Posted 07/07/2026
AEWV Occupation List 2026: 134 New Roles Explained
134 new occupations now qualify for New Zealand work visas: the full 2026 picture
Immigration New Zealand has recognised 134 new National Occupation List (NOL) roles for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) across two separate updates since late 2025. The first round of 87 occupations took effect on 3 November 2025. A second round of 47 further occupations followed on 9 March 2026, alongside the annual median wage increase. This page reflects the current, complete list.
New Zealand Shores has tracked New Zealand’s shift from ANZSCO to the NOL since it began, and helps both employers and migrant workers use the right occupation code for the right visa.
Questions? Email us!
Why the National Occupation List exists
The NOL is New Zealand’s replacement for the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), the system immigration instructions have relied on for over a decade. It became the official job classification standard in November 2024 and is now updated annually, allowing it to track New Zealand’s labour market far more closely than ANZSCO, which had not been substantively revised in years.
The NOL groups occupations by skill level from 1 (most skilled) to 5 (least skilled). For now, only NOL skill level 1 to 3 occupations are recognised for AEWV and job check applications. Immigration New Zealand does not currently accept NOL skill level 4 or 5 codes for any visa category: those roles still run on ANZSCO.
Two waves of new occupations: November 2025 and March 2026
| Update | Effective date | New occupations added | Skill levels |
| First round | 3 November 2025 | 87 | Levels 1 to 3 |
| Second round | 9 March 2026 | 47 | Levels 1 to 3 |
| Total to date | As at July 2026 | 134 | Levels 1 to 3 |
The November 2025 round was heavily weighted towards the primary sector and trades: crop and livestock supervisors, joinery trades, agricultural technicians, and a broad spread of production supervisor roles in food, meat, and seafood processing. Health and social care gained several new codes, including Dementia Navigator and Support Worker (Mental Health and Addiction), and tourism and hospitality picked up roles such as Concierge and Adventure Tourism Operator.
The March 2026 round shifted further up the skill ladder. Several Skill Level 1 additions target senior and executive functions that had no clean occupation match before, including Chief Sustainability Officer, Enterprise Architect and Executive Assistant (CEO/Board Level). Hospitality gained recognised codes for Head Chef, Sous Chef and Chef de Partie, and technology-adjacent roles such as Virtual Reality Specialist and Augmented Reality Specialist were added for the first time.
The full list: all 134 newly recognised NOL occupations
The tables below list every occupation added across both rounds, exactly as published by Immigration New Zealand, so you can check a specific role without leaving this page.
November 2025: Skill Level 1 (4 occupations)
| NOL code | Occupation |
| 832117 | Horticulture Post-Harvest Leading Hand |
| 841227 | Fruit Production Leading Hand |
| 841228 | Indoor Crop Production Leading Hand |
| 841231 | Outdoor Crop Leading Hand |
November 2025: Skill Level 2 (1 occupation)
| NOL code | Occupation |
| 399522 | Foley Artist |
November 2025: Skill Level 3 (82 occupations)
| NOL code | Occupation |
| 311113 | Irrigation Technician |
| 311417 | Calibration Technician |
| 311418 | Drug and Alcohol Tester |
| 312917 | Wind Turbine Technician |
| 312918 | Geothermal Technician |
| 312921 | Non Destructive Testing Technician |
| 312922 | Irrigation Performance Assessor |
| 312924 | Cabinetry CAD Drawer |
| 312925 | Joinery Detailer |
| 312926 | Lifting Equipment Technician |
| 321112 | Electric Vehicle Mechanic or Technician |
| 321215 | Bicycle Technician |
| 323114 | Vehicle Integration Technician |
| 323216 | Agricultural Equipment Technician |
| 323217 | Heavy Equipment Technician |
| 323218 | CNC Programmer, Solid Timber Joinery |
| 323221 | Senior Fleet Tyre Technician |
| 331113 | Concreter (Commercial) |
| 331215 | Joinery Site Joiner |
| 331217 | Joinery Installer |
| 333312 | Waterproofer |
| 361116 | Animal Trainer |
| 393214 | Milliner |
| 394112 | Cabinetry Installer |
| 394215 | Joinery Machinist |
| 394216 | Joinery Technician |
| 394217 | Joinery Practitioner, Generalist |
| 394218 | Joinery Finisher |
| 399518 | Performing Arts, Entertainment and Events Technician |
| 399921 | Fibre Composite Technician |
| 399922 | Electronic Security System and Alarm Technician |
| 399923 | Snowsport Equipment Technician |
| 411718 | Dementia Navigator |
| 423124 | Dementia Homeshare Coordinator |
| 423125 | Support Worker (Mental Health and Addiction) |
