New Zealand Announces 2 Occupations Exempt From Labour Market Test for Work Visas
- New Zealand's Immigration authority has outlined which job categories are exempt from the Labour Market Test under the Accredited Employer Work Visa rules
- Roles offering a remuneration of NZ$67.12 per hour or above automatically qualify for the exemption without further recruitment evidence
- Jobs listed on New Zealand's Green List with matching minimum requirements also bypass the Labour Market Test requirement entirely
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New Zealand's Immigration authority has published the conditions under which employers are not required to conduct a Labour Market Test when hiring foreign workers through the country's Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme.
The Labour Market Test is ordinarily a standard requirement attached to Job Check approvals, compelling employers to demonstrate that they made genuine efforts to recruit locally before turning to overseas talent. However, Immigration New Zealand has now made clear that certain job categories and pay thresholds allow employers to bypass this process entirely.
Source: UGC
Roles exempt from the Labour Market Test
Two categories of roles fall outside the Labour Market Test requirement:
1. The first covers positions where remuneration reaches NZ$67.12 (N51,043.27.) per hour or the equivalent in annual salary terms. Employers offering at least this rate are not obligated to show evidence of local recruitment efforts.
2. The second category applies to occupations appearing on New Zealand's Green List, provided the role meets the minimum requirements set out for that specific listing. The Green List is a curated register of occupations considered to be in critical shortage across the country, and inclusion on it signals that the government already acknowledges the scarcity of available local talent for those positions.
What to do when test does apply
Where the Labour Market Test is required, Immigration New Zealand has set out a two-part standard that employers must satisfy. First, the employer must have made genuine attempts to advertise the role and recruit New Zealand workers. Second, those efforts must not have produced a suitable or available local candidate.
Both conditions must be met together. Advertising alone is insufficient if a qualified New Zealand worker was found and passed over, and similarly, an employer cannot simply claim no suitable candidates exist without demonstrating that a proper recruitment process took place.
The policy details are available in full through Immigration New Zealand's operational manual.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that New Zealand published 10 occupations that are qualified for Work-to-Residence pathway into the country.
New Zealand announces income requirement for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that New Zealand announced the new income requirements for foreign workers who want to bring their spouses and children to the country. The rules explain how hourly wages, annual earnings, job skill levels and occupation lists affect family visa eligibility.
The biggest surprise is that workers earning NZD $52.50 per hour qualify for the widest range of family visa options, while those earning below NZD $28.00 face tighter limits. For many migrant families, the difference in pay could decide whether loved ones can work, study or join them in New Zealand.
Source: Legit.ng
