MOVE YOUR ENGINEERING CAREER TO NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is a great place to build an engineering career and a great life outside work.
At Caliber, experienced engineers work inside client project teams on meaningful, hands-on projects in sectors including aerospace, agritech, medtech, manufacturing, and industrial processing.
You get the variety and challenge of secondment work, while being permanently employed and backed by a nationwide team of 80+ engineers.
As an Immigration New Zealand accredited employer, we can support suitable candidates through the visa process. Many engineering occupations are also on New Zealand’s Green List, which can create faster pathways to residence for the right people.
If you’re an experienced Mechanical or Automation & Controls engineer considering a move to New Zealand, we’d love to hear from you.
VISA PATHWAYS
There are three main visa pathways engineers may use to join Caliber. The right option depends on your role, age, eligibility, and whether you’re applying from overseas or already in New Zealand.
For many engineers, the strongest pathway is Straight to Residence.
If your role is on Tier 1 of New Zealand’s Green List and you meet the role-specific requirements, you may be able to apply for residence straight away, rather than waiting several years first.
You can apply from offshore, or come to New Zealand on a work visa and apply for residence once you are here.
To be eligible, you generally need to be 55 or younger, have or be offered a Tier 1 Green List role with an accredited employer, meet health and character requirements, meet English language requirements, and satisfy the qualification, registration, and pay requirements for that occupation.
If approved, you can live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely and your children can attend local public schools. After holding that residence visa for two years, you may be able to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
The visa process usually works like this: once we offer you a role, we provide a Job Token that allows you to apply online through Immigration New Zealand for that specific position.
You then lodge your visa application with your signed job offer, employment agreement, qualification or knowledge assessment, police clearance, health check, and English language test results, if required.
An Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is tied to the employer, role, and location approved in your application. In simple terms, it is a pathway into New Zealand for a specific job, rather than a fully open work visa.
The roles that Caliber has available are on New Zealand’s Green List. That means that our AEWV holders are able to live and work in New Zealand for up to five years, with residence pathways available should you wish to stay longer. If you have an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), you may be able to support visas for your partner and dependent children. Partners may be eligble for the AEWV Partner Visa, which is an open work visa valid for the same length of time as your visa.
A Working Holiday Visa can be relevant for some people, particularly if you are already in New Zealand or want to come here while exploring a longer-term pathway.
These visas are available to young people from recognised countries, usually aged 18 to 35. They generally allow you to work and travel in New Zealand for up to 12 months, although some schemes are longer.
A Working Holiday Visa is intended for temporary work while travelling. It is not designed for permanent employment and the exact conditions vary depending on your country’s scheme.
Caliber is an Immigration New Zealand Accredited Employer and may be able to support eligible longer-term work visa pathways where the role, candidate, and immigration requirements align.
WHY MOVE WITH CALIBER?
Working at Caliber is different from a standard in-house engineering role.
Our engineers are permanently employed full-time, while working on varied client secondments. They are backed by Team Leads, Discipline Leads, Regional Managers, and a national team of more than 80 engineers. That means when you move here, you are not moving here alone.
We also have a supportive community of engineers who have relocated to New Zealand from overseas and understand what the transition feels like in real life. They can help you talk through the practical side of settling in—not just the job, but the first few months, New Zealand work culture, and what it takes to feel established and comfortable here.
VARIETY OF WORK
Aerospace, agritech, medtech, manufacturing, industrial processing, and more.
SUPPORT
Team Leads, Discipline Leads, Regional Managers, 80+ engineers nationwide.
PERMANENT & VARIED
Secondment variety with the security of permanent full-time employment.
ENGINEERS WHO'VE DONE IT
A community of engineering colleagues who understand the transition.
IMMIGRATION PATHWAY
The visa process has several moving parts, but they run in parallel and the steps are well defined. This diagram gives you a clear picture of what to expect from job offer through to visa application.
ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT
WHO NEEDS IT?