| 423126 | Health Coach |
| 431312 | Senior Gaming Worker |
| 431413 | Concierge |
| 431914 | Winery Senior Cellar Hand |
| 451313 | Crematorium Technician |
| 452114 | Personal Trainer |
| 452218 | Adventure Tourism Operator |
| 452326 | Tennis Coach, Performance |
| 452415 | Athlete |
| 711115 | Production Supervisor, Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing |
| 711315 | Production Supervisor, Paper, Pulp and Wood Processing |
| 711517 | Production Supervisor, Plastics and Rubber Production |
| 711717 | Production Supervisor, Textile and Footwear Production |
| 711915 | Hazardous Materials Removalist |
| 712214 | Horizontal Direction Drilling Worker |
| 712312 | CNC Operator, Solid Timber Joinery |
| 721113 | Agrichemical Spraying Operator |
| 721114 | Groundspread Nutrient Applicator |
| 731113 | Oversize Load Pilot Escort |
| 811212 | Power Wash Technician |
| 821413 | Solar Installer |
| 821715 | Rope Access Technician |
| 821716 | Load Lifting Rigger (Rope Fabrication) |
| 831122 | Production Supervisor, Food and Drink Processing |
| 831314 | Production Supervisor, Meat Processing |
| 831315 | Production Supervisor, Poultry Processing |
| 831316 | Production Supervisor, Seafood Processing |
| 832116 | Horticulture Post-Harvest Supervisor |
| 841112 | Aquaculture Farm Supervisor |
| 841218 | Field Crop Farm Supervisor |
| 841221 | Outdoor Crop Production Supervisor |
| 841222 | Fruit Production Supervisor |
| 841223 | Indoor Crop Production Supervisor |
| 841224 | Vineyard Supervisor |
| 841226 | Mixed Crop Farm Supervisor |
| 841314 | Forestry Supervisor |
| 841317 | Silviculture Operator |
| 841413 | Nursery Production Supervisor |
| 841521 | Mixed Livestock Farm Supervisor |
| 841526 | Beef Cattle Farm Supervisor |
| 841527 | Sheep Farm Supervisor |
| 841531 | Other Livestock Farm Supervisor |
| 841532 | Poultry Farm Supervisor |
| 841533 | Senior Piggery Stockperson |
| 841612 | Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Supervisor |
| 841918 | Irrigation Manager |
| 899416 | Senior Tyre Technician |
March 2026: Skill Level 1 (14 occupations)
| NOL code | Occupation |
| 132314 | Chief Remote Officer |
| 132418 | Chief Sustainability Officer |
| 141113 | Head Chef / Executive Chef |
| 223312 | Organic Conservation Specialist |
| 232114 | Building Information Modeller |
| 232416 | Accessible Format Specialist |
| 253115 | Physician Associate |
| 261214 | Virtual Reality (VR) Specialist |
| 261215 | Augmented Reality (AR) Specialist |
| 261331 | Enterprise Architect |
| 511113 | Joinery Manager |
| 511114 | Joinery Project Manager |
| 512112 | Chief of Staff |
| 512113 | Executive Assistant (CEO/Board Level) |
March 2026: Skill Level 2 (21 occupations)
| NOL code | Occupation |
| 311115 | Wine Laboratory Technician |
| 312914 | CAD Draftsperson |
| 312915 | Biomedical Technician |
| 312916 | Environmental Engineering Technician |
| 312923 | Reinforcing/Structural Steel Detailer |
| 313114 | Digital Imaging Technician |
| 311423 | Environmental Technician |
| 312117 | Energy Assessor |
| 351314 | Chef de Partie |
| 351315 | Sous Chef |
| 362215 | Urban Forester |
| 362412 | Nursery Production Leading Hand |
| 399521 | Videographer |
| 411115 | Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) |
| 411717 | Aged Care Coordinator |
| 451312 | Embalmer |
| 452221 | Skydiving Instructor (Solo) |
| 452222 | Tandem Skydiving Master/Instructor |
| 512114 | Administrative Professional |
| 512212 | Accounting Practice Manager |
| 512213 | Legal Practice Manager |
March 2026: Skill Level 3 (12 occupations)
| NOL code | Occupation |
| 272126 | Consumer Advisor |
| 323115 | Launch Technician, Mechanical |
| 351311 | Other Chef |
| 351313 | Demi Chef de Partie |
| 423127 | Peer Support Worker |
| 452416 | Ski Patroller |
| 711316 | Timber Machinist |
| 712925 | Senior Timber Treatment Plant Operator |
| 721115 | Advanced Agricultural and Horticultural Mobile Plant Operator |
| 831123 | Ice Cream (Process Control) Machine Operator |
| 831215 | Meat Boner/Meat Cutter |
| 899924 | Site Traffic Management Supervisor (STMS) |
Source: Immigration New Zealand, National Occupation List occupations used for an AEWV, July 2026. If your role is not listed here, check the ANZSCO occupation list instead, as it may still qualify under the existing settings.
Questions? Email us!
What this means if you already hold a work visa
If you currently hold an AEWV in a NOL skill level 4 or 5 role, you may be able to move into one of the 134 newly recognised skill level 1 to 3 occupations and extend your maximum continuous stay to 5 years. To qualify, you need either:
- at least 2 years of directly relevant work experience in the new role, or
- a recognised qualification relevant to the new occupation.
