No More ANZSCO For Essential Skills Work Visa Skill Level Assessment
Effective July 27, 2020, the Australia and New Zealand Standard
Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) will no longer be used to
assess the skill level of jobs for essential skills work visas.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will instead use a simple
remuneration threshold to determine whether a job is ‘high’
or ‘low’ paid. Work visa applications for jobs that are
paid below the median wage (currently $25.50/hour) will need to
include a Skills Match Report (SMR) from the Ministry of Social
Development, going forward. These low-paid visa holders will also
need to spend 12 months outside of New Zealand after holding a low
paid visa for 3 years. This is the same rule that is currently
applies to lower-skilled work visa holders.
Last year, INZ confirmed that the duration of an essential
skills work visa would be determined by the region an individual is
working in and whether they are paid above or below the median
wage. This is also expected to be implemented from July 27, with
modifications to take into account the temporarily reduced visa
duration for low-paid workers. Advertising may also be required for
high paid workers in all regions, given the unique labor market
conditions caused by COVID-19.
ANZSCO will continue to be used:
- To assess Skilled Migrant residence visa applications;
- To ensure that the rate of pay for a position is not less thanmarket rate; and
- To assess whether applicants are suitably qualified for theposition (i.e. medical degree and professional registration for a
medical doctor).
Employers who may be affected are encouraged to contact an
immigration specialist for case-specific advice.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.