Occupation library
ANZSCO version 1.3 has 1023 occupations, each with a 6-digit code and a skill level from 1 to 5. Immigration New Zealand uses it for most work visa and job check applications and for every Skilled Migrant Category application, so your occupation's code and skill level decide which visa rules apply to you.
Each occupation page shows what the occupation involves, the qualifications and experience it needs in New Zealand, its other job titles, and what its skill level means for the Accredited Employer Work Visa, the Skilled Migrant Category and the Green List. Occupations that exist only on the new National Occupation List have pages of their own.
For example: "sous chef", "I look after elderly people in a rest home", "drive trucks" or a code like 351311.
Skill levels grade occupations by the range and complexity of their tasks. They show the skill usually needed to do the job, not the skill of the person doing it: a bricklayer with ten years' experience is still in a skill level 3 occupation. The New Zealand requirement for each level, in ANZSCO's own words:
| Level | Qualifications and experience (New Zealand) | Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bachelor degree or higher qualification. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification. | 373 occupations |
| 2 | NZQF Diploma. At least three years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualifications listed above. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification. | 131 occupations |
| 3 | NZQF Level 4 qualification. At least three years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualifications listed above. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification. | 198 occupations |
| 4 | NZQF Level 2 or 3 qualification. At least one year of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualifications listed above. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification. | 203 occupations |
| 5 | NZQF Level 1 qualification, or compulsory secondary education. For some occupations a short period of on-the-job training may be required in addition to or instead of the formal qualification. In some instances no formal qualification or on-the-job training may be required. | 118 occupations |
Skill levels 1 to 3 are the line that matters most for visas: they allow a longer Accredited Employer Work Visa, a lower wage threshold for supporting a partner, and access to the Skilled Migrant Category's Skilled Work Experience pathway. Some occupations are treated at a different level by Immigration New Zealand; their pages say so. INZ explains how it checks a job's level on its find your job's skill level page. For what changed in version 1.3 itself, see ANZSCO 1.3: what changed.
Grouped by ANZSCO major and sub-major group. Open a group to see its occupations, codes and skill levels.
An ANZSCO code is the 6-digit code for an occupation in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. Immigration New Zealand uses ANZSCO version 1.3 for most Accredited Employer Work Visa and job check applications, all Skilled Migrant Category applications and all other temporary visa applications.
Match your job to the single occupation whose description and tasks are closest to what you actually do. It does not need to be an exact match, and the job title on your contract matters less than the duties. Search the list on this page by job title or by a description of your work.
Skill levels grade occupations by the range and complexity of their tasks, from 1 (most skilled) to 5. In New Zealand, skill level 1 is commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher, and skill level 5 with an NZQF level 1 qualification or compulsory secondary education. The level describes the occupation, not the person doing it.
Yes, for most purposes. Stats NZ's National Occupation List (NOL) is gradually replacing ANZSCO. Immigration New Zealand accepts some NOL occupations for an Accredited Employer Work Visa and job check, but for every other visa, including the Skilled Migrant Category, it uses ANZSCO 1.3.
The occupation you match to decides the skill level, and the skill level decides much of the visa picture. Talk it through with us: we will listen to your situation and match you with the right IAA-licensed adviser.
Source: ANZSCO version 1.3, Australian Bureau of Statistics, CC BY 4.0, synced 31 October 2026. 463 further occupations from Stats NZ's National Occupation List are in the NOL library. General information, not immigration advice. ProVisas is a licensed New Zealand immigration advisory firm (IAA Licence 201301110).
Prefer to talk? Call +64 22 112 1112