National Occupation List (NOL) skill level 1–3 occupations
Lists occupations at skill levels 1–3 recognised under Accredited Employer instructions, subject to substantial match assessment.
- Status
- active
- Updated
- 2026-04-30
- Also known as
- NOLAppendix 20National Occupation List
- Sources
- A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3E7.8
National Occupation List (NOL) skill level 1–3 occupations for Accredited Employer instructions
At a glance
Immigration instructions refer to the National Occupation List (NOL) as a classification of occupations. As a transitional measure, officers must assess against the current version of the NOL provided by Statistics New Zealand. [E7.8] For Accredited Employer (AEWV) instructions, the skill level 1–3 occupations are listed in Appendix 20, and an immigration officer must be satisfied that the applicant’s role is a substantial match for the listed NOL occupation. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
Definition
The National Occupation List (NOL) is a classification of occupations maintained by Statistics New Zealand and referenced in immigration instructions. Where instructions refer to the NOL, immigration officers must use the current version as a transitional measure. [E7.8] For Accredited Employer work visa applications, the NOL is used with a list of skill level 1–3 occupations set out in Appendix 20, effective from 09/03/2026. An applicant’s occupation can be assessed against that list only if the officer finds a substantial match between the job offered and the corresponding NOL occupation. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
Application in decisions
In any immigration decision where instructions refer to the National Occupation List, the immigration officer must rely on the current version as published by Statistics New Zealand. [E7.8] When processing an Accredited Employer Work Visa application, the immigration officer consults the Appendix 20 list to determine whether the offered role can be recognised at a particular skill level. If a substantial match is established, the occupation is treated as being at the indicated skill level for the purpose of the instructions. If the match is not substantial, the officer must assess the role under other applicable criteria. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
Interpretation & edge cases
- The phrase “substantial match” is not defined in this appendix; it follows a similar approach to the ANZSCO substantial match test used elsewhere in immigration instructions, focusing on alignment of core tasks and responsibilities. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
- The reference to the current version of the NOL is a transitional measure; officers must monitor updates published by Statistics New Zealand. [E7.8]
- This page focuses on the Accredited Employer skill level 1–3 list; other instructions may refer to the NOL for different purposes, and in all cases officers must use the current Stats NZ version. [E7.8]
- The list includes newly listed occupations (e.g. Chief Remote Officer, Building Information Modeller, various joinery roles) that were not previously recognised in earlier versions. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
- Occupations range across skill levels 1, 2 and 3, with most at level 1 or 3. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
- This appendix applies exclusively under WA Accredited Employer instructions; it is not automatically valid for other visa categories unless expressly cross‑referenced. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
- The previous version of the list (03/11/2025) is superseded. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
NOL skill level 1–3 occupations (effective 09/03/2026)
| NOL Code | Occupation | Skill Level |
|---|---|---|
| 132314 | Chief Remote Officer | 1 |
| 132418 | Chief Sustainability Officer | 1 |
| 141113 | Head Chef/Executive Chef | 1 |
| 223312 | Organic Conservation Specialist | 1 |
| 232114 | Building Information Modeller | 1 |
| 232416 | Accessible Format Specialist | 1 |
| 253115 | Physician Associate | 1 |
| 261214 | Virtual Reality (VR) Specialist | 1 |
| 261215 | Augmented Reality (AR) Specialist | 1 |
| 261331 | Enterprise Architect | 1 |
| 272126 | Consumer Advisor | 3 |
| 311113 | Irrigation Technician | 3 |
| 311115 | Wine Laboratory Technician | 2 |
| 311417 | Calibration Technician | 3 |
| 311418 | Drug and Alcohol Tester | 3 |
| 312914 | CAD draftsperson | 2 |
| 312915 | Biomedical Technician | 2 |
| 312916 | Environmental Engineering Technician | 2 |
| 312917 | Wind Turbine Technician | 3 |
| 312918 | Geothermal Technician | 3 |
| 312921 | Non Destructive Testing Technician | 3 |
| 312922 | Irrigation Performance Assessor | 3 |
| 312923 | Reinforcing/Structural Steel Detailer | 2 |
| 312924 | Cabinetry CAD Drawer | 3 |
| 312925 | Joinery Detailer | 3 |
| 312926 | Lifting Equipment Technician | 3 |
| 313114 | Digital Imaging Technician | 2 |
| 311423 | Environmental Technician | 2 |
| 321112 | Electric Vehicle Mechanic or Technician | 3 |
| 321215 | Bicycle Technician | 3 |
| 323114 | Vehicle Integration Technician | 3 |
| 323115 | Launch Technician - Mechanical | 3 |
| 323216 | Agricultural Equipment Technician | 3 |
