Australia and New Zealand have introduced new occupation classifications to issue visas to foreign workers.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics and Statistics New Zealand announced on October 8 that both countries would introduce tailored occupational classification while maintaining comparability, the Statistics Department of New Zealand said.
The proposed changes will be effective November 20, 2024, in New Zealand.
The new Australian classification is known as the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA), 2024, version 1.0, and will be introduced on December 6, 2024.
Previously, the classification was specified by the joint Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).
The joint Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) was started in 2006. However, according to the Statistics Department of New Zealand, since the labour markets in these countries have changed, a separate classification was needed.
The department said the decision for separate classification was mutual, citing Australian Statistician Dr David Gruen and New Zealand Government Statistician Mark Sowden.
“Comparability with Australia is crucial, and this will be maintained as we introduce a New Zealand-focussed list, with the benefit of reflecting our modern labour market. Equally, our Trans-Tasman mutual recognition of accreditation remains unchanged,” Sowden said.
“Joint management of the occupation classification has served both countries well. With the increased diversity in the Australian and New Zealand labour markets, this is no longer the case. Having an occupation classification that reflects the contemporary Australian labour market is critical while ensuring that Trans-Tasman comparisons can continue,” Dr Gruen said.
On October 8, New Zealand replaced it with the National Occupation List and later released an updated version on October 11.
The National Occupation List (NOL) is an independent New Zealand-focused occupation classification.
According to the Statistics Department of New Zealand, the following changes have been made to New Zealand’s updated classification.
- A new column D is added, consisting of information on proposed skill levels.
2. It has removed the 311222 ECG technician category.
3. According to the new classification, the code for medical pre-analytical technicians is from 311223 to 311222.
4. The code for clinical perfusionist has been changed from 311224 to 311223.
5. It has removed 411313 Dementia Navigator, as it was a duplicate of 411718.