PROFESSIONS IN DEMAND IN NEW ZEALAND

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Before you start polishing your English and learning Kiwi slang, deciding that the country of rugby, hobbits and stress-free life is what you need, first check which professions are in demand, and how much your knowledge, experience and skills are New Zealand needs. Of course, having a profession on the in-demand list does not guarantee a job or a visa to New Zealand, but it can facilitate the process of obtaining a work visa and residency in the future. New Zealand has three lists of in-demand occupations plus a general list of skilled occupations suitable for immigration.

Queenstown, South Island NZ

The Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL)

This list contains professions that are constantly needed in all countries of the world, including New Zealand. If your profession is one of them and you meet all visa requirements, you have the following options:

1. You can get a work visa under the Work to Residence category.
2. The New Zealand employer will not have to explain to New Zealand immigration how the search for a suitable candidate for the position was carried out, and why a foreign specialist was hired rather than a local one
3. You will be able to apply for residency after two years if you meet standard immigration requirements (health, no criminal record, etc., and your salary is at least $45,000 NZD per year, minimum 2 year contract). English is not a requirement, but officers are entitled to ask for some evidence that the applicant has a minimum level of English to work in New Zealand. You can check LTSSL here

Jobs in demand in New Zealand

Employability is one of the most important considerations when choosing New Zealand as your country of residence. There really are quite a few specialties here that can provide a decent standard of living. Those wishing to emigrate should research the most in-demand professions in New Zealand in advance.

View of New Zealand's largest city, Auckland

Features of the local labor market

Despite the global economic crisis, New Zealand is a completely stable state. This also applies to the labor market: there are enough vacancies in the country in 2021, and the unemployment rate does not exceed 5%. For this reason, New Zealand is considered one of the most attractive countries for emigration, including professional emigration.

Those who expect to find work in New Zealand need to pay maximum attention to learning English.

To confirm his knowledge, a foreigner will need to present a certificate stating that he has passed an international test and received a score of at least 6.5 points.

In New Zealand, there is a list of professions whose representatives are required to undergo state registration. It consists of the following categories:

1. Lawyers.
2. Doctors and junior medical staff.
3. Veterinarians.
4. Teachers.
5. Electricians and electricians.

Video: electrician profession in New Zealand.

State registration is a whole procedure during which the candidate must provide educational documents to the authorized body and pass a qualifying exam.

According to state law, the working day at local enterprises is 8 hours. And employees can also count on two 10-minute breaks, paid for by the employer. Overtime work is paid double.

What professions are in demand in New Zealand?

Despite the tightening of immigration policies that occurred several years ago, the country still needs highly qualified specialists. Here, every year, lists of shortage professions are approved, for whose representatives special programs have been developed.

For example, the Long Term Skill Shortage List program is a fairly long list of specialties. Now in the country, the professions of doctors and nurses, highly qualified builders, logisticians, electricians, engineers, IT specialists, geologists and cooks are considered to be in short supply. Long Term Skill Shortage List is a so-called list for the long term, which is reviewed by the government every six months.

Video: stories of people who work in New Zealand.

Each region has its own list of skills in short supply. Oil workers are in demand in Taranaki, construction workers are in demand in Auckland, and Cartenbury residents are looking for people to help rebuild the region after the earthquake. Another popular specialty in many regions is poultry farming. Beekeepers, as well as livestock and forestry specialists, will not be lost there either.

Watch the video: working as a builder in New Zealand.

This is a list for the short term, which sounds like the Immediate Skill Shortage List. And those who are interested in immigration to New Zealand may want to check it out from time to time as it is updated periodically.

Skilled Migrant Category is a special program for highly qualified specialists.

When discussing in-demand professions in which you can find a job in New Zealand, we should also mention the immigration program called the Skilled Migrant Category.

Its essence is that candidates from other countries who meet certain requirements have the right to try to obtain residency status in a simplified manner.

There are several conditions for this:

• No health problems.
• Age not older than 55 years.
• The person must not have a previous conviction.
• The applicant must have a good command of English.

Those who meet all these requirements will advance to the next stage. You must register on the immigration service portal and fill out an application. Information will be carefully assessed using a point system. Thus, for having an education, the candidate is awarded up to 60 points. Work experience will bring 30 points to his piggy bank, as will working age.

We recommend you watch: changes in professional immigration to New Zealand.

Having a contract with a New Zealand company will be a big advantage. This will allow a foreign applicant to earn up to 60 points. In addition, bonuses are given for working or studying in New Zealand.

To have the opportunity to change your life, you must score at least 100 points. After this, the candidates’ data is stored in the file cabinet for 3 months. There, their capabilities are assessed taking into account many factors. As practice shows, to pass this stage, you need to score 140–150 points.

