What is ANZSCO?

ANZSCO = Australia New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations

The ANZSCO is used widely by government departments to categorise occupations for a range of reasons. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) uses ANZSCO to identify and capture the skill levels of jobs offered to migrant workers. This could be for work visas or residence applications.

ANZSCO is broken down into major occupation groups from managers, professionals and technical roles through to admin, labourers and machine operators. Within each occupation group, there is a wide range of occupations, and each occupation is awarded a skill level (a number).

A General Manager is categorised as ANZSCO Skill Level 1. This role qualifies for a 5-year Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) provided the job offer is compliant with employment law, pays the median wage or higher and the employer can provide they cannot find these skills locally. This occupation would likely have pathways to residence.

A Receptionist is categorised as ANZSCO Skilled Level 4. This role may qualify for a 2-year AEWV (with a maximum continuous stay of 3 years) if the job offer is compliant with employment law, paid the median wage or higher, the employer can prove they cannot recruit these skills locally and posted the vacancy with Work and Income. This occupation, paying the median rate, would not have a pathway to residence.

People run into problems with visa applications when they don't understand how ANZSCO works and how INZ uses it to categorise occupations. Sometimes people will inflate job descriptions so it will be classed as Skill Level 3 when in reality it is more Skill Level 4. While it is natural to want to keep migrant workers who have contributed to the business, there are solutions. Don’t provide false or misleading information as that will lead to serious problems.

It is complex and getting it wrong affects people's lives. Talk to us for quality immigration advice today.