Hold onto your hard hats, stethoscopes, and coding keyboards — New Zealand just dropped a game-changer for skilled professionals around the globe! In a major update that’s sending shockwaves through international job markets, the New Zealand government has officially expanded its Scarce Skill Shortage Lists for April 2025 onwards, opening doors for thousands of foreign workers to secure work visas and even long-term residency.
Why This Update Matters to You?
This isn’t just another minor list tweak. It’s a massive leap forward for international talent. From healthcare heroes and ICT geniuses to primary sector specialists and environmental experts, this updated shortage list confirms what many already knew: New Zealand is actively hunting for skilled workers — and if you’ve got what they need, they’ll welcome you with open arms (and a visa)!
Let’s dive into the newly expanded lists and find out who qualifies and which visas are up for grabs.
LONG TERM SKILL SHORTAGE LIST (LTSSL) – The Elite Entry
This is New Zealand’s crème de la crème list of urgently needed occupations. If your profession is on this list, you’re eligible for:
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- Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
- Straight to Residence Pathways
- Green List Residence Visa
- Work to Residence Visa
Updated Professions include
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- ICT & Software: Analyst programmers, cybersecurity experts, web developers, system engineers, software testers.
- ️ Engineering: Civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and structural engineers.
- ️ Construction & Trades: Quantity surveyors, construction project managers, diesel mechanics.
- Health & Medicine: Psychiatrists, radiologists, GPs, nurses, sonographers, physiotherapists.
- Telecommunications & Networking: Network administrators, telecom engineers, systems analysts.
If you work in one of these roles, you could be setting foot in New Zealand sooner than you think!
HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SUPPORT ROLES
If you’re in critical care, aged support, or community healthcare, New Zealand needs you yesterday. These roles are vital and now officially recognized on the Personal Carers & Critical Health Workers Scarce List.
Included roles:
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- Aged and disabled carers
- Nursing support and personal care workers
- Mental health and addiction services staff
- Paramedics and ambulance workers
- Technicians maintaining critical medical equipment
- Workers in radiology, laboratories, pharmacies, pathology, oncology, and more!
Bonus: These roles often qualify for fast-tracked work-to-residence pathways due to their urgency.
PRIMARY SECTOR SKILLS – The Green Gold Rush
The Primary Sector Scarce List is a treasure trove for those working in agriculture, farming, food production, aquaculture, and even winemaking. Whether you’re on the land or in the factory, New Zealand’s fertile economy needs your hands and expertise.
In-demand roles include:
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- Agricultural consultants, engineers, and technicians
- Dairy and livestock farmers
- Aquaculture workers, veterinarians, and zookeepers
- Meat process workers, butchers, bakers, and brewers
- Mushroom pickers, fruit and vegetable packers, and winemakers
Fun fact: Love wine or seafood? Why not work in a vineyard or fishery while enjoying NZ’s stunning coasts and countryside?
OCCUPATIONS REQUIRING REGISTRATION – Education & Health Professionals
For professionals needing occupational registration, such as healthcare providers and educators, New Zealand provides clear visa pathways — especially under the Education and Health Registration Scarce List.
Recognized occupations:
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- Teachers (Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, Principals)
- Nurses, midwives, paramedics, and pharmacists
- Chiropractors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists
- Dentists, dental hygienists, dietitians, and medical lab staff
If your degree is internationally recognized and you can register with NZ’s professional bodies — your Kiwi dream just got very real.
What This Means for You – The Path Forward
This update signals New Zealand’s unwavering commitment to attracting skilled global talent. With this revised list, it’s now easier than ever to:
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- Get a job with a registered employer
- Apply for a work visa under the AEWV
- Progress to permanent residency faster
- Bring your family along on dependent visas.
New Updated Scarce Skill Shortage List of New Zealand: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/already-have-a-visa/one-off-residence-visa/2021-resident-visa-scarce-lists/scarcity-list-2014-requiring-occupational-registration-and-in-the-health-or-education-sector.