Those lucky ones who are chosen by immigration officials receive a letter inviting them to participate in the next stage. Within 4 months they will be required to provide the embassy with documents to support their application.

If the information provided is correct and the documents are in order, the skilled migrant will receive a residence visa.

Appearance of a resident visa in New Zealand

If the applicant's application has generated interest, but the authorities doubt his ability to quickly find a job, he may be issued a two-year work visa.

This is what a work visa looks like in New Zealand

Of course, this program is far from perfect. However, those for whom emigrating to New Zealand has been a long-time dream have a good chance.

Pay attention to the video: changes in New Zealand immigration legislation (Skilled Migrant Category Visa)

Temporary and seasonal work

The country offers many opportunities for those who do not have high qualifications but want to earn extra money; these are mainly students and immigrants who have not had time to learn the language well. These vacancies are advertised throughout New Zealand all year round. Since the country has a well-developed agricultural sector, it usually involves harvesting crops on plantations and working in wineries. Temporary workers are also in demand in the tourism sector, in sheep farming and the fish processing industry.

Seasonal harvest work on plantations in New Zealand

Internship

Another option suitable for university graduates is an internship. It provides an opportunity not only to gain experience in your specialty, but also to earn money, and also to see all the beauty of this amazing country. However, for this service, New Zealand companies charge an organizational fee of about 1,500 New Zealand dollars.

Salary levels in New Zealand

Earnings in the country are almost as good as in Australia. There is a certain minimum wage, which is set and controlled by the state: 15.25 New Zealand dollars. The average salary is almost twice this figure.

This is what New Zealand dollars look like

Highly qualified doctors and programmers are considered the highest paid. Those who work in the service and trade sectors receive the least. Agricultural workers are also not spoiled by high wages, of course, by New Zealand standards. A salesperson earns about $35,000 local dollars a year, and a farm employee earns about $45,000.

Work with a high level of danger pays quite well. For example, due to the worsening criminal situation, the salary of a taxi driver has increased to $30–40 per hour.

Video: salaries in New Zealand.

As in any country, you will have to pay taxes on your wages. Those moving to New Zealand will be interested to know that the tax rate there depends on the amount of income. If it does not exceed $14,000, the tax will be minimal - 10.5%. For salaries ranging from 14,000 to 48,000 (which is not much for this country), the rate increases to 17.5%. But those who earn more than 70,000 a year will have to share 33% of their earnings with the state.

Video: taxes in New Zealand.

How to look for a job

People often wonder where to go and where to start looking for work in New Zealand? To do this, you can use special sites (of course, they are all English). To get an idea of ​​what you can expect, it's a good place to start with Careers New Zealand.

Careers New Zealand home page

Here you can find your specialty or enter it in a search engine. There is detailed information about each profession: requirements for candidates, job responsibilities, approximate earnings, as well as the chance of finding such a job in New Zealand.

After preliminary examination, you can look for work on special sites: Kiwi News, Seek, Working In. Another option is to register on the website of some recruitment agency; they provide services to applicants free of charge. But you shouldn’t register with all agencies at once: the labor market in the country is not very large, and companies don’t like it when different agencies send them a candidate’s resume.

Watch the video: searching for work in New Zealand through special sites.

Often foreign job seekers prefer direct contact with the employer. Often this actually turns out to be useful. New Zealand has a positive attitude towards showing initiative, so calls and CVs sent by email will not be considered tactless. Even if the company cannot offer anything, there is a high chance of receiving recommendations for finding a job. At the very beginning of the journey, this can serve well.

Video on how to find jobs in New Zealand and write a resume.

There are several things to consider when writing your resume. Unlike Russia, in New Zealand it is not customary to indicate all previous places of work. It is enough to mention a few that, in the applicant’s opinion, are the most significant. There is no need to describe in detail personal qualities, even the most remarkable ones. A cover letter must be attached to your resume; this always has a positive effect on the employer. It’s good if you have recommendations from previous places of work. Volunteering experience is also welcome.

We recommend you watch: writing a resume for work in New Zealand.

So the list of the most in-demand professions in New Zealand is quite wide. If you have education, experience and qualifications, it’s worth trying your luck on another continent, because New Zealand is considered one of the most prosperous countries in the world.

Immediate Skill Shortage List (ISSL)

The list includes those professions for which there is an urgent need at the present time. The list shows that employers are unable to find the skills they need among New Zealand citizens and residents. If your occupation is on this list and you meet the standard visa requirements, you can apply for an Essential Skills work visa. This means you can work in New Zealand temporarily (up to 5 years, depending on your skill level and salary). However, there is no limit to how many times you can apply for an Essential Skills work visa. The only exceptions are low-skilled professions (earnings below $20 NZD per hour).

