Engineering jobs
in New Zealand

For workers

For engineers, the paper trail is the work. The Green List reads your degree against named international accords, and Engineering New Zealand can check that for you. Start that check early, because it feeds into both your visa and, in some jobs, your registration.

Visas that can fit

• Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). You need a full-time offer from an accredited employer with an approved Job Check. Unless the job is on the Green List and you meet its conditions, INZ looks for 2 years of relevant experience or a New Zealand level 4 or higher qualification (INZ AEWV page, checked 7 November 2026).
• Green List, Tier 1 (Straight to Residence). In the Appendix 13 version dated 9 March 2026, Tier 1 included civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and electronics engineers, and also materials, geotechnical, industrial, production or plant, aeronautical, environmental and naval architect or marine designer engineers. The listed condition was one of: a Washington Accord degree, a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (level 8), a level 7 or higher qualification with an Engineering New Zealand letter, or New Zealand CPEng registration. INZ says you must be aged 55 or younger when you apply (Straight to Residence Visa).
• Engineering technicians. Civil, electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering technicians were also Tier 1, each with its own list of accepted diplomas and degrees, or CPEng or Engineering Technologist registration in that field.
• Other routes. Partner, student and residence options are in our work visa guide and residence guide.

Registration, licences and English

• Do you need to be registered? Engineering New Zealand says you do not have to be registered to work here as an engineer, but some job types require it (Engineering New Zealand, working in New Zealand).
• CPEng. Chartered Professional Engineer registration is run by the Registration Authority. Engineering New Zealand says it involves having your competence assessed against an internationally recognised standard and showing New Zealand-specific knowledge. It is one of the routes the Green List names.
• Credential check. Engineering New Zealand checks whether your qualification is accredited under the Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accord, or is a recognised equivalent. It says processing takes 7 to 10 business days after payment and the check is free for members. A letter from them is what INZ may ask for. You may also need NZQA to place your qualification on the New Zealand framework.
• Electrical engineers. Engineering New Zealand says you may need registration and a practising licence from the Electrical Workers Registration Board. Its page for overseas-trained applicants is the place to start.
• English. For an AEWV, English must be shown for jobs at skill level 4 or 5, and, since 1 June 2026, skill level 3 as well (INZ, 25 May 2026). Exempt from the level 3 rule: an AEWV expiring on or before 1 December 2026 when you apply for a further level 3 AEWV, people who already gave English evidence in an earlier AEWV application, Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa applications, and Job Change applications (same INZ news item). Ask how your role is graded, since technician and professional jobs can differ.

How to find jobs

• Search INZ's accredited employer list for consultancies, contractors and manufacturers. Only an accredited employer can support an AEWV.
• Join Engineering New Zealand if it suits you. It says you do not need New Zealand experience to join, and members get the credential check free.
• Check each employer against the stand-down lists from INZ and Employment New Zealand.
• Ask whether the role is one that must be done by a registered engineer. That decides whether the registration clock starts before or after you land.

Common mistakes

• Handing money to anyone for a job offer. Job offer scams are common — check with INZ before paying anyone.
• Leaving the credential check until after the job offer. A degree outside the accord lists may need the Engineering New Zealand letter route, and that takes time.
• Assuming a Green List place makes registration unnecessary. They are separate questions.
• Mixing up engineer and technician. The Green List treats them as separate occupations with separate conditions.

For employers

Engineering firms follow the standard three steps: accreditation, a Job Check for each role, then the worker's visa. The specialist part is describing the role precisely enough that it matches an engineering occupation, and noting whether the work requires a registered engineer.

• Accreditation. Standard accreditation covers up to 5 migrants and high-volume accreditation 6 or more, for 12 months. Have your NZ Business Number, industry code and IRD number ready (INZ process page).
• Job Check. Apply within 90 days of an advertisement closing. A Job Check lasts 6 months or until accreditation ends, and one application can cover several identical positions.
• Pay. Since 10 March 2025 no median wage threshold applies to the AEWV. The floor is the minimum wage, $23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026, and you must pay the market rate for the job. The Tier 1 engineering entries we read had degree or registration conditions rather than a pay line.
• Registration duties. If the work needs a registered engineer or an Electrical Workers Registration Board licence, tell the candidate before the offer and allow time for it.
• Obligations. Do not pass recruitment costs on to the worker, and give them information about living and working in New Zealand.

We help firms with the first accreditation and with later Job Checks. Employer accreditation service →