Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that it is making changes to how occupations are assessed under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) program, following the creation of new roles in the National Occupation List (NOL) July update.
These updates will ensure that workers in new higher-skilled roles can continue to qualify for AEWV pathways, while INZ transitions its systems to fully reflect the NOL framework.
The National Occupation List (NOL) became New Zealand’s official job classification system in November 2024, replacing the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). A further update was made on July 1, 2025.
While INZ continues to use ANZSCO to set visa rules for AEWV applicants, work is underway to integrate the NOL into INZ’s systems.
The NOL includes new occupations at skill levels 1 to 3, which may allow some workers currently in Level 4 or 5 roles to apply for a further AEWV to extend their maximum continuous stay.
INZ is updating its systems so that Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) applicants in around 90 new higher-skilled (levels 1 to 3) roles can apply based on their National Occupation List (NOL) skill level.
These changes are scheduled to go live on November 3, 2025. Employers will need to undertake the full AEWV process for these roles. Further details will be available in early October.
Temporary pathway
For approximately 30 of the new roles a temporary Specific Purpose Work Visa (SPWV) pathway will be in place from September 8 until November 2 for current visa holders whose MCS will end on or before November 30, 2025 where an employer wishes to appoint them to a new role and the employee meets relevant criteria.
This temporary pathway is only available to a small group of affected visa holders. It is not a general extension or alternative to the AEWV program.
Only a small group of visa holders will be eligible for this pathway and they must:
- be in, or appointed to, 1 of the 30 new NOL roles and have at least 3 years directly relevant experience to the new role (or a recognized qualification)
- hold a current AEWV and reach their maximum continuous stay on or before November 30, 2025.
Accredited employers do not need to advertise the role for SPWV applicants.
The roles eligible for the interim pathway are listed in the tables here.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.