Points for Skilled Employment
Is your occupation 'skilled'?
To be able to claim points for employment/job offer in New Zealand, it must be ‘skilled’, and therefore meet certain criteria as per defined by Immigration New Zealand. Unskilled jobs will not qualify for an Expression of Interest under the Skilled Migrant Category, except in very particular cases. Knowing this from the onset means you will need to filter through positions you apply for and work with your personal Adviser who will ensure the job you are offered meets requirements.
How is a job considered skilled?
In a nutshell, a skilled job must meet a minimum salary and also requires specialist, technical or management expertise. This expertise is acquired via:
- relevant qualifications; or
- relevant work experience; or
- a combination of the above
Where does your occupation fit?
The vast majority of jobs will meet one or several occupations listed in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). This standard for occupations is used by Immigration New Zealand to determine the skill level of your job, ranked from 1 to 5.
- A skill level 1 job is considered high-skilled
Construction Project Manager, Accountant, Architect, Doctor, ICT engineer, etc. - A skill level 2 or 3 job is considered mid-skilled
Electrician, Retail Manager, Chef, Fitter-Welder, Engineering Technician, etc. - A skill level 4 or 5 job is considered low-skilled
Administration assistant, Clerk, Farm Labourer, Delivery Driver, etc.
The introduction of salary bands mid-2017 is aimed at complementing this classification, and add a salary threshold requirement for your job offer to be acceptable.
Are you suitably qualified for the job?
Last but not least, you must be suitably qualified for the job offered, either via your qualifications, work experience, or both, for it to be acceptable.
To summarise, to qualify for points for skilled employment, your job offer must be a substantial match to an ANZSCO occupation, meet a certain remuneration, and you must be fit for the job.
Are there any exceptions?
There are exceptions for occupations that do not match any ANZSCO code, and certain low-skilled jobs may be acceptable, particularly if you are being offered a high salary. Get an assessment with a Licensed Adviser now.
Bonus points under the Skilled Migrant Category
You may qualify for bonus points if you are being offered a job outside of the Auckland region, if your occupation features on the Long Term Skill Shortage List and you meet its conditions, or if the remuneration threshold is above a certain amount.
For more information on skilled employment, visit our page that details the requirements for a job to be skilled.
