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New Zealand India Skilled Work Visa: Jobs, Requirements and Limits
A New Zealand job offer can look attractive until you discover that the visa does not support your family or count towards the residence route you had planned. For Indian professionals considering the India Skilled Work Visa, those decisions matter as much as the occupation list.
This route opened on 20 October 2026. It requires a qualifying offer from an accredited employer before you apply. It is a temporary work visa, not a job-search visa and not a direct residence pathway.
Last updated: 24 October 2026. This guide focuses on choosing and preparing for the skilled route. Our announcement covering both new India work visas explains the wider launch.
Who can use the India Skilled Work Visa?
You must be an Indian citizen with a valid Indian passport and an offer of full-time work in an approved occupation. Your employer must hold accreditation under the Accredited Employer Work Visa framework. The offer must be current and provide at least 30 hours of work each week.
For your first India Skilled Work Visa, you must apply from outside New Zealand. Being Indian, having a relevant degree or working in a shortage occupation is not enough on its own: you need the qualifying offer and must meet the occupation-specific criteria, English, health, character and genuine-intentions requirements.
This route does not fit an applicant who wants to arrive first and search for work, whose offered job is outside the approved list, or who cannot meet the required professional registration or experience. Indian origin without Indian citizenship does not meet the citizenship requirement.
Eligible occupations and the places shared by each group
The skilled route permits up to 4,400 visa holders at any one time. This is not a promise of 4,400 new grants every year. Places are grouped as follows; a shared allocation is not available separately to every occupation in that row.
| Approved jobs | Places for the group |
|---|---|
| Software Engineer; Software and Applications Programmers; ICT Project Manager | 1,000 shared |
| Civil Engineer; Mechanical Engineer; Structural Engineer; Environmental Engineer | 1,000 shared |
| Construction Project Manager; Building Project Manager | 700 shared |
| Primary and Secondary School teacher | 500 |
| Registered Nurse | 900 |
| Physiotherapist | 300 |
The official page records all places as available as of 20 October 2026; it does not establish a live remaining balance for today. Applications are accepted only while places remain. If no places are available, INZ states that the application will not be accepted and the application fee will be refunded.
The separate India Iconic Work Visa has a different occupation list. A chef, yoga instructor, music teacher or AYUSH practitioner should not use this skilled list to establish eligibility.
Qualifications, experience and registration: where profiles differ
| Occupation | Required evidence and qualification pathway |
|---|---|
| Software Engineer / Software and Applications Programmers / ICT Project Manager | A bachelor’s degree in software engineering, engineering or an equivalent degree, and at least five years of work experience in that field. A job title alone is insufficient. |
| Civil / Mechanical / Structural / Environmental Engineer | One of the specified pathways: an accredited initial engineering degree; a Level 8 Bachelor of Engineering with Honours; a Level 7+ qualification with Engineering New Zealand confirmation that the degree and further learning meet the benchmark towards Chartered Professional Engineer status; or New Zealand Chartered Professional Engineer registration. |
| Construction Project Manager | One of the listed engineering/construction qualification or registration pathways. These include Level 8 engineering honours; Level 7 engineering technology or construction; specified Level 7+ bachelor’s or graduate-diploma routes; specified Level 6+ civil/highway/construction qualifications; an Accord-accredited initial civil engineering degree; the specified Engineering New Zealand benchmark letter; or relevant civil-engineering professional registration. |
| Building Project Manager | One of the specified routes: Level 7+ bachelor’s with at least 360-credit equivalence and a quantity-surveying/construction-economics major; a Level 7+ graduate diploma covering construction, construction management or construction project management; or a Level 6+ diploma with at least 240-credit equivalence covering quantity surveying, construction economics, construction management or building. |
| Primary and Secondary School teacher | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand registration and a provisional or full practising certificate. |
| Registered Nurse | Nursing Council of New Zealand registration, a Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent, and at least three years’ experience in the occupation. |
| Physiotherapist | Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand registration, a Bachelor of Physiotherapy or Bachelor of Health Sciences (Physiotherapy) or equivalent, and at least three years’ experience in the occupation. |
The construction routes contain detailed subject, level and credit conditions. A general management qualification should not be treated as equivalent simply because the employment title includes “project manager”. Match transcripts and the actual qualification content to the offered occupation before paying application costs.
Overseas qualifications may require an NZQA International Qualification Assessment. The official guidance identifies exemptions for relevant Washington or Sydney Accord-accredited engineering degrees and qualifications on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment. An exemption from an IQA does not remove the underlying occupational requirements.
English scores required for this visa
| Accepted test | Minimum result |
|---|---|
| IELTS General or Academic | Overall 6.5 |
| TOEFL iBT | Overall 79 |
| PTE Academic | Overall 58 |
| Cambridge B2 First or B2 First for Schools | Overall 176 |
| OET | C+ or higher in all four skills |
Tests must be taken in person at an acceptable test centre. Results must be no more than two years old when you apply; a future test booking is not a result. Professional registration may have its own English rules, so meeting this visa table does not automatically establish eligibility to practise as a nurse, teacher or physiotherapist.
Your employer and job offer need to stand up to scrutiny
The offer, employment agreement and job description should tell a consistent story: your role, duties, pay, hours, work location, employer and duration. Employer accreditation does not turn an unsuitable occupation or an unqualified applicant into an eligible case.
Do not pay an employer or its agent for a job offer. INZ states that an application will be declined if it considers that the applicant or their agent offered or promised money in exchange for the offer. A “guaranteed sponsored job” package is not a substitute for genuine recruitment and a compliant offer.
Family and residence: understand these limits before choosing
You cannot include a partner or dependent children in the India Skilled Work Visa application. They are also not eligible for visas based on their relationship to you under this route. That is different from saying that they are included automatically through a separate application. Any independent visa option requires its own eligibility.
