ANZSCO vs NOL Skill Levels
New Zealand runs two occupation classifications at once. The National Occupation List replaced ANZSCO for the Accredited Employer Work Visa and Job Check from 3 November 2025. ANZSCO still governs the Green List and skilled residence. A migrant moving from a work visa to residence needs their occupation identified under both — that is the trap.
Quick Facts
| ANZSCO | National Occupation List (NOL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations | National Occupation List |
| Whose system | Shared trans-Tasman legacy classification | New Zealand's own replacement |
| Released | Legacy | 20 November 2024 |
| Used for | Green List (Appendix 13), Skilled Migrant Category, skilled residence pathways | AEWV and Job Check for applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025 |
| Skill levels | 1–5 | 1–5 |
| Updated | No fixed cycle | Described by INZ as updated annually |
| Creates a residence pathway? | Green List membership does | No |
| Cost to you | None directly — but a miscode can mean a declined application | Same |
As at August 2026. Both classifications are live at the same time; neither has been switched off.
Why New Zealand has two of these
ANZSCO is a shared Australian and New Zealand classification. It is old, it is not built around the New Zealand labour market, and Immigration New Zealand announced it would be replaced. The National Occupation List was released on 20 November 2024 as that replacement.
What did not happen is a clean switchover. The NOL applies to Job Check and AEWV applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025. The Green List — Appendix 13 of the Operational Manual, effective 23 March 2026 — is still indexed entirely by ANZSCO code, and the Skilled Migrant Category's skilled-work table is still expressed in "ANZSCO skill levels 1–3 / 4–5".
Immigration New Zealand keeps both reference tools live side by side: one for finding your job's ANZSCO skill level, and one listing NOL occupations usable for an AEWV. Its own page announcing ANZSCO's replacement is now stale — written in 2024, it still says a switchover date will be confirmed.
The practical consequence is simple and unglamorous. A migrant may need their occupation identified under the NOL for the work visa and under ANZSCO for the residence pathway, in the same journey, with the same job.
What "skill level" actually controls
Skill level is not a label. It is the switch that decides several separate rules. Here is what turns on it, on each classification.
| Rule | Which classification | What the skill level does |
|---|---|---|
| AEWV English evidence | ANZSCO or NOL | No English evidence at level 1–2. English required at levels 3, 4 and 5 |
| AEWV maximum stay | ANZSCO or NOL | Up to 5 years at skill levels 1–3; 3 years at levels 4–5 |
| Job advertising period | ANZSCO or NOL | 14 days at level 1–3 or for a NOL job usable for the AEWV; 21 days at level 4–5, plus good-faith engagement with Work and Income |
| SMC skilled work threshold | ANZSCO only | Levels 1–3 must be paid NZ$35.00/hour; levels 4–5 and unlisted occupations NZ$52.50/hour |
| Partner support threshold | ANZSCO | Level 1–3: NZ$28.00/hour. Level 4–5: NZ$52.50/hour. Green List roles: NZ$35.00/hour |
| SMC new pathways from 24 Aug 2026 | ANZSCO | Skill level 4–5 occupations are ineligible for both new pathways |
| Green List membership | ANZSCO | Membership is by occupation code, not skill level |
Notice the split. Everything on the work-visa side accepts either classification. Everything on the residence side is ANZSCO.
The English requirement is the sharpest edge
Since 1 June 2026, English evidence is required for ANZSCO or NOL skill level 3 roles on the Accredited Employer Work Visa, aligning with the existing requirement at levels 4 and 5. The standard is IELTS 4.0 or equivalent — described by the government as basic, everyday English for common situations. It was announced on 25 May 2026 and took effect a week later.
The scale of that change is easy to miss. Skill level 3 is now the largest part of the cohort: around half of all AEWV applications are for skill level 3 roles, against 16% for skill levels 4 and 5 combined. One reclassification therefore moved the English requirement onto half the applicant population.
Transitional exemptions apply. AEWV holders whose visas expire on or before 1 December 2026 are exempt when applying for a skill level 3 renewal; anyone who has already provided English evidence remains compliant; and Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa applications are not affected. Detail in English language requirements for work visas.
What changed on the NOL on 9 March 2026
Two things, and the second one is the one that bites.
47 additional occupations were recognised at NOL skill levels 1–3, expanding AEWV eligibility. The announcement also flagged chef roles being split into clearer occupations by skill and seniority.
Three occupations moved down from skill level 3 to skill level 4: pet groomer, nanny and kennel hand. A move from level 3 to level 4 is not cosmetic. It changes the advertising period from 14 days to 21 with Work and Income engagement, it changes the maximum stay from up to 5 years to 3, and on the residence side it changes the SMC skilled-work threshold from NZ$35.00 an hour to NZ$52.50 — and from 24 August 2026 it puts the occupation outside the two new SMC pathways entirely.
