Fourteen occupations, including chef, baker and cafe or restaurant manager, are on the SMC amber list from 24 August 2026. The exact extra requirements, the wage rates, and how to plan the 5 years of New Zealand experience.
Written by Inder Singh, Principal Adviser & Founder and Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 201301110).
Fourteen occupations are on the Skilled Migrant Category amber list from 24 August 2026, and they include some of New Zealand’s largest migrant workforces: chefs, bakers, pastrycooks, cafe and restaurant managers, hotel managers, ICT support roles and office managers. Amber list roles can still reach residence through the new Skilled Work Experience pathway, but on stricter terms: you must currently be paid at least 1.2 times the SMC wage threshold, and all five years of qualifying experience must be in New Zealand.
The amber list is one of two occupation lists introduced with the 2026 SMC reform to manage immigration risk in specific occupations (immigration.govt.nz). Unlike the red list, whose 6 roles are excluded from the new pathways entirely, amber list roles keep access to the Skilled Work Experience pathway with additional requirements. Both lists, plus the full Trades and Technician table, are side by side in our occupation lists overview.
| ANZSCO code | Amber list occupation |
|---|---|
| 141999 | Accommodation and Hospitality Manager nec |
| 141311 | Hotel or Motel Manager |
| 431411 | Hotel Service Manager |
| 141911 | Bed and Breakfast Operator |
| 141211 | Caravan Park and Camping Ground Manager |
| 141111 | Cafe or Restaurant Manager |
| 351311 | Chef |
| 351111 | Baker |
| 351112 | Pastrycook |
| 149212 | Customer Service Manager |
| 512111 | Office Manager |
| 313112 | ICT Customer Support Officer |
| 313199 | ICT Support Technicians nec |
| 313113 | Web Administrator |
The pattern is deliberate: accommodation and food service management, kitchen trades, and generalist support roles, the occupations where INZ found evidence of role inflation and immigration fraud in past years (immigration.govt.nz).
To use the Skilled Work Experience pathway with an amber list job or job offer, INZ requires all three of the following (immigration.govt.nz):
That is 5 years of New Zealand experience in total, with the 1.2x rate applying to your current pay and to the 2-year skilled component. Self-employment cannot count as relevant work experience (immigration.govt.nz).
The amber five-year clock
Amber list roles qualify for the Skilled Work Experience pathway through five years of New Zealand experience, split into two blocks with different pay rules.
5 years of New Zealand work experience
All in NZ
Plus a pay floor at the finish line. When you apply, your current job must pay at least 1.2 times the SMC wage threshold, NZD $42.00 per hour from 9 March 2026. Rates are reviewed annually, so confirm the current figure with INZ before relying on it.
All five years in New Zealand
Unlike standard occupations, overseas experience does not count for amber list roles. Every qualifying month must be worked in New Zealand, in an ANZSCO level 1 to 3 occupation.
Where the 1.2x rate applies
Two places: your current job when you apply, and the 2-year skilled component. That is NZD $42.00 per hour from 9 March 2026. The earlier 3 years have no stated 1.2x floor.
What does not count
Self-employment is excluded. So is work outside ANZSCO skill levels 1 to 3, and experience that is not directly relevant to your current skilled job or job offer.
The Points-based pathway stays open too. Amber roles keep full access to the 6-point route through income, a degree, or registration, which is often faster for qualified applicants. Compare the pathways, or book a free call to have your years mapped against both.
The differences against a standard (non-listed) occupation are bigger than they first look:
| Requirement | Standard occupation | Amber list occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Total relevant experience | 5 years, and overseas experience can count | 5 years, all in New Zealand |
| NZ skilled component | 2 years at 1.1x ($38.50/hr) | 2 years at 1.2x ($42.00/hr) |
| Current pay floor | Pathway wage rules apply | At least 1.2x ($42.00/hr) |
| Trades and Technician pathway | Available for listed trades roles | Not available |
The overseas experience rule is the one that catches people. A chef with 3 years in Mumbai or Manila and 2 years in Auckland meets the standard structure but not the amber one: for amber roles, all 5 years must be gained in New Zealand. For many applicants that pushes the realistic residence date back by years, which makes planning your record now, not at year five, the difference between a clean case and a stalled one.
Kitchen trades are the largest group on the list; we cover the chef route in detail in the chef residency guide. The cases usually turn on evidence: guaranteed hourly rates rather than averaged totals, payslips that match the employment agreement, duties that genuinely sit at ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3, and unbroken visa status across the qualifying years. If your pay is close to but under $42.00, the conversation with your employer about the wage floor is worth having early, because the 2-year clock at 1.2x only runs while you are actually paid at that rate.
Classification is the first question. Codes like Customer Service Manager, Office Manager and ICT Support Technician are broad, and INZ assesses your actual duties against ANZSCO, not your job title. Some roles labelled with an amber code are substantively a different, non-listed occupation, and some roles labelled with a safe title are substantively amber. Get the classification tested before you build a five-year plan on it.
Amber list roles also keep full access to the Points-based pathway on the same terms as everyone else: 6 skilled resident points from income (1.5 times the wage threshold, NZD $52.50 per hour), a bachelor’s degree or higher (with an IQA if gained overseas), or a recognised occupational registration, plus skilled work experience in New Zealand. For qualified applicants this is often faster than the amber five-year route, so check both before committing to either.
Possibly. INZ reviews the red and amber lists regularly and can add or remove occupations as immigration risk changes (immigration.govt.nz). Wage rates also update, so confirm the current 1.2x figure on immigration.govt.nz before relying on it.
Yes. Chef (ANZSCO 351311) is on the amber list, along with Baker, Pastrycook, Cafe or Restaurant Manager and ten other occupations. Chefs can still use the Skilled Work Experience pathway by meeting the stricter amber requirements, or the Points-based pathway.
Three things: current pay of at least 1.2 times the SMC wage threshold (NZD $42.00 per hour from 9 March 2026), at least 3 years of relevant New Zealand work experience in an ANZSCO level 1 to 3 occupation, and an additional 2 years of skilled New Zealand work experience paid at least 1.2 times the threshold.
No. All 5 qualifying years must be work experience gained in New Zealand. This is stricter than the standard Skilled Work Experience pathway, where overseas experience can count towards the total.
NZD $42.00 per hour from 9 March 2026, based on the SMC wage threshold of $35.00 per hour. Rates are updated periodically, so confirm the current figure on immigration.govt.nz.
No. The Trades and Technician pathway has its own eligible occupation list, and amber list roles are not on it. Amber roles can use the Skilled Work Experience pathway (stricter terms) or the Points-based pathway.
No. INZ has confirmed self-employment cannot count as relevant work experience under the Skilled Work Experience pathway, including for amber list occupations.
Current as at 24 August 2026, based on Immigration New Zealand policy. For advice on your own situation, talk to a ProVisas Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 201301110).
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