in WA3.20.1(d).
5. Regardless of their engagement with Work and Income, the employer must also advertise their role independently to meet the requirements at WA3.20.1.
6. The employer must have completed their engagement with Work and Income within the 90 days prior to the Job Check application being submitted.
7. When determining whether the Work and Income engagement meets the requirements above:
   1. an immigration officer may accept a declaration from the employer provided in the Job Check application; or
   2. if an immigration officer has adverse information to indicate the employer may not have acted in good faith in engaging with Work and Income or referred candidates, an immigration officer may request and review evidence from the employer if they are not satisfied that these requirements are met.

WA3.20.5 Determining whether the minimum requirements for the job are necessary to perform the work on offer

1. To determine whether the minimum qualifications, work experience, skills or other specifications identified by the employer as requirements for the job are necessary to perform the work on offer, an immigration officer may refer to the qualifications described for the closest matching occupation in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), or the work experience that the ANZSCO indicates may substitute the required qualification.
2. For qualifications, work experience, skills or other specification that are not described in the ANZSCO for the matching occupation, an immigration officer may make an assessment of whether the requirement is reasonably necessary to perform the work on offer, taking into account such factors as:
   1. the roles and responsibilities of the job; and
   2. whether the specification is likely to result in suitable and available New Zealand citizens or residents not applying for the job.

Note: As an example, requiring foreign language skills for a café or restaurant worker job is unlikely to be acceptable, but requiring foreign language skills for a job as a tour guide catering for non-English speakers may be acceptable, as the skills are necessary to perform the work on offer.

WA3.20.10 Suitable and available New Zealand worker

1. A person is considered to be a 'suitable and available New Zealand worker’ if they are:
   1. a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder; and
   2. suitable, that is, ‘qualified to take up the work on offer’ (see WA3.30.5) or can ‘readily be trained to do the work on offer’ (see WA3.30.10); and
   3. ‘available to do the work on offer’ (see WA3.30.15).

WA3.20.15 Determining the location of the job

1. For the purpose of these instructions the location of the job is the place where the work is entirely or principally carried out or based, as per the information provided in the Job Check application.
2. If the work is proposed to be carried out or based in more than one location, an immigration officer may determine that the job is located in multiple locations.
3. Regions are based on regional council boundaries and cities are based on city council boundaries.
4. An immigration officer may request further evidence to determine where the job is located.
5. Factors an immigration officer may take into account when determining whether a job is located in multiple locations may include (but are not limited to):
   1. The nature of the role
   2. The reasons they are working in a different location
   3. The work that will be done
   4. How much work in each location is required.

Note: The location of the proposed employment is relevant to determining whether a labour market test is met (WA3.20), and the conditions of a corresponding Accredited Employer work visa (WA4.15).

Effective 29/09/2025