At a glance

The Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) is a list of occupations where there is a persistent shortage of New Zealand workers. It sets the qualification and work experience requirements that an applicant must meet to qualify for a Long Term Skill Shortage List work visa, and it can provide a pathway to residence. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]

Definition

The LTSSL is published as Appendix 4 of the Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual, effective 27 May 2019. The list identifies occupations with an absolute (sustained and ongoing) shortage of skilled workers, as determined by INZ in consultation with Industry New Zealand, relevant industry groups, and unions. It is reviewed annually. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list][WR3.10]

Key occupation groups covered:

• Construction (e.g., Construction Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor, Surveyor)
• Engineering (e.g., Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Civil Engineering Technician)
• Finance / Business (Procurement Manager)
• Health and Social Services (e.g., Clinical Psychologist, General Practitioner, Registered Nurse, Sonographer)
• ICT, Electronics and Telecommunications (e.g., ICT Project Manager, Software Engineer, Database Administrator, ICT Security Specialist)
• Recreation, Hospitality and Tourism (Chef de Partie or higher)
• Science (e.g., Other Spatial Scientist, Food Technologist, Environmental Research Scientist)
• Trades (e.g., Automotive Electrician, Diesel Motor Mechanic, Electrician)

For each occupation, the LTSSL lists one or more qualification requirements—typically a New Zealand bachelor's degree at NZQF Level 7 or above, a Graduate Diploma, or a diploma at Level 6 in a relevant field—and a minimum period of relevant post-qualification work experience. For many health occupations, full registration with the appropriate New Zealand professional body is sufficient to meet the list requirements, and the qualification is provided for reference only. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]

Overseas qualifications must be comparable to the standard of the listed New Zealand qualification. Unless the qualification appears on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (Appendix 3), an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority is required. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]

Engineering degrees accredited under the Washington Accord or Sydney Accord, and IT degrees accredited under the Seoul Accord, may be accepted if they meet the criteria outlined in Note 3 of the appendix. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]

Application in decisions

The LTSSL is used in several immigration pathways:

• Long Term Skill Shortage List work visa instructions (see WR3.10.1)
• Residence instructions for holders of a work visa granted under the LTSSL work instructions (see RW4)
• The Skilled Migrant Category, where an applicant may claim points for skilled employment in an LTSSL occupation (subject to other requirements)

Meeting the LTSSL qualification and experience requirements does not guarantee a visa; all other immigration criteria (health, character, etc.) must still be satisfied. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]

LTSSL work visa eligibility

Applications for a work visa under the Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Instructions must be made on or before 31 October 2021. New applications under this pathway are no longer accepted. [WR3.1]

To have been eligible, an applicant needed to meet all of the following requirements at the time their application was made: [WR3.1]

1. hold an offer of employment in an occupation included on the LTSSL that meets the specifications for that occupation; and
2. be suitably qualified by training and/or experience to undertake the offer of employment, including any specific requirements set out on the LTSSL; and
3. be aged 55 years or under (unless WR3.15.1 applies); and
4. meet the health and character requirements for Residence as set out at A4 and A5; and
5. meet the requirements for bona fide applicants as set out at E5; and
6. meet the requirements for lodging an application as set out in [WR3.15]. [WR3.1]

For the full application checklist, see the Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa page.

Requirements for offers of employment under the LTSSL work instructions

For an offer of employment to be valid under the LTSSL work instructions, it must meet all the requirements set out in WR3.5. Specifically, the offer must be: [WR3.5]

• for employment in New Zealand; [WR3.5]
• for a period of at least 24 months; [WR3.5]
• for full-time employment (on average, at least 30 hours per week); [WR3.5]
• current at the time of assessing the application and at the time of grant of the visa; [WR3.5]
• genuine; [WR3.5]
• accompanied by evidence of full or provisional registration, or eligibility for such registration, if full or provisional registration is required by law to take up the offer; [WR3.5]
• compliant with all relevant employment law in force in New Zealand (including a written employment agreement that contains the necessary statutory specified terms and conditions, meeting holiday and special leave requirements and other minimum statutory criteria, and meeting health and safety obligations); and [WR3.5]
• made by an employer (including any person associated with the employer who is able to influence the recruitment, employment or supervision of workers of that employer) who:
  • has a history of compliance with employment and immigration law; [WR3.5]
  • is not on a list of non-compliant employers maintained by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) (see also W2.10.15, Appendix 10 and Appendix 18); and [WR3.5]
  • has not been convicted at any time of an offence under sections 98 (Dealing in slaves), 98C (Smuggling migrants), or 98D (Trafficking in persons) of the Crimes Act 1961. [WR3.5]

Currency and travel conditions

Applicants granted a LTSSL work visa received a 30-month visa with multiple entry travel conditions. Applicants in New Zealand at the time of grant were allowed stay and multiple entry travel for 30 months from grant. Applicants outside New Zealand were required to make their first entry within three months of the visa being granted, with stay and multiple entry travel for 30 months from first arrival. [WR3.1]

Interpretation & edge cases

• Post-qualification work experience must be gained after the qualification is awarded, and it must be relevant to the occupation. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]
• For occupations that require registration (e.g., medical practitioners, nurses, electricians), holding the specified New Zealand registration dispenses with the need to show the listed qualification, except for the purpose of work visa eligibility under WF4.1. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]
• An applicant holding an accredited engineering or IT degree must ensure the degree was awarded after the country became a signatory to the relevant Accord and appears on the accrediting body's list. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]
• The LTSSL was last published on 27 May 2019. INZ may update the list; advisers should consult the current version on the immigration website. [A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list]
• LTSSL work visa applications closed on 31 October 2021. Applicants who held a LTSSL work visa and subsequently applied for residence under the LTSSL residence pathway (RW4) may still be affected by these instructions. The closure does not affect the use of the LTSSL for points claims under the Skilled Migrant Category. [WR3.1]

Citations

• A-appendix-4-long-term-skill-shortage-list — Appendix 4 - Long Term Skill Shortage List
• WR3.1 — Who is eligible for a work visa under the Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Instructions
• WR3.5 — Requirements for offers of employment
• WR3.10 — Inclusion of occupations on the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL)
• WR3.15 — Making an application for a work visa under the Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Instructions