This experience threshold was reduced from the three years originally signalled when the November 2025 changes were first announced. If you were told you needed three years and did not qualify at the time, it is worth checking again: you may now be eligible.
Skill level 1 to 3 roles also carry stronger family settings than lower-skilled AEWV roles: workers may be able to support a partner and dependent children for their own visas, and the visa allows a longer continuous stay before a stand-down period applies.
What this means if you are applying for the first time
Employers can submit a job check for any of the 134 recognised roles now. Before doing so, three things need to line up:
- Genuine advertising: the employer must first advertise the role and make a genuine attempt to appoint a suitable New Zealander before turning to a migrant worker.
- Active accreditation: the employer must hold current Immigration New Zealand accreditation before lodging a job check.
- Matching job description and pay: the job description and remuneration must clearly reflect the tasks, responsibilities and skill level of the specific NOL occupation selected, not just the closest-sounding job title.
Standard AEWV wage thresholds still apply to every skill level 1 to 3 role: pay must meet at least the median wage, currently $35.00 per hour, unless a higher occupation-specific rate applies.
| One code, one visa. NOL occupation codes recognised for the AEWV cannot currently be used for other visa categories. If you are applying for a Skilled Migrant Category resident visa or a different work visa, you still need the equivalent ANZSCO code, not the NOL code, even if your job title matches one of the 134 new roles. New Zealand Shores checks which code applies to which application before you rely on either. Questions? Email us! |
Why this matters beyond the AEWV
A NOL occupation being newly recognised for the AEWV does not automatically change your position under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) or the Green List, both of which continue to run on ANZSCO codes for now. If your intended occupation appears in the new NOL list but is not separately listed on the Green List or does not have a matching ANZSCO entry, an AEWV may be your only immediate visa option, with a resident visa pathway to be assessed separately once you are working in New Zealand.
This is precisely the kind of detail that is easy to miss when relying on a single article: the occupation you qualify for a work visa under is not necessarily the same occupation code that will carry you to residence. New Zealand Shores checks both sides of that equation before recommending a pathway.
How New Zealand Shores helps
New Zealand Shores is a specialist New Zealand immigration services provider with licensed advisers ready to help employers and migrant workers use the current NOL and ANZSCO settings correctly:
- We confirm whether your role, or your employee’s role, is one of the 134 currently recognised NOL occupations, and at what skill level.
- We check whether existing skill level 4 or 5 workers meet the revised 2-year experience threshold to transition into a newly recognised role.
- We prepare and lodge job check and AEWV applications with job descriptions and remuneration matched precisely to the chosen occupation.
- We identify the correct ANZSCO equivalent where a resident visa or Green List pathway is the longer-term goal, so today’s work visa supports tomorrow’s residence application.
- We keep employer accreditation current and advise on genuine advertising requirements before a job check is lodged.
Working with a licensed adviser reduces the risk of a job check being declined for using the wrong occupation code or an unmatched job description, an increasingly common issue as NOL and ANZSCO now run side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How many new occupations have been added to the AEWV since late 2025?
134 in total, across two updates. Immigration New Zealand recognised 87 new National Occupation List roles from 3 November 2025, then a further 47 from 9 March 2026.
What is the difference between the National Occupation List and ANZSCO?
ANZSCO is the classification system New Zealand immigration instructions have used for years and still use for most visa categories, including the Skilled Migrant Category and the Green List. The NOL is a newer, annually updated classification that better reflects today’s labour market. The two systems currently run side by side: NOL codes recognised for the AEWV cannot be used for other visa types, which still require the equivalent ANZSCO code.
Can I move from a skill level 4 or 5 role into one of the newly recognised roles?
Yes, if you can show at least 2 years of directly relevant work experience or a recognised qualification for the new role. This experience threshold was reduced from the three years originally announced alongside the November 2025 changes.
What wage do I need to be paid for one of these roles?
At least the median wage, currently $35.00 per hour, unless the specific NOL occupation carries a higher published rate. Your job description and remuneration must match the tasks and skill level of the chosen occupation.
Can I bring my family if I am employed in one of the new NOL roles?
Skill level 1 to 3 AEWV roles may allow you to support a partner and dependent children for their own visas, and allow a longer maximum continuous stay of up to 5 years, compared to lower-skilled AEWV roles.
Does a new NOL occupation code help my residence application?
Not directly. The Skilled Migrant Category and the Green List currently assess applicants against ANZSCO codes, not NOL codes. A role recognised under the NOL for AEWV purposes may or may not have a matching ANZSCO entry that supports a residence pathway, so this needs to be checked separately.
Where can employers check if a specific job matches one of the 134 new occupations?
The full list is set out on this page, grouped by tranche and skill level. The Aria tool on the Statistics New Zealand website sets out the detailed task and responsibility definitions for each code. New Zealand Shores can also confirm the correct code and skill level before a job check is lodged.