The identities of the 47 added occupations were not captured in the research behind this site. Check the current National Occupation List on Immigration New Zealand before assuming your role is on it.
Side by side on the things people actually search for
| Question | ANZSCO answer | NOL answer |
|---|---|---|
| Does it get me a work visa? | Yes, if the role is level 1–2 for English-free processing, or level 3–5 with English evidence | Yes, on the same terms |
| Does it get me residence? | Only via Green List membership or the SMC skilled-work test | No — being on the NOL creates no residence pathway |
| Is my occupation on it? | Look up the ANZSCO code | Look up the National Occupation List |
| Which do I use for a Job Check? | Either is accepted, for applications from 3 November 2025 | Either |
| Which does Appendix 13 use? | ANZSCO, exclusively | Not used |
Where the answer flips
If your only goal is a work visa right now. The NOL is the classification your employer's Job Check will use, and it recognised 47 more occupations at skill level 1–3 in March 2026 than it did before. For getting into New Zealand, the NOL is the more useful list.
If your goal is residence. The NOL is close to irrelevant. The Green List runs on ANZSCO codes. The Skilled Migrant Category expresses its skilled-work thresholds in ANZSCO skill levels. An occupation newly added to the NOL has gained nothing on the residence side.
If your role sits at the level 3 / level 4 boundary. This is the expensive case. Applying as skill level 1–3 for a job that INZ assesses as level 4–5 can result in a decline and a fresh application. The published rules attach different advertising, pay, English and maximum-stay outcomes to each side of that line, and the classification is INZ's call, not the employer's.
If your occupation is not on either list. For the SMC, an unlisted occupation is treated like skill levels 4–5: it must be paid NZ$52.50 an hour to count as skilled work. That is a high bar and it is the published position, not an inference.
What this means in practice, in order
Step 1: Find your occupation under the NOL for the work visa
Your employer needs this for the Job Check. The classification decides the advertising period, whether English evidence is required, and how long a visa can be granted for.
Step 2: Find your occupation under ANZSCO for the residence side
This is a separate lookup with a separate answer. It decides whether you are on the Green List, and which SMC pay threshold applies to you.
Step 3: Check whether the two answers agree
They often do. When they do not, the work visa follows the NOL and residence follows ANZSCO. Neither overrides the other, because they govern different applications.
Step 4: Confirm before anyone pays a fee
A Job Check costs the employer NZ$735 and employer accreditation NZ$775 for a standard accreditation. A miscoded role is an expensive way to learn that a classification matters. Reconsideration of a Job Check or an accreditation decision costs NZ$250.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ANZSCO stand for and how is it used?
ANZSCO is the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. In New Zealand immigration it is still the classification used by the Green List (Appendix 13 of the Operational Manual) and by the Skilled Migrant Category's skilled-work and pay thresholds.
What is the National Occupation List and how does it differ from ANZSCO?
The National Occupation List is New Zealand's own occupation classification, released on 20 November 2024 to replace ANZSCO. It applies to Job Check and Accredited Employer Work Visa applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025. It does not create a residence pathway, and the Green List does not use it.
How do I find my job's skill level?
Immigration New Zealand publishes two lookup tools, one for ANZSCO and one for the National Occupation List. Both are on the INZ website under the requirements for work visas. Our guide to occupation skill levels explains what each level controls.
Do I need English for an AEWV?
Not if your job is skill level 1 or 2 on either ANZSCO or the NOL. English evidence is required at skill levels 3, 4 and 5, at IELTS 4.0 or equivalent. The requirement was extended to skill level 3 on 1 June 2026, with a transitional exemption for AEWV holders whose visas expire on or before 1 December 2026.
Has ANZSCO been fully replaced in New Zealand?
No. Both classifications are in use as at August 2026. The NOL applies to AEWV and Job Check; ANZSCO still governs the Green List and skilled residence. INZ's own page announcing the replacement dates from 2024 and still says a switchover date will be confirmed.
Does being on the National Occupation List give me a pathway to residence?
No. The NOL expands who can get a work visa. Residence runs through the Green List or the Skilled Migrant Category, both of which use ANZSCO. See Green List vs the National Occupation List.
Before you act on this page
This is general information about published New Zealand immigration rules, not immigration advice, and it does not assess any individual's occupation or eligibility. Occupation classification decisions are made by Immigration New Zealand. Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, only a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer may advise on your circumstances — check a licence at https://app.mbieregisters.govt.nz/iaa/ui/start/searchForAnOccupationalRegistration.
