Challenges of Navigating ANZSCO

- Written by Zinnia Manchanda, Licensed Immigration Advisor (201600267)

The changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme announced on 7 April 2024 have made ANZSCO a major parameter for assessment of work visas. The ANZSCO skill level decides:

• how long the role must be advertised for
• whether WINZ engagement is needed 
• the requirements applicants will need to meet at the AEWV stage
• duration of the AEWV

The bulk of the changes announced on 7 April 2024 focus on ANZSCO 4 and 5 roles. 

What is ANZSCO? 

It stands for — Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. ANZSCO provides Immigration New Zealand (INZ) with information it needs to check: 

• the skill levels of jobs 

• the qualifications and experience an individual needs to work in those jobs 

Finding the closest ANZSCO code for the role for which the employer is recruiting a migrant depends on 2 factors: 

1. 'Substantial match'
2. 'Suitably qualified'

Substantial match

 A ‘substantial match' requires an employer to look beyond the job title of the role and pay attention to the actual duties performed. A 6-digit ANZSCO code must be found that demonstrates 'substantial consistency' with these duties. It is not just about the duties listed in the job description; the scope of the role should also allow for those duties to be carried out. 

For example, a Retail Manager, as per ANZSCO, is required to organise and control all operations of a retail establishment. However, a retail store that operates under a head office model will have many aspects controlled by that head office, not by the Retail Manager. So, while the candidate may seem to be a Retail Manager on paper, a full assessment of the scope and scale of the role will conclude that they are not a Retail Manager but rather a Retail Supervisor, which is an ANZSCO 4 role. At this level, the policies change significantly.

Suitably qualified

'Suitably qualified' for a job means that the employee's training and experience match the requirements stated for that ANZSCO role. 

For example, an ANZSCO Skill Level 1 role requires that a migrant worker have a relevant bachelor's degree (or higher) or 5 years of relevant work experience as a substitute for the degree. An ANZSCO 2 role may require a Diploma or 3 years of relevant work experience to substitute for it. Each ANZSCO code describes the minimum qualification and/or experience requirements that must be met by the migrant. 

Finding the right code

Due to both these factors, finding the right ANZSCO code can be daunting, especially where some roles can appear substantially consistent with multiple ANZSCO codes. Let us look at some examples: 

• A Warehouse Manager can be matched with a Warehouse Administrator (Skill Level 4) or a Logistics Manager (Skill Level 1). 

• An Engineering Technician (Skill Level 2) can be confused with an Engineer (Skill Level 1). 

• An Office Manager (Skill Level 2) can be downgraded by the immigration officer to a Clerical Worker (Skill Level 5). 

In the above examples, especially where the 'downgrade' results in the role becoming ANZSCO Skill Level 4 or 5, employers can be caught off-guard, as different rules apply to Skill Level 4 and 5 roles regarding job advertising checks and AEWV duration. 

Sometimes finding the right ANZSCO code is quite a straight forward exercise, and other times it can be rather complex. Choosing the wrong one can have significant policy ramifications — such as a job check decline, the need to redo advertising, or additional steps that an employer may not have accounted for, such as WINZ engagement.

A Licensed Immigration Advisor (LIA) who is experienced with ANZSCO can make a huge difference in Job Check and work visa applications, saving you time, energy and costs.

We run regular webinars for employers, HR professionals, and recruiters throughout the year where we simplify immigration policies and key updates and provide handy tips to help better navigate the world of immigration. Register here for our upcoming webinar or the whole series and stay up-to-date with immigration policies important for your people and your business.