| 323217 | Heavy Equipment Technician | 3 |
| 323218 | CNC Programmer - Solid Timber Joinery | 3 |
| 323221 | Senior Fleet Tyre Technician | 3 |
| 331113 | Concreter (Commercial) | 3 |
| 312117 | Energy Assessor | 2 |
| 331215 | Joinery Site Joiner | 3 |
| 331217 | Joinery Installer | 3 |
| 333312 | Waterproofer | 3 |
| 351311 | Other Chef | 3 |
| 351313 | Demi Chef de Partie | 3 |
| 351314 | Chef de Partie | 2 |
| 351315 | Sous Chef | 2 |
| 361116 | Animal Trainer | 3 |
| 362215 | Urban Forester | 2 |
| 362412 | Nursery Production Leading Hand | 2 |
| 393214 | Milliner | 3 |
| 394112 | Cabinetry Installer | 3 |
| 394215 | Joinery Machinist | 3 |
| 394216 | Joinery Technician | 3 |
| 394217 | Joinery Practitioner - Generalist | 3 |
| 394218 | Joinery Finisher | 3 |
| 399518 | Performing Arts, Entertainment and Events Technician | 3 |
| 399521 | Videographer | 2 |
| 399522 | Foley Artist | 2 |
| 399921 | Fibre Composite Technician | 3 |
| 399922 | Electronic Security System and Alarm Technician | 3 |
| 399923 | Snowsport Equipment Technician | 3 |
| 411115 | Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) | 2 |
| 411717 | Aged Care Coordinator | 2 |
| 411718 | Dementia Navigator | 3 |
| 423124 | Dementia Homeshare Coordinator | 3 |
| 423125 | Support Worker (Mental Health and Addiction) | 3 |
| 423126 | Health Coach | 3 |
| 423127 | Peer Support Worker | 3 |
| 431312 | Senior Gaming Worker | 3 |
| 431413 | Concierge | 3 |
| 431914 | Winery Senior Cellar Hand | 3 |
| 451312 | Embalmer | 2 |
| 451313 | Crematorium Technician | 3 |
| 452114 | Personal Trainer | 3 |
| 452218 | Adventure Tourism Operator | 3 |
| 452221 | Skydiving Instructor (Solo) | 2 |
| 452222 | Tandem Skydiving Master/Instructor | 2 |
| 452326 | Tennis Coach - Performance | 3 |
| 452415 | Athlete | 3 |
| 452416 | Ski Patroller | 3 |
| 511113 | Joinery Manager | 1 |
| 511114 | Joinery Project Manager | 1 |
| 512112 | Chief of Staff | 1 |
| 512113 | Executive Assistant (CEO/Board Level) | 1 |
| 512114 | Administrative Professional | 2 |
| 512212 | Accounting Practice Manager | 2 |
| 512213 | Legal Practice Manager | 2 |
| 711115 | Production Supervisor, Clay, Concrete, Glass and Stone Processing | 3 |
| 711315 | Production Supervisor, Paper, Pulp and Wood Processing | 3 |
| 711316 | Timber Machinist | 3 |
| 711517 | Production Supervisor, Plastics and Rubber Production | 3 |
| 711717 | Production Supervisor, Textile and Footwear Production | 3 |
| 711915 | Hazardous Materials Removalist | 3 |
| 712214 | Horizontal Direction Drilling Worker | 3 |
| 712312 | CNC Operator - Solid Timber Joinery | 3 |
| 712925 | Senior Timber Treatment Plant Operator | 3 |
| 721113 | Agrichemical Spraying Operator | 3 |
| 721114 | Groundspread Nutrient Applicator | 3 |
| 721115 | Advanced Agricultural and Horticultural Mobile Plant Operator | 3 |
| 731113 | Oversize Load Pilot Escort | 3 |
| 811212 | Power Wash Technician | 3 |
| 821413 | Solar Installer | 3 |
| 821715 | Rope Access Technician | 3 |
| 821716 | Load Lifting Rigger (Rope Fabrication) | 3 |
| 831122 | Production Supervisor, Food and Drink Processing | 3 |
| 831123 | Ice Cream (Process Control) Machine Operator | 3 |
| 831215 | Meat Boner/Meat Cutter | 3 |
| 831314 | Production Supervisor, Meat Processing | 3 |
| 831315 | Production Supervisor, Poultry Processing | 3 |
| 831316 | Production Supervisor, Seafood Processing | 3 |
| 832116 | Horticulture Post-Harvest Supervisor | 3 |
| 832117 | Horticulture Post-Harvest Leading Hand | 1 |
| 841112 | Aquaculture Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841218 | Field Crop Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841221 | Outdoor Crop Production Supervisor | 3 |
| 841222 | Fruit Production Supervisor | 3 |
| 841223 | Indoor Crop Production Supervisor | 3 |
| 841224 | Vineyard Supervisor | 3 |
| 841226 | Mixed Crop Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841227 | Fruit Production Leading Hand | 1 |
| 841228 | Indoor Crop Production Leading Hand | 1 |
| 841231 | Outdoor Crop Leading Hand | 1 |
| 841314 | Forestry Supervisor | 3 |
| 841317 | Silviculture Operator | 3 |
| 841413 | Nursery Production Supervisor | 3 |
| 841521 | Mixed Livestock Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841526 | Beef Cattle Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841527 | Sheep Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841531 | Other Livestock Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841532 | Poultry Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841533 | Senior Piggery Stockperson | 3 |
| 841612 | Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Supervisor | 3 |
| 841918 | Irrigation Manager | 3 |
| 899416 | Senior Tyre Technician | 3 |
| 899924 | Site Traffic Management Supervisor (STMS) | 3 |
This table reflects the occupations listed in Appendix 20, effective 09/03/2026. [A-appendix-20-national-occupation-list-nol-skill-level-1-to-3]
Citations
N1 Objective
Sets out the objective of Transit Visa instructions and the obligations of transit passengers, including consequences of non-compliance.
Netherlands – Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (Appendix 3)
Lists Netherlands qualifications exempt from NZQA assessment for Skilled Migrant Category residence and some work visa applications under Appendix 3.