ANZSCO vs the National Occupation List: Which One Applies to You
New Zealand runs two occupation classifications at the same time. The National Occupation List governs Job Check and Accredited Employer Work Visa applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025. ANZSCO still governs the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category. Most migrants going from work visa to residence need both, at different stages.
Quick Facts
| Item | ANZSCO | National Occupation List |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations | National Occupation List (NOL) |
| Governs | Green List (Appendix 13), Skilled Migrant Category | Job Check, AEWV |
| Applies from | Long-standing | Applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025 |
| Structure | Six-digit codes, five skill levels | Five skill levels |
| Updated | No fixed cycle for the Green List that uses it | Described as updated annually |
| Expanded | — | 47 occupations added at skill levels 1–3 on 9 March 2026 |
| Cost to check | Free | Free |
| Where INZ publishes it | "Find your job's skill level" tool + Appendix 13 | "National Occupation List occupations used for an AEWV" |
The short answer
Which list applies is decided by which visa you are applying for, not by your occupation, your employer or your country.
| If you are applying for… | Use |
|---|---|
| A Job Check (employer) | NOL |
| An AEWV | NOL |
| Straight to Residence (Green List Tier 1) | ANZSCO |
| Work to Residence (Green List Tier 2) | ANZSCO |
| Skilled Migrant Category residence | ANZSCO |
| Anything else | ANZSCO |
Immigration New Zealand states the fallback in its own words: "If you work in an occupation that is not on these lists, or you are applying for a different visa, you must use the ANZSCO list instead."
ANZSCO has not been replaced
The most common error in migrant-facing content since late 2025 is the flat claim that New Zealand has moved off ANZSCO. It has not.
The Green List still runs entirely on ANZSCO. Appendix 13, effective 23 March 2026, records a six-digit ANZSCO code against every one of its 201 occupations. Not one NOL reference appears in the instrument.
The Skilled Migrant Category still runs on ANZSCO skill levels. Its skilled-work test is written as "ANZSCO skill levels 1–3" and "ANZSCO skill levels 4–5", and those two bands carry different pay requirements.
What did change is that two products — Job Check and the AEWV — moved to the NOL for applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025.
Why a migrant usually needs both
The standard route to New Zealand residence for a skilled worker runs through a work visa first. That means the classification changes underneath you partway through.
| Stage | Typically | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Employer runs a Job Check | Year 0 | NOL |
| 2. You apply for an AEWV | Year 0 | NOL |
| 3. You work in New Zealand | Years 0–2 | — |
| 4. You apply for residence | Year 2+ | ANZSCO |
For anyone on Green List Tier 2, where 24 months of New Zealand work is required before residence, this sequence is not optional. The trades, the civil machinery operators and the Tier 2 teaching occupations all pass through both classifications by design.
For Tier 1 occupations applying from offshore on a job offer, ANZSCO may be the only classification that ever matters.
Where the two lists disagree
They are not two spellings of the same thing. The differences that cause real problems are these.
Different granularity. A single NOL occupation can correspond to more than one ANZSCO code, and vice versa. The 9 March 2026 NOL update, for example, split chef roles into clearer occupations by skill and seniority — a distinction ANZSCO draws differently.
Different coverage. An occupation can be on the NOL and absent from the Green List entirely. Most are. Being classified at NOL skill level 1 says nothing about whether Appendix 13 lists your ANZSCO code.
Different skill-level meanings. Both use five levels. They are not interchangeable. "ANZSCO skill level 1–3" in the SMC and "NOL skill level 1–3" in AEWV settings are separate tests with separate consequences — see occupation skill levels explained.
Different update behaviour. The NOL is described as updated annually. The Green List that uses ANZSCO has no fixed review cycle; its changes are ad-hoc ministerial announcements. One list moves on a rhythm, the other does not.
Step 1: Work out which application you are making
Employer-side Job Check or AEWV means NOL. Residence means ANZSCO. That single question resolves the classification for most people.
Step 2: Look the occupation up on the correct list
Use INZ's National Occupation List tool for AEWV purposes, and the ANZSCO skill-level tool or Appendix 13 for residence. How to find your ANZSCO code covers the residence side, including what to do when one code covers several job titles.
Step 3: Check the classification against your actual duties
Neither list is matched on job title. Your employer's contract may call you a "site manager"; Appendix 13 calls that role Building Associate (312112). What the classification turns on is what you do.
Step 4: Keep a record of both
Note the NOL occupation and skill level used for your work visa, and the ANZSCO code you will rely on at residence. They will be needed years apart.
Step 5: Re-check both before you apply
The NOL updates annually. The Green List changes without notice. Neither can safely be assumed unchanged since your last application.
A worked example of the split
Take an electrician arriving from overseas.
- The employer's Job Check and the electrician's AEWV are processed under the NOL.
- Two years later, residence is applied for under Green List Tier 2, which lists Electrician (General), ANZSCO 341111, requiring registration with the Electrical Workers Registration Board.
- The 24 months of qualifying work sit between the two, governed by the Work to Residence instructions.
Nothing about the NOL classification carries across to Appendix 13. The ANZSCO code is what the residence application is assessed against. Electrician and plumbing trade jobs sets out that pathway in full.
What neither list decides
Neither classification decides your pay. The general median-wage rule on the AEWV was removed on 10 March 2025 and replaced by New Zealand market rate with a minimum-wage floor. The Green List sets its own pay thresholds for 33 occupations, expressed either as absolute rates or as multiples of the immigration median wage — currently NZ$35.00 an hour, from 9 March 2026.
Neither classification decides whether you qualify. They tell you which requirement applies. Whether you meet it is a question about your own circumstances, and answering that for an individual is tailored immigration advice — in New Zealand, only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ANZSCO still used in New Zealand?
Yes. The Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category both still use ANZSCO codes and ANZSCO skill levels. Only Job Check and AEWV applications moved to the National Occupation List, for applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025.
What is the difference between ANZSCO and the NOL?
ANZSCO is the trans-Tasman classification with six-digit codes, used for residence instruments. The NOL is New Zealand's own list, used for work-visa products, with five skill levels and an annual update cycle. The NOL in detail.
Which one do I need for a Green List application?
ANZSCO. Appendix 13 records an ANZSCO code against every Green List occupation and makes no reference to the NOL.
Which one do I need for an AEWV?
The National Occupation List, for applications submitted on or after 3 November 2025.
Can my occupation be on one list and not the other?
Yes, and this is common. Presence on the NOL says nothing about Green List membership. Only 201 occupations are on the Green List across both tiers, while the NOL covers the wider labour market.
Do the skill levels mean the same thing on both lists?
No. Both run 1 to 5, but they are separate tests attached to different instruments. Treat an ANZSCO skill level and an NOL skill level as unrelated numbers that happen to share a scale.
My occupation is not on either list. What then?
INZ's instruction is to use the ANZSCO list. Occupations outside the Green List are not shut out of New Zealand — see what exists for unlisted occupations.
