What English score does a New Zealand visa need?

Each table above is copied from one INZ page, listed in the sources. We keep the sets separate rather than merging them into one grid, because INZ does not publish them as one grid and a merged table would invite you to read a number off the wrong row.

The comparison is arithmetic: your overall score against the published minimum. Graded tests — OET — are not compared, because a grade is not a number; the published wording is shown instead.

How long a result lasts

On every page checked, INZ says: your result must be no more than 2 years old at the time you apply.

Meeting the requirement without sitting a test

INZ publishes three routes on the skilled residence and AEWV pages:

• Citizenship of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, together with 5 or more years working or studying in those countries or in Australia or New Zealand.
• A Level 7 bachelor's degree from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, together with 2 or more years studying or resident there.
• A Level 8 or higher postgraduate qualification from those six countries, together with 1 or more year studying or resident there.

The separate “English-speaking background” route

This is a different mechanism and INZ applies it to a named list of visas only: Active Investor Plus, Employees of Relocating Business Resident, Entrepreneur Resident, Religious Worker Resident, Long Term Skill Shortage List Resident, Talent (Accredited Employer) Resident, Talent (Arts, Culture, Sports) Resident, Dependent Child Resident, Parent Resident. It is explicitly not available for skilled residence visas, the AEWV or working holiday visas. The qualifications INZ accepts under it are:

• GCE 'A' levels (Britain or Singapore) — a C pass in English Language or English Literature
• International Baccalaureate — a full diploma taught in English
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English — a C pass
• Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination — a C pass in Use of English
• South African Matriculation — a minimum D pass in English, higher grade

Children

There are no English language requirements for children younger than 16.

What we deliberately do not publish

Student visa English thresholds, NZCEL levels, and C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency scores. INZ does not publish them on the pages linked below, and we would rather leave a gap than fill one from memory. For a student visa, the English requirement is set by the education provider and by INZ’s student visa pages — read those.