ANZSCO to be replaced by Separate Occupation Lists for Australia and New Zealand

October 8, 2024 – The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), used for visa applications by Immigration New Zealand, will soon be replaced by distinct occupational classification systems for each country.

Statistics New Zealand announced that the new system for New Zealand, called the National Occupation List (NOL), will be introduced on November 20, 2024. This change follows a joint statement by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Statistics New Zealand, citing that the labour markets in both countries have evolved significantly, necessitating separate, comparable frameworks tailored to each nation’s needs.

While New Zealand transitions to the NOL, Immigration New Zealand will continue using ANZSCO and has promised to provide a further update in 2025 once the official switch-over date is confirmed.

ANZSCO, which has been in place since 2006, grades occupations based on skill levels from 1 (most skilled) to 5 (least skilled). The new NOL is expected to modernize and better reflect New Zealand’s evolving labour market demands.