Time worked on this visa cannot be counted as skilled work experience for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, Work to Residence Visa, Transport Work to Residence Visa or Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa. The route itself does not provide a pathway to residence.
If settling with family is your main goal, compare the job against our New Zealand skilled residence pathways and Straight to Residence guidance before choosing a temporary route. A different visa is available only if its own requirements are met.
India Skilled Work Visa or AEWV: which issue changes the decision?
| Planning issue | India Skilled Work Visa | Accredited Employer Work Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Indian citizens in the specified occupation groups; capped concurrent places. | A broader employer-based route, subject to the job and current AEWV requirements. |
| Employer/job | AEWV-accredited employer and qualifying full-time offer. | Accredited employer and an approved job check for the offered job. |
| Length of stay | Up to three years in total under the India skilled/iconic routes. | Up to five years depending on the job and applicable conditions; some jobs have a shorter maximum. |
| Family | No relationship-based family visas through this route. | May allow support for partner/children’s visas, subject to separate conditions. |
| Residence planning | Specified skilled-work experience on this visa cannot be counted for the listed residence routes. | May fit a residence pathway if all requirements of that residence category are met; no automatic PR. |
The job, family plan and intended length of stay should drive the comparison. Our Accredited Employer Work Visa page explains the alternative employer-based route. Moving between visa types is not a fresh clock: time on the India Skilled Work Visa also counts towards the permitted stay on AEWV, Peak Seasonal and India Iconic routes, and time outside New Zealand may be required.
Documents and the application stages
- Indian passport, acceptable photograph and identity evidence.
- Signed job offer, employment agreement and a job description consistent with the approved occupation.
- Qualifications and transcripts, plus an IQA where required and occupational registration evidence.
- Independent employment evidence such as employment certificates, payslips or tax records; a self-written account is not enough.
- Acceptable English result, required medical/chest X-ray evidence and police certificates where applicable.
- Certified English translations together with the original-language documents where required.
The practical order is: obtain the qualifying offer; establish occupation, employer and qualification eligibility; prepare the evidence; then submit the completed INZ application form and supporting documents with the required fee and levy. The official application form is INZ 1402. This is not an invitation draw and there is no application that reserves a job for you.
You must wait for the decision and comply with the conditions granted. The visa is tied to the named job, employer and location. A change requires the appropriate variation or job-change approval; it is not unrestricted permission to work anywhere.
Fees, timing and the three-year limit
INZ displays a starting visa cost of NZD 1,355. The payable amount and submission arrangements depend on the applicable fee conditions. Medical examinations, police certificates, translations, English testing, qualification assessments and professional registration can add separate costs. Peerless professional fees are separate from government charges.
No processing-time figure was displayed for this new route in the official information retrieved for this guide. We therefore do not quote a fixed turnaround or apply the AEWV processing estimate to this visa. Do not make non-refundable relocation commitments on an assumed decision date.
The grant length depends on the offer, with a maximum of three years across one or more India Skilled Work Visas. Time on an India Iconic Work Visa counts towards that maximum too. A shorter grant can be followed by a further application for the remaining allowed time. After the three-year maximum, at least three years outside New Zealand are required before another India Skilled or Iconic Work Visa.
Mistakes that can undermine an otherwise suitable profile
- Applying with an occupation that sounds similar but is outside the specified list.
- Treating a group allocation as a separate quota for each job or as guaranteed annual grants.
- Relying on designation alone instead of qualifications, duties and independently supported experience.
- Assuming Indian professional registration replaces New Zealand registration.
- Paying for an offer, submitting inconsistent employment evidence or using an expired English result.
- Choosing the route on the assumption that it automatically brings family or builds the specified residence work experience.
How Peerless Immigration Services can help
Peerless Immigration Services can review your offered role, qualification and experience evidence, identify registration or NZQA assessment dependencies, and compare the India Skilled route with AEWV and relevant residence planning. We can help organise the documentary case and explain the practical consequences for your family before you commit.
New Zealand immigration advice and application support are coordinated with our licensed New Zealand immigration adviser where required. We do not sell job offers or guarantee employment, visa approval or residence.
Explore Your New Zealand Options
Call +91-8595010514 or email info@peerlessimmigration.com.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a New Zealand job offer before applying?
Yes. You need a current full-time offer in an approved occupation from an AEWV-accredited employer, for at least 30 hours a week. The visa does not let you enter first and search for a job.
Which occupations qualify?
The approved groups cover the specified ICT, engineering, construction project management, school teaching, registered nursing and physiotherapy jobs listed above. Each group has its own qualification, experience or registration requirements; the list is not a general shortage-occupation list.
Does the India Skilled Work Visa lead to residence?
The route itself does not provide a residence pathway. Work on this visa cannot be used as skilled work experience for SMC, Work to Residence, Transport Work to Residence or Care Workforce Work to Residence. Any other residence option requires separate eligibility.
Can my spouse and children come through this visa?
They cannot be included in your application and are not eligible for visas based on their relationship to you through this route. Family planning is therefore a key reason to compare other eligible visa options before choosing it.
Are the 4,400 places annual grants, and is a place guaranteed?
No. The cap is up to 4,400 holders at any one time, divided among occupation groups. Eligibility does not guarantee a place, a decision or a job. Applications are accepted only while places are available.
Can I extend the visa or switch to AEWV after three years?
A shorter grant can be followed by a further application for the balance of the three-year limit. After that maximum, another India Skilled or Iconic visa requires at least three years outside New Zealand. An AEWV is not an automatic extension: its eligibility and maximum-stay rules apply, and the India Skilled time counts towards the relevant stay calculation.
