Essential Skills in Demand Lists

The Essential Skills In Demand Lists are the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL), the Immediate Skill Shortage List (ISSL) and the Canterbury Skill Shortage List (CSSL). 

We use the LTSSL for both temporary work and residence instructions. If you come to work in New Zealand based on meeting the LTSSL requirements, you may be eligible for residence through our Work to Residence (LTSSL) instructions, or the Skilled Migrant Category.

We only use the ISSL for temporary work instructions. If you come to work in New Zealand based on meeting the ISSL requirements, there is no direct link to residence.

If you meet the requirements on the list and in immigration instructions, we will accept that no New Zealanders are available for the position(s). See more about the lists, and the review.

We use the CSSL for temporary work visas under either the Essential Skills instructions or Work to Residence (LTSSL) instructions. The CSSL contains occupations required during the Canterbury rebuild, following recent earthquakes in the region.

You can search the LTSSL or the ISSL individually, or you can search both LTSSL and ISSL lists at once (the CSSL will be excluded from this joint search). (PDF files are also available: LTSSL PDF, ISSL PDF and CSSL PDF)

What if my occupation is not on one of the lists?

If you want to apply for a temporary work visa (or recruit temporary workers from overseas), the occupation does not need to be on one of the lists. The employer must show that they have genuinely searched for suitably qualified and trained New Zealander workers, and we will undertake a labour market test. Alternatively, an employer with Approval in Principle may be able to recruit employers from overseas.