Master prompt
AEWV occupation eligibility — Green List Tier 1/2 + Sector Agreement + qualification recognition
Determine AEWV occupation classification (Green List Tier 1 Straight-to-Residence, Tier 2 Work-to-Residence, Sector Agreement, or Standard) and how NZQA qualification recognition affects Job Check eligibility under W2.
New ZealandAEWVGreen ListTier 1Tier 2Sector AgreementNZQAANZSCOW2
You are determining [CLIENT_NAME]'s Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) occupation classification under Immigration Instructions W2, and how the NZQA qualification recognition (or absence thereof) impacts Job Check eligibility and the downstream SMC / Resident Visa pathway.
CLIENT SUMMARY
- Target occupation + ANZSCO: [OCCUPATION_AND_ANZSCO]
- Employer: [EMPLOYER_NAME]
- Offered annual salary: NZD [OFFERED_SALARY_NZD]
- Highest qualification + NZQA status: [CLIENT_QUALIFICATION]
- Post-qualification experience: [YEARS_EXPERIENCE]
CRITICAL FRAMING — AEWV THREE-CHECK CHAIN
AEWV (introduced 4 July 2022, replacing six older work visa categories) requires sequential approval of:
Check 1 — Employer Accreditation
Check 2 — Job Check (employer + role)
Check 3 — Migrant Worker AEWV (client application)
For Check 2, the role's classification under the Green List / Sector Agreement / Standard occupation framework dictates:
(a) Whether labour market test advertising is required (21+ days)
(b) Whether the role meets the median wage threshold (currently NZD 31.61/hour — verify; reviewed every February)
(c) Whether the qualification + experience combination satisfies the ANZSCO occupational skill level
(d) Whether Straight-to-Residence (Green List Tier 1) or Work-to-Residence (Green List Tier 2) downstream pathways are available
§1 — OCCUPATION CLASSIFICATION MATRIX
Cross-reference [OCCUPATION_AND_ANZSCO] against the four classification buckets:
(A) GREEN LIST TIER 1 — STRAIGHT TO RESIDENCE
- Apply for Resident Visa directly on the basis of the role + qualification
- No 24-month AEWV waiting period
- Examples (subject to current immigration.govt.nz/green-list):
- Medical Specialists (most fields)
- ICT Architect (ANZSCO 262111)
- ICT Security Specialist (262112)
- Civil Engineer (233211)
- Mechanical Engineer (233512)
- Electrical Engineer (233311)
- Software Engineer (261313)
- Registered Nurse (254499 + scope variants)
- General Practitioner (253111)
- Telecommunications Engineer (263311)
- Geotechnical Engineer (233212)
- Qualification requirement: typically NZQF Level 7 Bachelor's or higher in field
- Some require profession registration (medical, nursing)
(B) GREEN LIST TIER 2 — WORK TO RESIDENCE
- Work on AEWV for 24 months → eligible for Resident Visa
- Examples (subject to current list):
- Auditor (221213)
- Electrician (341111)
- Plumber (334113)
- Telecommunications Technician (342414)
- Diesel Motor Mechanic (321212)
- Automotive Electrician (321211)
- Qualification requirement: typically NZQF Level 5-6 Diploma or trade qualification + relevant experience
- Sometimes profession registration (electrician via Electrical Workers Registration Board)
(C) SECTOR AGREEMENT OCCUPATIONS
- Specific industries with negotiated agreements between government and sector representatives
- Sectors: aged care, agriculture (dairy + meat + horticulture), construction (some roles), seafood, tourism + hospitality (selected roles), transport (bus driver)
- Wage threshold may be BELOW median wage (sector-specific)
- Pathway to residence varies by sector (some have post-AEWV residence pathway, others don't)
- Examples:
- Aged Care Worker (sector agreement — NZD ~28/hour minimum, below median)
- Dairy Farm Manager (sector agreement)
- Bus Driver (sector agreement)
- Chef (351311) — sector agreement in hospitality
(D) STANDARD OCCUPATIONS (NOT Green List, NOT Sector Agreement)
- Most occupations not specifically listed
- Job Check requires:
- 21-day labour market test advertising (Trade Me Jobs / SEEK / Indeed)
- Wage AT or ABOVE median wage (currently NZD 31.61/hour = ~NZD 65,750/year for 40hr week)
- Genuine recruitment effort documentation
- Pathway to residence: SMC six-point system; no automatic residence pathway
§2 — CLASSIFY [OCCUPATION_AND_ANZSCO]
State which bucket (A/B/C/D) [OCCUPATION_AND_ANZSCO] falls into. Cite the current Green List or Sector Agreement entry where applicable.
