You can, but New Zealand will not let you work as a social worker, or even use the title, until you are registered. The Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) says 'social worker' became a protected title in February 2021, at the same time as registration became mandatory, and that employers cannot hire you as a social worker until you are registered. Registration is one of two separate approvals. The other is a visa from Immigration New Zealand (INZ), the government's immigration agency, which lets you live and work in the country; INZ's registration tool lists social workers among the jobs where you need to be registered. Neither body can grant what the other decides, and INZ says to begin the registration process as soon as possible.

Registering as a social worker in New Zealand

Social workers who qualified outside New Zealand apply through the SWRB's overseas qualification pathway; an Australian degree accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers has its own route. Before approving registration, the SWRB must be satisfied that:

• your qualification is equivalent to one it prescribes for social work in New Zealand;
• you are registered or licensed as a social worker in another country, or have a good reason not to be, such as working where no registration system exists;
• you have at least 12 months of full-time-equivalent practical experience as a social worker;
• you can communicate in English to a high standard, you are competent, and you meet its "fit and proper" standard of conduct;
• you intend to live and practise as a social worker in New Zealand.

The SWRB assesses your qualification itself, using its own assessment form, your degree certificates and transcripts, proof of registration and a detailed CV. For English, it accepts education or registration evidence, or IELTS Academic results of 7 overall and at least 7 in each section, sat at a test centre (IELTS Online is not accepted) in the two years before you start your application. You then complete an overseas competence assessment against competencies 3 to 10 of the SWRB's core competence standards. Since February 2025, the SWRB has screened these assessments with a tool that detects generative AI, and it asks for a resubmission when more than 10% of the content is AI-generated; it wants applications in your own words. You also supply identity documents, references and evidence of good conduct, such as police certificates.

Green List, work visas and residence for social workers

INZ's Green List names roles it wants to fill, and depending on the role, people who meet its requirements may be able to apply for residence immediately or after 2 years of work. Social worker roles are on the immediate side, with SWRB registration as the requirement. In practice, a registered social worker can apply for the Straight to Residence Visa by meeting its conditions, which include being 55 or younger, speaking and understanding English, and having a full-time job or job offer from an accredited employer, paid at least the rate INZ sets. You may apply from inside or outside New Zealand, and the visa lets you stay in the country indefinitely. See our Green List guide.

An accredited employer is one INZ has approved to hire migrants, and each route here starts with a job offer from one. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) needs a full-time offer from such an employer and an approved job check, INZ's check of that particular job. For a job that needs registration, you provide your full or provisional New Zealand registration, or the registration body's confirmation that the job is eligible for it. Our AEWV guide covers the rest.

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), a residence visa, also needs a job or job offer with an accredited employer; you file an expression of interest (a form setting out how you meet the rules), and if INZ accepts it, you are invited to apply. The points route needs 6 points, and SWRB registration counts for 4 points. INZ adds points for skilled work in New Zealand done after registration: 1 point for 1 year, 2 points for 1.5 years and 3 points for 2 years. A registered social worker would therefore need 1.5 years of such work to reach 6. Our SMC guide and points calculator help you check.

What changes after you are first registered?

You start out provisionally registered. The SWRB says overseas-qualified social workers are provisionally registered at first while they build their competence to practise with Māori and the diverse communities of Aotearoa, and are expected to complete a second competence assessment within 12 months of their first practising certificate, covering the competencies about practice in the New Zealand context. Its provisional registration page adds that social workers stay provisional until they complete 2,000 hours of supervised social work in Aotearoa and any other conditions the Board sets; for overseas-qualified social workers, the steps to full registration depend on which competence assessment they completed.

Registration itself does not need renewing, but your practising certificate does. It expires on 30 June each year, and you need a current one whenever you practise. While you hold one, the SWRB expects at least 20 hours of professional development each year and regular professional supervision.

A common mistake social workers make

Paying for a New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) assessment to support your registration. INZ uses NZQA's international qualification assessments when it awards points for qualifications, but the SWRB assesses overseas social work qualifications itself and says an NZQA document is not accepted in its process. Its own assessment fee is non-refundable, and paying it does not mean your application will be approved, so send the SWRB exactly the evidence it lists rather than a report it will not use.

First steps

1. Check your eligibility with the tool on the SWRB's registration page.
2. Gather your transcripts, proof of registration and a full CV for the overseas qualification assessment.
3. If you need an English test, book IELTS Academic at a test centre and aim for 7 in every section.
4. Look for full-time social work jobs with employers accredited for the AEWV.
5. When registration and a job offer are both in place, apply for your visa, for instance the Straight to Residence Visa.