ProVisas Immigration Advisers

Qualifications exempt from assessment

Australia qualifications: do you need an NZQA assessment?

Immigration New Zealand lists 45 qualifications from Australia that do not need an IQA at NZQF levels 7 to 10, awarded by 40 listed institutions. A further 4 are named specifically as still requiring assessment by NZQA.

Australian qualifications are covered across 45 entries and 40 awarding institutions, at NZQF levels 7 to 10. Coverage of Australian universities is wide, and the qualification names map closely to their New Zealand equivalents.

What catches people out

A handful of named Australian qualifications are excluded and require assessment by NZQA, including some MBA variants and specific named degrees. Check the table below for your exact award title rather than the general degree type.

When is a qualification from Australia exempt?

Immigration New Zealand exempts a qualification from assessment only when every one of these conditions is met. Meeting some of them is not enough.

  1. the qualification is listed in the Academic Qualifications Table
  2. the awarding institution is listed in the Awarding Institutions Table
  3. the qualification abbreviation is listed in the right-hand column in the Awarding Institutions Table
  4. the qualification was awarded from or within the year range listed in the right-hand column in the Awarding Institutions Table
  5. the qualification is not excluded by the notes listed under the Academic Qualifications Table

If any condition fails, you need an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA before you claim points for the qualification. Our guide to the IQA and NZQA assessment explains that process, and the SMC points system explainer covers what a qualification is worth once its level is confirmed.

Qualifications from Australia that still need an IQA

These appear on INZ's list specifically to say they are not exempt. They require assessment by NZQA even when the awarding institution is listed below.

  • Bachelor of Arts (Communications and Media Management)
  • Master of Arts in Training and Human Resource Development
  • Master of Business Administration (International)
  • Executive Master of Business Administration

Qualifications from Australia on the list

The NZQF level is the New Zealand framework level Immigration New Zealand accepts for the qualification. It is not a points score.

Qualification Abbrev. NZQF level
Bachelor of Agriculture BAG 7
Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (with or without Honours)** BAVS 7
Bachelor of Arts (a speciality may be stated) BA 7
Bachelor of Arts (Communications and Media Management) — Requires NZQA assessment
Bachelor of Biomedicine BBM 7
Bachelor of Business BB 7
Bachelor of Commerce BC 7
Bachelor of Dental Science (with or without Honours)** BDSc 7
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (with or without Honours)** BDS 7
Bachelor of Dentistry (with or without Honours)** BD 7
Bachelor of Design BDE 7
Bachelor of Economics BEC 7
Bachelor of Engineering BE 7
Bachelor of Environments BEN 7
Bachelor of Fine Arts BFA 7
Bachelor of Laws LLB 7
Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice LLBLP 7
Bachelor of Medicine BM 7
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (with or without Honours)** MD 7
Bachelor of Science (a speciality may be stated) BS 7
Bachelor of Veterinary Science / Bachelor of Veterinary Biology (with or without Honours)** BVBS 7
Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery BVMS 7
Bachelor of Veterinary Science (with or without Honours) BVS 7
Bachelor of Agriculture with Honours BAGH 8
Bachelor of Arts with Honours (a specialty may be stated) BAH 8
Bachelor of Biomedicine with Honours BBMH 8
Bachelor of Business with Honours BBH 8
Bachelor of Commerce with Honours BCH 8
Bachelor of Economics with Honours BECH 8
Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (speciality stated) / Bachelor of (speciality) Engineering (Honours)** BEH 8
Bachelor of Environments with Honours BENH 8
Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours BFAH 8
Bachelor of Laws with Honours** LLBH 8
Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice with Honours** LLBLPH 8
Bachelor of Science with Honours (a specialty may be stated) BSH 8
Master of Arts (specialty may be stated) MA 9
Master of Arts in Training and Human Resource Development — Requires NZQA assessment
Master of Business Administration MBA 9
Master of Business Administration (International) — Requires NZQA assessment
Executive Master of Business Administration — Requires NZQA assessment
Master of Engineering (speciality stated) ME 9
Master of Philosophy MP 9
Master of Science (a specialty may be stated) MS 9
Master of Veterinary Studies MVS 9
Doctor of Philosophy PhD 10

Notes on this table

  • * Abbreviations used are for the purposes of this list only.
  • ** Degree may be awarded with a class of honours.
  • Note: Award certificates must be provided in their original language. The following must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment: - All honorary degrees - All listed qualifications where study was completed at any institution outside of the country, including any overseas campuses of any listed awarding institution - All listed qualifications that contain cross-credited courses or papers - All qualifications awarded after 2017

Awarding institutions

Your qualification is only exempt if it was awarded by one of these institutions, the abbreviation appears against that institution, and the award year falls in the range shown.

