MAJOR    IMMIGRATION     UPDATE (AEWV ALERT)

 New Occupations Now Recognised   Under NOL — Check If You Qualify

 Immigration New Zealand has officially updated Appendix 20 – National Occupation List (NOL).

 This update can directly affect your AEWV eligibility, skill classification, and visa pathway.

  If your role appears below, your job may now qualify under Accredited Employer Work Visa rules  —   if       assessed as a substantial match.

 WHY THIS UPDATE MATTERS

  Most applicants focus only on job titles.

  Immigration doesn’t.

  They assess:

  • duties
  • responsibilities
  • technical level
  • industry context

 Meaning:

  A correct occupation match can strengthen your visa outcome.
  A mismatch can lead to refusal.

 NEWLY RECOGNISED NOL   OCCUPATIONS

 Skill Level 1 (Highest Priority Roles)

  High-level specialists and leadership positions:

  • 132314 — Chief Remote Officer
  • 132418 — Chief Sustainability Officer
  • 141113 — Head Chef / Executive Chef
  • 223312 — Organic Conservation Specialist
  • 232114 — Building Information Modeller
  • 232416 — Accessible Format Specialist
  • 253115 — Physician Associate
  • 261214 — Virtual Reality Specialist
  • 261215 — Augmented Reality Specialist
  • 261331 — Enterprise Architect
  • 511113 — Joinery Manager
  • 511114 — Joinery Project Manager
  • 512112 — Chief of Staff
  • 512113 — Executive Assistant (CEO/Board Level)

 Skill Level 2 (Skilled Technical &   Professional Roles)

  • 311115 — Wine Laboratory Technician
  • 312914 — CAD Draftsperson
  • 312915 — Biomedical Technician
  • 312916 — Environmental Engineering Technician
  • 312923 — Reinforcing / Structural Steel Detailer
  • 313114 — Digital Imaging Technician
  • 311423 — Environmental Technician
  • 351314 — Chef de Partie
  • 362215 — Urban Forester
  • 362412 — Nursery Production Leading Hand
  • 399521 — Videographer
  • 411115 — Emergency Medical Technician
  • 411717 — Aged Care Coordinator
  • 451312 — Embalmer
  • 452221 — Skydiving Instructor (Solo)
  • 452222 — Tandem Skydiving Master / Instructor
  • 512114 — Administrative Professional
  • 512212 — Accounting Practice Manager
  • 512213 — Legal Practice Manager

 Skill Level 3 (Technical, Trade &   Specialist Roles)

  • 312926 — Lifting Equipment Technician
  • 323115 — Launch Technician – Mechanical
  • 331113 — Concreter (Commercial)
  • 312117 — Energy Assessor
  • 351311 — Other Chef
  • 351313 — Demi Chef de Partie
  • 423127 — Peer Support Worker
  • 452416 — Ski Patroller
  • 711316 — Timber Machinist
  • 712925 — Senior Timber Treatment Plant Operator
  • 721113 — Agrichemical Spraying Operator
  • 721115 — Advanced Agricultural & Horticultural Mobile Plant Operator
  • 831123 — Ice Cream (Process Control) Machine Operator
  • 831215 — Meat Boner / Meat Cutter
  • 841526 — Beef Cattle Farm Supervisor
  • 899924 — Site Traffic Management Supervisor (STMS)

 

 IMPORTANT NOTE:

 Job Title ≠ Qualification

  To be recognised, Your role must be a substantial match

 

 WHO SHOULD CHECK THIS   UPDATE IMMEDIATELY

  You should review this if you are:

  • planning an AEWV application
  • you are an AEWV holder planning to bring your family to New Zealand

 

 REALITY MOST APPLICANTS   MISS

 Many refusals happen because:

  Applicants choose the wrong occupation classification — not because they are unqualified.

  Correct classification is often the difference between:
  approval vs refusal

 

 NEXT STEP (SMART   APPLICANTS DO THIS)

 Before applying:

👉 verify your occupation match
👉 check your skill level classification
👉 confirm eligibility pathway

  Want help assessing your role against the official NOL list?
👉 Book an Eligibility & Risk Review before lodging your visa.