Immigration New Zealand's New Occupation List - What It Means for Your Visa

What if I told you the system that decides your visa fate is about to be scrapped? Ever heard of ANZSCO? Well, if you’ve ever applied for a work visa in New Zealand, you’ve certainly come across it. For years, it’s been Immigration New Zealand’s go-to tool, helping them decide if your job matches an occupation that could get you that coveted visa. But that’s about to change.

ANZSCO—short for Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations—has been INZ’s bible for work visas and residence applications. It classifies jobs by skill level, occupation code, and the tasks involved, and depending on your occupation, it can either fast-track your residency or throw a bunch of hoops in your way.

If your job lands on New Zealand's Green List, congrats—you might be on the fast lane to residency. But if you’re stuck in skill level 4 or 5, that’s a different story. You won’t be able to support your partner and children’s visas, and you’ll probably need to jump through hoops like English language exams. So, ANZSCO has been both a blessing and a burden.

But here’s the kicker: according to the latest Immigration New Zealand news, after all these years, INZ is finally moving away from it.

Stats New Zealand is developing its own classification system, tentatively named the National Occupation List (NOL), set to launch in November 2024. The idea is that the NOL will reflect New Zealand’s labour market more accurately than ANZSCO, which sometimes felt like forcing a square peg into a round hole when a role didn’t quite fit any of its categories. The proposed list shows that the NOL will use the same six-digit code system but will add new jobs and rename others to better suit Kiwi needs—dog walkers, bloggers, even AI prompt engineers will make the cut.

Oh and if you don't like the name NOL, you can make submissions. Here's an idea, how about... Rarangi Mahi a Motu? Good or bad, leave your comments below!

Will it be better than ANZSCO though? It’s too soon to tell, but at least it’s a move towards something more homegrown, more in touch with what New Zealand’s workforce really looks like. Of course, INZ will need time to train up its staff. With the high turnover they usually experience, I’m not holding my breath for a smooth transition. Too many times we’ve seen them fumble basic processes with inexperienced officers misinterpreting the rules.

So, cautious optimism is the order of the day. But one thing’s for sure: the change is coming, and if you’re planning to apply for a work or a residence visa soon, it’s worth keeping an eye on how this plays out.