Cambridge English for New Zealand visas and immigration

Many New Zealand visa categories, including the Skilled Migrant Category and Business categories, have English language requirements. B2 First, B2 First for Schools and IELTS – general or academic - can be used to meet these language requirements. They are currently the only Cambridge English qualifications and tests accepted by Immigration New Zealand.

Visit the Immigration New Zealand website for details of the accepted scores for each visa category where there is an English language requirement. For the purposes of Immigration New Zealand visa applications, English language tests are valid for two years from the date they were sat.

Accepted Scores (Click to open up)

Visa category	B2 First or B2 First for Schools	IELTS
Partners and dependent children aged 16 and over under General Skills or Skilled Migrant Category residence applications, Religious Worker Residence Visa, Partners and dependent children aged 16 and older under all Residence from Work categories	Overall score of 154 or more	Overall score of 5.0 or more
Dependent children aged 16 and over under Business Immigration Instructions or Business Investor Category, Employees of Relocating Businesses Category, Entrepreneur Residence Visa Category, Entrepreneur Work Visa Category	Overall score of 142 or more	Overall score of 4.0 or more
China Working Holiday Visa	Overall score of 162 or more	Overall score 5.5 or more
Parent Resident Visa	142 or more in at least two of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) Or An overall score of 154 or more	4.0 or more in at least two of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) Or An overall score of 5.0 or more
Peru Working Holiday Visa	154 or more in Speaking and one other skill area (Listening, Reading, Writing)	5.0 or more in Speaking and one other skill area (Listening, Reading, Writing)
Working Holiday Visa applicants from the Philippines, Thailand, Türkiye and Vietnam	Overall score 147 or more	Overall band score of 4.5 or more
Skilled Migrant Category, Silver Fern Job Search Visa, Global Impact Work Visa	Overall score of 176 or more	Overall score of 6.5 or more

Studying in New Zealand

If you are applying for a Fee Paying Student Visa or a Pathway Student Visa to study at university in New Zealand you do not need to submit an English language test score to Immigration New Zealand, however you will need to meet the entry requirements of your chosen institution. All universities in New Zealand accept C1 Advanced for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and many will also accept Cambridge English Qualifications for pathway and foundation courses. We recommend you check with your chosen institution as entry requirements may vary.

Find out which institutions accept our exams in New Zealand