For Software Engineer (261313):
- Currently Green List Tier 1 (verify)
- No Job Check labour market test required
- Salary minimum: median wage + (Tier 1 has additional threshold for Straight-to-Residence; verify current — historically twice median wage for engineers without specific qualification)
- Qualification: NZQF Level 7 Bachelor's in Computer Science / IT / Software Engineering OR equivalent industry experience (5+ years)
- Indian B.Tech CSE from NBA-accredited college → typically NZQF Level 7 (Washington Accord pathway)
For Registered Nurse (254499):
- Currently Green List Tier 1 (verify)
- Requires NCNZ full registration (Tier 1 pathway specifically requires registration)
- Salary: at or above the registered nurse award rate (Te Whatu Ora collective agreement applies for public hospitals)
- Qualification: NCNZ-recognised nursing qualification + CAP
For Civil Engineer (233211):
- Currently Green List Tier 1 (verify)
- Requires Engineering NZ Chartered Member status OR Provisional CMEngNZ pathway
- Qualification: NZQF Level 7 Bachelor's in Civil Engineering — Washington Accord recognition for Indian B.Tech / B.E. Civil from NBA-accredited programmes
For Chef (351311):
- Sector Agreement (hospitality)
- Salary: typically below median wage; sector-specific threshold
- Qualification: Trade Certificate in Cookery (NZQF Level 4) OR substantial experience (typically 5+ years post-qualification)
For occupations NOT in the published Green List / Sector Agreement: Standard occupation → Job Check + advertising + median wage + ANZSCO skill level evidence.
§3 — QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION IMPACT ON JOB CHECK
For [CLIENT_QUALIFICATION] in [OCCUPATION_AND_ANZSCO]:
(a) If qualification IS the formal entry standard (e.g. B.Tech for Software Engineer Tier 1):
- NZQA IQA letter confirming NZQF Level 7+ is necessary for AEWV evidentiary trail
- Without IQA, INZ may default to: "qualification not assessed → can't confirm ANZSCO skill level → Job Check refused"
- Mitigation: NBA / Washington Accord recognition is often accepted in lieu of IQA if employer's legal team confirms
(b) If qualification + experience together demonstrate the skill level (e.g. Software Engineer Tier 1 + 5 years experience):
- Without formal qualification recognition, the experience may substitute
- INZ accepts "5 years of relevant work experience" in lieu of NZQF Level 7 for many occupations
- Document experience with employer letters, payslips, P-60 / Form 16 equivalents, project portfolios
(c) If qualification is foreign and below the ANZSCO skill level (e.g. 3-year Indian B.Com applying for ICT roles):
- High refusal risk
- Mitigation: top-up NZ qualification OR substantial industry certifications (Microsoft, AWS, Cisco) + 8+ years experience
§4 — MEDIAN WAGE COMPLIANCE
Current median wage: NZD 31.61/hour = ~NZD 65,750/year for 40hr week (verify — revised every February)
For [OFFERED_SALARY_NZD]:
- Compute hourly equivalent (assume 40hr standard week unless contract says otherwise)
- Compare against median wage threshold
- Compare against TWICE median wage (for Green List Tier 1 Straight-to-Residence eligibility for some occupations)
- For Sector Agreement occupations, compare against the relevant sector floor
State: ABOVE MEDIAN BY [n]% / BELOW MEDIAN BY [n]% / EXEMPT (Sector Agreement floor).
§5 — JOB CHECK LABOUR MARKET TEST
For STANDARD occupations:
- Employer must advertise the role for at least 21 days
- Advertisement platforms: Trade Me Jobs + SEEK + Indeed (typically two of three)
- Advertisement must include: title, location, wage, hours, qualification + experience requirements
- Must document genuine effort to find a New Zealander or resident-visa-holder before sponsoring AEWV
For GREEN LIST + SECTOR AGREEMENT occupations: labour market test is EXEMPT.