Institution Qualifications and years
Australian Catholic University BA, BAH, MP and PhD: 2000
The Australian National University BA, BEC, LLB, BS, BAH, BECH, LLBH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BC: 1991 BEH 2014 MD: 2007 MP: 2001
Bond University BA, BC, LLB, LLBH, MA, MBA, MS and PhD: 2000 BB and BBH: 2008 MD: 2009
Central Queensland University BA, BB, BAH and PhD: 2000 BE: 2000–2014 BBH: 2000–2013 BEH: 2015 MBA: 2010
Charles Darwin University BA, LLB, BS, BAH and PhD: 2004 BB: 2004–2008 BC: 2009 BE: 2004-2014 BEH: 2015 MA and MS: 2004–2013
Charles Sturt University BA, BAH, MA, MBA and PhD: 2000 BS, BSH and MP: 2005 BVBS: 2010
Curtin University (Curtin University of Technology 2000–2010) MBA and PhD: 2000 MA: 2000–2012 MP: 2008 MS: 2000–2010
Deakin University BA, BS, BAH, BCH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1990 BC: 1990–1996 BC: 2014 BE and BEH: 1994–1997 BEH: 2014 LLB and LLBH: 1996 MD: 2013
Edith Cowan University BA and BAH (except in Psychology), MA, MBA and PhD: 2000 BE and BEH: 2000–2005 BEH: 2015 LLB and LLBH: 2009
Federation University BA, BS, BAH, BSH, MA and PhD: 2014 BEH:2015
Flinders University (The Flinders University of South Australia 1982–2008) BA, BS, MD, BAH, BSH, MS and PhD: 1982 BB and BBH: 2010 BC and BCH: 1982–2013 BE: 1996–2014 LLB and LLBH: 1996–2014 BEH: 1996 LLBLP and LLBLPH: 2000 MA: 1982–2001
Griffith University BA, BS, BAH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1985 BC and BCH: 1991 BE: 2000–2014 BEH: 2000 LLB and LLBH: 1996 MD: 2009 MP: 1985
James Cook University (James Cook University of North Queensland 1982–1997) BA, BS, BAH, BSH, MS and PhD: 1982 BC and BCH: 1989–2009 BE and BEH: 1982–2002 BEH:2015 BEC and BECH: 1982–2009 LLB and LLBH: 1992 MD: 2006 BVS: 2010 MA: 1982–2012 MP: 2013
La Trobe University BA, BEC, BS, BAH, BECH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BE: 1996–2014 BEH: 1996 LLB and LLBH: 1995
Macquarie University BA, LLB, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BAH: 1982–2013 BC: 1995 BCH: 1997–2013 BEC and BECH: 1985–2012 BS: 1983 BEH: 2008 LLBH: 1991–2013 BSH: 1989–2013 MBA: 1983–1994 MP: 2006
Monash University BA, BE, BAH, BEH and MA: 1982–2001 BB and MBA: 1991 BEC and BECH: 1982–1991 BS and BSH: 1982–2014 LLB:1982–2014 LLBH: 1982 MD: 1982–2008 BBH: 1991–2012 BCH: 2014 MS: 1991– 2006 PhD: 1982–2011
Murdoch University BA and BS: 1985–2008 BC and BCH: 1991–2000 BE: 1999–2014 BEC and BECH: 1991–2013 LLB and MVS: 1994 BVMS, BAH, BSH, MA, MP and PhD: 1985 LLBH: 1994–2013 MBA: 1990–2009 MS: 2000
Northern Territory University BA, BB, BE, LLB, BS, BAH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1998–2003
QUT (Queensland University of Technology) BA and BAH: 2000–2009 BB, BE, LLB, BBH, MA, MBA and PhD: 2000 BE: 2000–2014 BEH: 2015 LLBH: 2016 BFA: 2005
RMIT University BA: 1995–2004 BE and BEH: 1995–1998 MA and PhD: 1995
Southern Cross University BA, LLB, BAH and LLBH: 2000 BEH: 2016
Swinburne University of Technology BA and BAH: 1995 BE, BEH and PhD: 1995–2003 MA and MBA: 1995–2001
The University of Adelaide BA, BDS, BEC, LLB, MD, BS, BAH, BECH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BC and BCH: 1991–2000 BE: 1982–2014 BEH and LLBH: 1982–2013 MBA: 1982–2000 MP: 2011
