The official IELTS by IDP app is here! Download it today.

Close

Minimum IELTS score to work in New Zealand and get PR in 2023

IELTS score to work in New Zealand and get PR - NZ1 - SEA

New Zealand has always been a choice destination for students and working professionals looking to pursue their educational and career goals there.

Thanks to its beautiful natural beauty, rich heritage, and home to renowned universities , the demand for getting PR and establishing a life in New Zealand is high.

To qualify for a New Zealand work and PR visa, you will need to prove your English language proficiency as part of your application.

Thankfully, you can do this with the IELTS test.

Read on to learn more about the IELTS score requirements that you need to attain.

Getting a PR in New Zealand

While getting a PR might be your end goal, you’ll need to have spent at least 2 years living in New Zealand before you can be considered.

However, there are multiple paths you can take to work toward permanent residency.

The first is the academic path, which allows you to progress towards a post-study work visa where you can then stay in New Zealand for up to 3 years.

The second route is through the various work categories such as the skilled migrant and business categories.

To study in New Zealand

In order to study in New Zealand, you’ll have to obtain a Fee Paying Student Visa and submit proof of an offer or confirmation of enrolment from an approved institution.

There isn’t an explicit need to prove your English proficiency for your student visa application, but it is still necessary to get enrolled in a course in a New Zealand institution.

This means that while attaining an overall IELTS academic band score of a minimum of 5.5 is essential, a score of 6.0 is recommended for entry to the majority of New Zealand’s universities and courses .

IELTS score to work in New Zealand and get PR -NZ2 - SEA

IELTS scores to work and attain New Zealand PR in 2023

Postgraduate study visa

If you graduated from an approved New Zealand institution, you’ll be able to apply for a post-study work visa  that allows you to stay in New Zealand for 1, 2 or 3 years.

This gives you time and flexibility to work in almost any job and for any employer in New Zealand, and start working your way up to the 2-year mark for PR application.

There is no need to prove your English proficiency as it would already be considered in your Fee Paying Student Visa.

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

Under the skilled migrant category, you’ll be able to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely and work your way up to permanent residency.

As part of your application, you’ll need to attain an overall IELTS score of 6.5 or more from either the General or Academic test.

It is recommended that you also attain an individual IELTS score of 6.5 for each of the individual components.

Entrepreneur Work Visa

As part of your application for the entrepreneur work visa, you will have to attain a minimum overall IELTS test score of 4.0 or more.

You can take either the IELTS academic or general test as well.

Residence From Work Visa

Once you have been working in New Zealand for two years, you can apply for residence status under the Residence From Work category.

In order to do so, you will need to obtain an IELTS overall score of 5.0 or more in either the general or academic test.

The Residence From Work visa is equivalent to a PR and allows you to:

  • Live in New Zealand as a resident for as long as you like

  • Leave and return to New Zealand whenever and as often as you want

  • Access most publicly funded services

Parent Resident Visa

If you are a parent of a child who lives in New Zealand or is a New Zealand citizen who earns enough and agrees to sponsor you, you will be able to live in New Zealand permanently as well.

You will still need to take the IELTS general or academic test and attain an overall band score of 5.0 and above, as well as a score of 4.0 or more in at least 2 of the 4 skills (Listening, reading, writing, and speaking)

It is important to note that your test result must be no more than 2 years old at the time of your application.

For more details on available visas, visit New Zealand’s immigration website  to identify the right one for you. 

IELTS score to work in New Zealand and get PR- NZ3- SEA

Pursue your career and PR in New Zealand with IDP

Ready to embark on your journey to work and live in New Zealand?

At IDP, we help students and professionals take the first step by helping them sit for IELTS.

Here’s how we can help you effectively prepare  and why IDP is the best choice for passing your IELTS test!

Book your IELTS test with IDP today .