Occupation Registration

People working in some occupations/professions in New Zealand are required by law to be registered with the professional body of their occupation. Most often registration is required in medical and health occupations but it also applies to a range of business and trade occupations. You will only gain points for qualifications required for these occupations or employment in these occupations if you can prove you have either full or provisional registration.

Occupations requiring registration

In New Zealand registration is required by law in order to undertake employment as one of the following:

Note: Psychologist – (this applies only if the principal applicant is claiming points for an offer of employment in the State sector or in an institution licensed under the Mental Health Act 1992).

Effect on points for qualifications
  1. This section applies to principal applicants whose recognised qualification is required for employment in one of the occupations listed above.
  2. Such qualifications only qualify for points if the principal applicant:
    1. provides evidence of full registration in that occupation in New Zealand (if full registration is required to practise in New Zealand), or provisional registration (if only provisional registration is required to practise in New Zealand); or
    2. has current skilled employment or an offer of skilled mployment in an occupation that does not require registration; or
    3. has post-qualification work experience in an occupation for which registration is not required in New Zealand, and were employed in that occupation for the same or a greater period of time than in an occupation for which registration is required by law in New Zealand.

Note: For teachers, ‘provisional’ registration includes both ‘provisional’ and ‘subject to confirmation’ registration. For medical practitioners, ‘probationary’ registration is considered to be ‘provisional’ registration.

Effect on points for skilled employment

If a principal applicants qualifications are affected by registration requirements, the principal applicant’s current skilled employment or offer of skilled employment in New Zealand will only qualify for points if the principal applicant:

  1. provides evidence of full or provisional registration in New Zealand, if full or provisional registration is required by law in New Zealand to undertake that employment; or
  2. has current skilled employment or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand in an occupation that does not require registration.

New Zealand Occupational Registration Bodies

  1. Architects Education and Registration Board# Dental Technicians Board
  2. Dental Council of New Zealand
  3. Electrical Workers Registration Board
  4. Engineers Registration Board
  5. Medical Council of New Zealand
  6. Nursing Council of New Zealand
  7. New Zealand Law Society
  8. Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand
  9. Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand
  10. Plumbers, Gas fitters and Drain layers Board
  11. Real Estate Agents Licensing Board
  12. Registration Boards Secretariat
  13. The Survey Board of New Zealand Office of the Surveyor-General Land Information New Zealand
  14. New Zealand Teachers Council
  15. Veterinary Council of New Zealand

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