FAQS

My job is not on a skill shortage list – does that mean I cannot migrate?

There are common misconceptions about the Occupational and Skill Shortage Lists for Australia and New Zealand. The Long Term Skills Shortage List (or LTSSL) indicates occupations that Immigration New Zealand considers will be in long term demand.

You are required to have skilled work experience and/or qualifications that match up to Immigration requirements and may need to have a skilled offer of employment to gain enough points to qualify as a Skilled Migrant.

Meeting LTSSL requirements can open up a special type of Work to Residence application and give bonus points for a Skilled Migrant application, but you DO NOT have to be on the LTSSL to be able to gain entry into New Zealand as a Skilled Migrant.

If your occupation is on the Long Term Skills Shortage List your qualifications and/or work experience must exactly meet the requirements for you to benefit. So must your job offer.

If your job offer is on the Immediate Skills Shortage List (or ISSL) and you exactly meet the requirements it will allow an employer to sponsor you for a Temporary Work Visa without proving there are no New Zealanders available to hire or train for the job. Meeting the ISSL will not allow you to apply for permanent residence.

Australia has two occupations lists for potential applicants seeking to apply under the skilled routes and your nominated occupation needs to be on the relevant list for the visa class you are applying under.For the Skilled Occupations List (SOL), you must nominate an occupation from the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) if you are applying for independent points-based skilled migration and are not being nominated by a state or territory government agency or a family sponsored points test visa or a Temporary Graduate subclass 485.

For the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL), you must nominate an occupation from the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL) if you are nominated by a State or Territory Government, or nominated by an Australian employer to fill a position in an occupation that appears on the CSOL for the Employer Nomination Scheme, or the temporary work (skilled) 457 visa or the training and research visa (subclass 402).

View All