Path 1 — Washington Accord accredited degree
If your degree is from a Washington Accord accredited programme, the first step is confirming whether your country’s engineering body is a signatory of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA). If it is, your qualification is recognised and you can proceed directly to your visa application. No Knowledge Assessment required.
Path 2 — Non-Washington Accord qualification
If your degree is not Washington Accord accredited, Engineering New Zealand first checks whether your qualification is recognised on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) at Level 7 or above.
- If it is already recognised at NZQF Level 7 – you can proceed to the Engineering New Zealand Knowledge Assessment.
- If it is not on the NZQF – you will need to approach the International Qualifications Assessment (IQA) to have your qualification evaluated and placed at a level.
- If placed at NZQF Level 6 or below, your qualification does not meet the requirements for an engineering role under the Green List. (Technologist and draughtsperson roles have different requirements).
- If placed at NZQF Level 7, you can proceed to the Engineering New Zealand Knowledge Assessment.
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
For those who need it, a full Knowledge Assessment is used to show whether your engineering knowledge is equivalent to the standard expected of a Washington Accord-accredited qualification or a Certified Professional Engineer.
Engineering New Zealand assesses this across eight areas: natural sciences, mathematics, engineering fundamentals, specialist engineering knowledge, design process knowledge, engineering practice, engineering in society, and research-based knowledge.
In practical terms, your application will usually include academic transcripts, course descriptors for each qualification, your CV, valid photo ID, and written self-assessment statements explaining how your evidence meets the required standard.
Work samples are often important. Supporting material, such as CPD records, may also help strengthen your application. If you rely on work samples, a referee declaration may be required.
Once you apply, Engineering New Zealand validates your file and assigns an assessor to evaluate it. The assessor may also arrange a video meeting with you.
If you’re not sure whether you need a full Knowledge Assessment, talk to us first. We can help you figure out where you stand before you start gathering documents.
We have engineers who have been through this process before and are happy to help you.
“The most helpful thing was getting advice on schools and suburbs—especially from other engineers who’d done it already.”
New Caliber Engineer from South AfricaSUPPORT BEYOND THE VISA
Moving countries is about more than getting a visa approved. It is about finding the right work, landing in the right city, building a new routine, and having good people around you while you do it.
At Caliber, we take that seriously. Alongside the formal visa process, we help you understand what the move could look like in practice. You can talk to engineers in our team who have already made the move themselves, and who understand both the professional and personal side of settling into life in New Zealand.
Bank account & IRD setup
COST OF LIVING COMPARISONS
Suburbs & schools
Finding accommodation
Proof-of-address documents
Local connections
FOUR OFFICE LOCATIONS
Explore the cities where Caliber engineers build their careers, find their place, and enjoy life outside work.
“The Caliber team were supportive, practical, and really kind. I felt like I had someone in my corner the whole time.”
New Caliber Engineer from South AfricaREADY TO EXPLORE THE MOVE?
Whether you are actively planning a move, already in New Zealand, or just starting to explore your options, we’re keen to talk. If you are an experienced engineer and New Zealand is on your radar, Caliber could be the right place to land.
Talk to us about current opportunities, likely visa pathways, and what the move could look like for you.
Disclaimer
The information on this page is intended as general guidance only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration policy and requirements can change. While we endeavour to keep this information current, we recommend verifying all details directly with Immigration New Zealand and Engineering New Zealand before making any decisions.
This guidance has been prepared by Caliber Design Limited based on publicly available information and is not provided by a Licensed Immigration Adviser. If your situation is complex or unclear, we recommend consulting a Licensed Immigration Adviser or immigration lawyer. A register of licensed advisers is available at Immigration Advisers Authority.
Caliber Design Limited accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on the information contained on this page.
Contact Us
Auckland | +64 9 379 7357
Christchurch | +64 27 385 9091
Waikato | +64 7 949 8899
© Caliber Design Ltd
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