New Zealand Long Term Skill Shortage List 2025–2026

What is the New Zealand Long Term Skill Shortage List?

New Zealand's skill shortage lists identify occupations facing an absolute and ongoing shortage — offering fast-track visa pathways and permanent residency options for qualified Pakistani professionals.

The New Zealand Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) is a government tool used by Immigration New Zealand to identify occupations that have an absolute, sustained and ongoing shortage of skilled workers — both within New Zealand and internationally. If your occupation appears on this list, you benefit from streamlined immigration processes and faster access to work visas and permanent residency.

In 2025–2026, New Zealand has made major strategic updates to its skill shortage framework. The traditional LTSSL has been complemented by the Green List — a two-tier system that now forms the primary pathway for skilled migrants. Additionally, the April 2025 expansion of the Scarce Skill Shortage Lists has opened new fast-track visa opportunities across healthcare, technology, engineering, education and agriculture sectors for Pakistani professionals.

For applicants applying under the Skilled Migrant Category, having an occupation, work experience or qualifications in an area on the Long Term Skill Shortage List earns bonus points — significantly improving your chances of receiving an Expression of Interest (EOI) selection.

New Zealand Green List 2025–2026 — Tier 1 & Tier 2

The Green List has replaced the traditional skill shortage lists as the primary immigration tool for skilled workers in New Zealand. It is divided into two tiers — each offering a different visa pathway:

New Zealand Skill Shortage — 2025–2026 Major Updates

New Zealand's April 2025 expansion of its Scarce Skill Shortage Lists opened major new opportunities for Pakistani healthcare workers, engineers, IT professionals, educators and primary sector workers.

• April 2025 — Scarce Skill Shortage Lists Expanded: New Zealand officially expanded its Scarce Skill Shortage Lists from April 2025 — creating new fast-track visa and residency opportunities for thousands of foreign skilled workers across healthcare, ICT, engineering, education, agriculture and more.
• March 2025 — Work Experience Reduced to 2 Years: The minimum work experience required for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and related pathways was reduced from 3 years to 2 years — making NZ immigration accessible to more Pakistani professionals at an earlier stage of their careers.
• November 2025 — National Occupation List (NOL) Introduced: Immigration New Zealand replaced the older ANZSCO classification system with the new National Occupation List (NOL) for AEWV job checks — better reflecting current NZ labour market needs.
• April 2025 — Minimum Wage Increased to NZD $23.50/hr: The NZ minimum wage increased to NZD $23.50/hour in April 2025 and will rise further to NZD $23.95/hour from April 2026 — relevant to salary thresholds for visa eligibility.
• Green List Remains Core Pathway: The Green List (Tier 1 Straight to Residence + Tier 2 Work to Residence) remains the primary immigration pathway for skilled workers in 2025–2026, replacing the older skill shortage lists for new applicants.
• Personal Carers & Critical Health Workers Scarce List Updated: New roles in aged care, community health, critical care and allied health have been added — opening urgent immigration pathways for Pakistani healthcare professionals.

New Zealand In-Demand Occupations 2025–2026

The following sectors contain occupations that are currently in high demand in New Zealand and appear on either the Green List or the expanded Scarce Skill Shortage Lists. Pakistani professionals in these fields have the strongest immigration prospects:

Key Occupations — Green List & LTSSL Classification

Here is a selection of key in-demand occupations and their current classification under New Zealand's immigration system for 2025–2026:

How to Use the Skill Shortage List for NZ Immigration

If your occupation appears on the New Zealand Green List or a Scarce Skill Shortage List, here is how you can benefit:

• Straight to Residence (Tier 1): Apply directly for NZ permanent residence without needing a temporary work visa first. Requires a job offer from an accredited NZ employer and meeting all qualification and registration requirements.
• Work to Residence (Tier 2): Obtain an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), work in NZ for 2 years in your Tier 2 occupation, then apply for permanent residence.
• Skilled Migrant Category Bonus Points: Having an occupation, work experience or qualifications on the Long Term Skill Shortage List earns bonus points in the NZ Skilled Migrant Category points test — boosting your EOI score significantly.
• NZ Registration: For regulated occupations (medicine, nursing, engineering, teaching), obtain New Zealand professional registration. In many cases, NZ registration alone may satisfy the occupational requirement for shortage list eligibility.
• NZQA Assessment: Have your Pakistani qualifications assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to confirm they are comparable to the required NZ qualification level.
• Accredited Employer Job Offer: Secure a job offer from an accredited NZ employer — this is mandatory for both Green List pathways. Immigration Experts can assist in connecting you with the right opportunities.

Important Notes on Qualifications & Registration

Overseas Qualification Assessment (NZQA)

All qualifications listed on the shortage lists (unless specifically exempted) refer to New Zealand qualifications on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). If you hold a Pakistani or overseas qualification, it must be assessed as comparable to the required NZ qualification by NZQA — unless it is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment.

Post-Qualification Work Experience

Where post-qualification work experience is listed as a requirement, it applies to all qualifications listed for that occupation — unless otherwise stated. Experience must be documented with employment letters, payslips or equivalent evidence.

New Zealand Professional Registration

For regulated occupations (doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, etc.), you must hold or be eligible for New Zealand professional registration with the relevant body. In many cases — particularly for doctors and nurses — holding NZ registration may be the only requirement needed for the shortage list pathway.

Engineering New Zealand (EngNZ / IPENZ)

For engineering occupations, a letter, certificate or registration from Engineering New Zealand (formerly IPENZ) confirms your eligibility. A historic letter from IPENZ may also be used to meet the current Engineering New Zealand requirement.

Related New Zealand Immigration Resources

• New Zealand Immigration 2025–2026 — Complete Guide for Pakistanis
• New Zealand Skilled Immigration — Points-Based Visa Guide
• New Zealand Points Calculator — Check Your Immigration Score
• New Zealand Business Visa — Investor & Entrepreneur Guide
• Australian Immigration 2025–2026 — Compare with NZ
• Canadian Immigration — Express Entry & PNP Guide
• Official Immigration New Zealand — All Visa Categories
• Official INZ — Green List Work to Residence Visa
• NZQA — New Zealand Qualifications Authority
• Official LTSSL PDF — Long Term Skill Shortage List