Update from Immigration New Zealand

National Occupation List

The National Occupation List (NOL) replaced the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) as New Zealand’s official job classification system in November 2024.

87 new occupations at skill levels 1 to 3 are currently recognised by INZ under the NOL in immigration instructions for AEWV applications.

From 9 March 2026, 47 new roles will count as skill level 1 to 3 roles for Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) applications. 3 roles will move to skill level 4. The 3 occupations that will move from skill level 3 to 4 are:

• pet groomer
• nanny, and
• kennel hand.

Any Job Check applications for these roles submitted on or after 9 March 2026 must meet the requirements for a skill level 4 occupation. This includes advertising the job for longer and engaging with Work and Income.

Any Job Check applications submitted before this date will be assessed at skill level 3. Any AEWV applications will be assessed at the skill level the Job Check was approved for.

We are gradually moving to the NOL and both the NOL and ANZSCO are currently being used for immigration purposes. At this stage, NOL occupations are only recognised for the AEWV and not for skilled residence pathways.

More information:

New occupations recognised under the National Occupation List and annual median wage increase(external link) — Immigration New Zealand

Summer peak processing

Student visa

Processing international student visas is still a priority. We are continuing to improve our systems so we can process these visas more efficiently.

In 2025, INZ decided more than 97,000 student visas, with 91% of these approved. For 2025, international student visas were processed in 12 days on average, compared to 18 in 2024.

In January 2026 INZ received 7,477 international student visas and has decided 19% of these. For the same period in 2025, 7,257 applications were received, and 36% of these were decided.

Decided numbers do not yet include approvals in principle in ADEPT. As at 31 January 2026, Student visas are currently being processed in 17 working days on average.

On average Te Pūkenga (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology) applications are being processed within 4.5 weeks:

• 3.5 weeks for University applications
• 4.5 weeks for Private Training Establishment applications
• 2.5 weeks for school applications.

Risk was effectively managed in 97.3% of student visas applications checked in October, slightly above the agreed risk tolerance range of 92% - 96%.

Visitor visa

We are now in the summer peak period for visitor visa processing, so we encourage people to apply early.

In 2025, more than 470,000 visitor visa applications were decided, with 89% approved. In 2025, visitor visas were processed in an average of five working days, compared to seven days in 2024.

The current average processing time for all visitor visas (as at January 2026) is 6 working days. 80% of these applications are completed in 15 working days.

In January 2026 INZ approved more than 38,500 visitor visa applications, representing more than 53,000 people.