The similarity with the first list is that the New Zealand employer does not have to prove to New Zealand immigration that he tried to find a specialist in the local market before offering the position to you, that is, pass the so-called labor market test. You can check the ISSL here

Canterbury Skill Shortage List

The list includes skills required to rebuild the city of Christchurch, which was devastated by a major earthquake in 2011. The list includes professions from both the long-term and short-term lists of in-demand professions. Unfortunately, the list was closed on June 29, 2021, as the demand for specialists in this region has decreased significantly, although the list is still posted on the immigration website. This is not to say that Christchurch no longer needs specialists. Of course, we need them, but the process of applying for work visas is now the same for everyone.

General list of skilled occupations for New Zealand Skill Level Classification

If your occupation is listed and your skill level meets the ANZSCO levels (New Zealand and Australia skill levels), you can apply for a Skilled Migrant residence visa. This category takes into account your salary as an additional criterion to characterize your skill level.

To apply for any work visa, including the Skilled Migrant, the applicant must be under 55 years of age, plus you must meet immigration requirements (skill level, English, health and no criminal record). Read more about this visa category here

For these visas, most employers must show and prove to immigration that they were unable to find suitable candidates in New Zealand and therefore hired a foreign specialist. If your potential employer is accredited by New Zealand Immigration, it will be easier - you won’t have to prove why the vacancy was given to a foreigner. When talking with an employer, I advise you to clarify whether he has accreditation. This can make the visa application process easier.

List of professions for immigration to New Zealand

New Zealand is one of the few countries where immigration and the entry of foreign specialists are treated positively. The reason for this is that the immigration process itself is strictly formalized: there is a list of professions whose highly qualified representatives are welcomed on the islands with open arms. Investors, buyers and business founders are also welcome here. The rest of those interested have to limit themselves to tourist or study visas.

There are three lists of specialties whose holders can count on a work visa in the country.

Long Term Skill Shortage List: doctors, hurry up!

The most important list is of specialties that are in demand in the long term. It was shortened somewhat in February 2014, but it is still a 19-page document. It is periodically adjusted when the number of certain vacancies is considered no longer critical from the point of view of the country's development. The holder of a visa on this list receives the proud title of “skilled migrant” and has every opportunity (but not yet the right!) to stay in the country forever.

From the latest adjustment, which came into force on 24 March 2014, we can see that the need for medical specialists in New Zealand is gradually disappearing: qualified people have already been recruited for a number of specialties. From this we can conclude that the remaining doctors on the list (for example, anesthesiologists, oncologists, psychiatrists) had better hurry up, because the tendency to saturate the labor market is obvious here.

So, here is a list of professionals that New Zealand no longer needs (but quite possibly will begin to need with the next list adjustment):

• Obstetrician
• Urban planner (specialist in the development of cities and regions)
• Nutritionist
• Speech therapist
• Manager in areas not listed in the document. The document lists the following managerial specialties: construction of roads and infrastructure; design of buildings and other structures; logistics and supplies; IT
• Osteopath
• Otolaryngologist
• Rehabilitologist
• Radiologist-diagnostician
• Conductive therapy specialist (used for cerebral palsy)
• Pharmacologist
• Pharmacist (in hospital)
• Pharmacist (in trade)

Immediate Skill Shortage List: It's easier to become a nanny

The second list is of specialists needed in the short term in certain areas of New Zealand. This is also not a small, 11-page document. There is one expansion in it - the position of a nurse has been added to work with people suffering from mental illness. In general, junior medical personnel are in great demand in New Zealand. A nanny with secondary specialized education and three years of work experience will more easily obtain a work visa than an academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, if his specialization is not on the appropriate list. However, such a visa does not provide the category of “skilled migrant”: at the end of the work contract, you will have to leave the country. Five items have been excluded from this list:

• Restaurant manager
• Glasses and lenses specialist
• Internal Auditor
• Motor mechanic (cars)
• Truck driver

Canterbury Skill Shortage List: a noble cause

Finally, the third list is the “Canterbury” list, which contains professions that are in demand only during the restoration of the Canterbury region (South Island) after the earthquakes of 2010-11. The Canterbury visa does not give you the right to permanent residence in the country, but during your work it is quite possible to establish yourself at such a level that they will not want to part with you.

* * * And remember: no matter how highly qualified a specialist you are, no matter how accurately your data matches the requirements of the migration service, without good English you’d better not even think about moving. Found yourself on the list and want to live in the Southern Hemisphere? Let's go learn English! By the way, this can also be done in New Zealand...