SM11.10 Requirements for recognition (17/12/2003)

Work experience is recognised and qualifies for points if:

1. it is relevant to the principal applicant’s current skilled employment in New Zealand or offer of skilled employment in New Zealand; or
2. a visa or immigration officer is satisfied that it is skilled work experience because it required, or enabled the principal applicant to gain, significant specialist, technical or management expertise; or
3. it is relevant to the principal applicant’s recognised qualification (see SM14).
4. Principal applicants who do not have current skilled employment or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand (see SM7) will only qualify for points for work experience if:
   1. the work experience meets the requirements for recognition set out above; and
   2. that work experience was gained in a labour market that is comparable to the New Zealand labour market.

SM11.10.1 Definition: Comparable labour market

1. Work experience is assessed as being in a comparable labour market if it was undertaken in one of the following countries by:
   1. a citizen or permanent resident of that country; or
   2. a person who had the lawful authority to work in that country.

   Australia	Malaysia
   Austria	New Zealand
   Belgium-Luxembourg	Netherlands
   Canada	Norway
   Cyprus	Philippines
   Denmark	Portugal
   Finland	Republic of South Korea
   France	Singapore
   Germany	South Africa
   Greece	Spain
   Iceland	Sweden
   Ireland	Switzerland
   Israel	United Kingdom
   Italy	United States
   Japan

2. Work experience is also assessed as being in a comparable labour market if:
   1. it was undertaken for a multinational commercial entity that is domiciled in one of the countries listed in (a) above; and
   2. the work was undertaken in a country not listed in (a) above by a person who is a citizen or permanent resident of one of the listed countries and had the lawful authority to work in that country.

SM11.10.5 Relevance of work experience to qualifications

Work experience is relevant to a principal applicant’s recognised qualification if a visa or immigration officer is satisfied that the qualification was:

1. an important factor in the principal applicant being able to obtain work or continue or advance in the position or field of work in which they have experience; or
2. an important factor in a career path that has advanced progressively from the principal applicant’s* pre-qualification work experience.

SM11.10.10 Relevance of work experience to an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand

Work experience is relevant to a principal applicant's offer of skilled employment in New Zealand if an employer considers, and a visa or immigration officer is satisfied that:

1. the work experience is directly applicable to the employment offered; and
2. the offer of employment could not reasonably have been made if the principal applicant did not have that work experience.

Effective 17/12/2003