University of Ballarat BA, BAH, MA and PhD: 2000–2014 BE and BEH: 2000–2004
University of Canberra BA, BS, LLB, BAH, BSH and LLBH: 2000 BE: 2010 BEH: 2016 MA: 2000–2007 PhD: 2000–2009
The University of Melbourne BA, BC, BS, BAH, BCH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BAG, BBM, BEN and BFA and ME: 2011 BDS and MD: 1982–2013 BE, LLB, BEH, LLBH and MBA: 1982–2011 BVS: 1982–2014 BAGH, BBMH, BENH and BFAH: 2013 MP: 2009
University of New England (The University of New England 1982–2007) BA, BEC, BS, BAH, BECH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BB: 1992 BBH: 1992–2012 BE: 1991–1999 LLB: 1997 BEH: 1993–1999 LLBH: 1998
The University of New South Wales BA, BC, LLB, MD, BS, BAH, BCH, BEH, LLBH, BSH, MA, MBA, MS and PhD: 1982 BE: 1982–2014 MP: 2006
The University of Newcastle BA, BS, BAH, BSH and PhD: 1982 BE and BEH: 1982–2001 LLB: 1998–2016 LLBH: 1998 BM: 2012 MD and MS: 1984–2011 MA: 1982–2011 MBA: 1984–2000
The University of Queensland BA, BC, BDSc, BEC, LLB, BS, BVS, BAH, BCH, BECH, BEH, LLBH, BSH, MA, MBA and PhD: 1982 LLB: 1982–2014 BE and MD: 1982–2014 MP: 2001
University of South Australia BA, BS, BBH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 2000 BB: 2000–2016 BEH: 2015 LLB and LLBH: 2011
University of Southern Queensland BA, BS, BAH, BEH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 2000 BE: 2000–2013 LLB and LLBH: 2012
University of the Sunshine Coast BA, BB, BC, BS, BAH, BBH, BCH, BSH, MA, MBA, MS and PhD: 2000 BEH: 2014 LLB: 2017
The University of Sydney BAVS: 2009 BA, BEC, BE, MD, BS, BVS, BAH, BECH, BEH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BC and BCH: 2000 BDS: 1982–2004 BD: 2005–2012 LLB and LLBH: 1982–2012 MBA: 1984 MP: 1994
University of Tasmania BA, MD, BS, BAH, BSH, MA and PhD: 1982 BE LLB, BEH and LLBH: 1982–2003 MBA and MS: 2000
University of Technology, Sydney BA, LLB, BS, LLBH, MA, MBA, MS and PhD: 2000 BE: 2000–2014 BEH: 2015
The University of Western Australia BA and BS: 1982–2007 BDSc, MD, BAH, BSH, MA, MS and PhD: 1982 BC, BDE, BCH, BFAH: 2014 BE, LLB, BEH and LLBH: 1982–2014 MP: 1991
University of Western Sydney BA, LLB, BAH, MA, MBA and PhD: 2001 BE: 2001–2013 MD: 2012 LLBH: 2001–2014 MS: 2001–2013
University of Wollongong BA, BS, BAH, BSH and MA: 1985 BE: 1985–2014 BEH and PhD: 1985–1996 LLB: 1994 LLBH: 2010 MBA and MS: 1991–1996
Victoria University (Victoria University of Technology 2000–2005) BA, BS, BAH, BEH, MA, MS and PhD: 2000 BE: 2000–2014 LLB and LLBH: 2004

Source: Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual . Synced 13 September 2026.

Not sure how yours reads?

Matching an award certificate against this list is fiddlier than it looks: institutions get renamed, award years narrow the exemption, and the notes can rule a qualification out. Talk it through with us and we will listen to your situation and match you with the right IAA-licensed adviser.

Book a free 15-minute call Browse other countries

This page reproduces Immigration New Zealand's published List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment and is general information, not immigration advice. INZ revises the list, so check the linked source page before you rely on it. ProVisas is a licensed New Zealand immigration advisory firm (IAA Licence 201301110).