IELTS for New Zealand Visa
Skilled Migrant Category, Accredited Employer Work Visa, and student visa IELTS requirements.
New Zealand's Skilled Migrant Category uses an Expression of Interest pool. Higher scores = more points = faster selection.
Band Range
6.5 – 7.0
Academic
Band 6.5 (Skilled Migrant)
General
Band 5.0 – 6.0 (Work Visa)
🇳🇿 New Zealand IELTS Requirements
Skilled Migrant Category (SMC): minimum Band 6.5 in all 4 skills
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): minimum Band 5.0 – 6.0 depending on role
New Zealand Student Visa: Band 5.5 – 6.5 depending on institution
Residence from Work: minimum Band 6.5 for most pathways
Partner/Family Visa: minimum Band 4.0 (basic English)
Tips to Reach Your Target Band
New Zealand uses the same IELTS Academic/General as other countries
Band 6.5 is the sweet spot for most NZ skilled migration pathways
Listening and Reading are the fastest sections to improve — focus here first
NZ immigration also accepts PTE Academic as an alternative to IELTS
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