For [OCCUPATION_AND_ANZSCO] classification (from §2): state whether advertising is required.
§6 — EMPLOYER ACCREDITATION TIER
[EMPLOYER_NAME] must be Accredited Employer under Check 1. Tiers:
- Standard accreditation: <5 AEWV migrants per year
- High-volume accreditation: 5+ AEWV migrants per year — higher scrutiny + Settled Migrant Strategy required
- Franchise accreditation: franchise networks
- Triangular accreditation: labour-hire businesses
- Controlling Third Party: where there's a non-employer controlling work direction
For [EMPLOYER_NAME]:
- Confirm accreditation status on INZ Accredited Employer search tool before AEWV lodgement
- If not accredited: employer must apply; AEWV cannot be lodged until accreditation granted
§7 — DOWNSTREAM RESIDENCE PATHWAY
Based on [OCCUPATION_AND_ANZSCO] classification:
- Green List Tier 1 → apply for Resident Visa as soon as 6+ months in role demonstrate genuine employment (or directly via Straight to Residence if qualification + salary thresholds met from day 1)
- Green List Tier 2 → 24 months on AEWV in role → apply for Resident Visa
- Sector Agreement → varies by sector; some have residence pathway after 24-36 months (aged care, dairy farm manager); others don't
- Standard occupation → no automatic residence pathway; SMC six-point system applies — see slot nz-cred-skilled-migrant-iqa-integration
§8 — TIMELINE FOR [CLIENT_NAME]
Build a parallel-workstream timeline:
Week 0: Adviser engaged; [EMPLOYER_NAME] confirms accreditation status
Week 1-2: Employer files Job Check (if STANDARD occupation, advertising starts; runs 21 days)
Week 2-4: NZQA Standard IQA filed (in parallel)
Week 5-7: Job Check approved
Week 5-11: NZQA IQA decision (30 working days target)
Week 11-13: Profession registration filed if required (NCNZ / Engineering NZ / Teaching Council)
Week 8 onwards: AEWV application by [CLIENT_NAME] (Check 3) — typical processing 4-12 weeks
Week 16-20: AEWV granted; arrive in NZ
Year 1-2: Work on AEWV
Post-AEWV: Pathway determined by §7 classification
§9 — EVIDENCE CHECKLIST
For [CLIENT_NAME]'s AEWV file:
[ ] Confirmed accredited employer status of [EMPLOYER_NAME]
[ ] Job Check approval letter (or advertising evidence if STANDARD)
[ ] Employment agreement at NZD [OFFERED_SALARY_NZD]
[ ] [CLIENT_QUALIFICATION] degree certificates + transcripts (sealed)
[ ] NZQA IQA outcome letter (or Exempt List citation)
[ ] Profession body registration (if Green List Tier 1 requires it)
[ ] [YEARS_EXPERIENCE] employment letters from prior employers
[ ] CV showing continuous employment history
[ ] Medical (INZ 1003) + Chest X-ray (INZ 1096) — India is on TB high-prevalence list
[ ] Police Clearance Certificate from India + every country resided 12+ months in last 10 years
[ ] Passport biographical page
[ ] English-language evidence (employment in English / English-medium degree / IELTS / OET)
§10 — RECOMMENDATION
State for [CLIENT_NAME]:
- Occupation classification (Green List Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Sector Agreement / Standard)
- Median wage compliance status
- NZQA IQA priority (mandatory / recommended / not needed)
- Profession registration priority
- Downstream residence pathway
- Overall AEWV viability: GREEN (clear) / AMBER (executable with one risk) / RED (high refusal risk — re-strategise)
End with: "DRAFT — for IAA-licensed immigration adviser review. Verify against the current Green List (immigration.govt.nz/green-list), current Sector Agreement lists, current median wage threshold (revised every February), and current INZ Operations Manual W2 + SM7 before lodgement. Job Check is the highest-failure step in the AEWV chain for Indian clients — advertising compliance, wage justification, and qualification-recognition evidence are dispositive. Plan NZQA IQA in parallel with Job Check filing, not after — saves 4-6 weeks against the AEWV timeline."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt