SR3.20 Skilled employment

1. The principal applicant must have current employment or an offer of employment in New Zealand that pays at least the equivalent of:
   1. the median wage (currently $31.61 per hour) if their occupation is listed at ANZSCO skill level 1-3; or
   2. 1.5 times the median wage (currently $47.41 per hour) if their occupation listed at ANZSCO skill level 4-5, or not included in the ANZSCO.

      Note: The median wage rate of $31.61 for the Skilled Migrant category reflects the June 2023 publication of median wage data by Statistics New Zealand.

2. The principal applicant’s employment or offer of employment must be:
   1. full-time (employment is full-time if it amounts to at least 30 guaranteed hours per week for every week worked); and
   2. with an employer who is accredited (and their accreditation is not suspended) at the time the residence application is either made or decided; and
   3. permanent or for a fixed term of at least 12 months; and
   4. genuine and not offered as the result of payment (see SR2.1.5); and
3. A contract for services will be acceptable where:
   1. the applicant meets the requirements for at least 12 months of skilled work experience in New Zealand (see SR3.35); and
   2. the applicant has a consistent history of contract work; and
   3. the applicant has a current contract or contracts totalling at least 6 months duration; and
   4. an immigration officer is satisfied that such contract work is likely to be sustained.
4. As evidence of current skilled employment, applicants must provide an employment agreement and job description specifying the occupation, hours and remuneration of the employment.
5. For independent midwife practitioners, a letter of authority to claim under the Maternity Notice pursuant to section 94 of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, and evidence of registration with the Midwifery Council is sufficient to meet the requirements at SR3.20(b)(i) and (iii), and SR3.20(c)(ii) to (iv).

SR3.20.1 Determining skilled employment

In determining the ANZSCO skill level of an applicant’s employment or offer of employment, an immigration officer:

1. will determine whether the applicant’s employment is substantially consistent with the ANZSCO occupation (6‑digit) level job title and description for that occupation; and
2. may undertake a substantial match assessment (see SR2.1.1) and/or a suitably qualified assessment (see SR3.20.5).

SR3.20.5 Suitably qualified

1. An applicant will be assessed as being suitably qualified if they:
   1. have a relevant qualification meeting the requirements at SR3.25.5(c) that is at, or above, the qualification level on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) that corresponds to the indicative skill level described for their occupation in the ANZSCO; or
   2. have the relevant work experience that the ANZSCO indicates may substitute for the required qualification; or
   3. are in a skill level 1 occupation and have five years of relevant work experience; or
   4. are in a skill level 2 or 3 occupation and have three years of relevant work experience; or
   5. have current registration for their employment listed at SR3.30 or Appendix 16.
2. Qualifications are relevant to employment if the major subject area of the principal applicant's recognised qualification is directly applicable to the employment, or an immigration officer is satisfied that the qualification was a key factor in the employer's decision to employ the principal applicant in that position.
3. Work experience is relevant to employment if the employer considers, and an immigration officer is satisfied, that the work experience is directly applicable to the employment, or the offer of employment could not reasonably have been made, or the employment could not reasonably have been undertaken, if the principal applicant did not have that work experience.
4. Where their skilled employment is in an occupation that requires registration by law (see Appendix 16), the principal applicant must have the required full or provisional registration for that occupation in New Zealand (or a letter of eligibility from the New Zealand Medical or Dental Council) to be suitably qualified.

Effective 28/02/2024