Short answer: both visas need an English test sat in person at a test centre, with a result no more than 2 years old when you apply. For the India Skilled Work Visa, Immigration New Zealand's minimum is IELTS 6.5 overall or PTE Academic 58 overall. For the India Iconic Work Visa, the minimum depends on the job: yoga instructors and Indian chefs need IELTS 5.0 or PTE 36 in listening and speaking, while music teachers and AYUSH practitioners need IELTS 6.5 or PTE 58 overall.
Every score in this post comes from Immigration New Zealand's English language requirements for the two visas, opened from the India Skilled Work Visa page and the India Iconic Work Visa page. We read them on 27 October 2026. INZ can change its minimums, so check those pages before you book a test.
The two visas in brief
Both visas came into force on 20 October 2026 under the India and New Zealand free trade agreement. They are for citizens of India with an offer of full-time work, at least 30 hours a week, from an accredited employer.
- India Skilled Work Visa: up to 4,400 visas at any one time, for set jobs in ICT, engineering, construction and building project management, school teaching, registered nursing and physiotherapy.
- India Iconic Work Visa: up to 600 visas at any one time, for yoga instructors, Indian chefs, music teachers and AYUSH practitioners.
You can stay up to 3 years in total across both visas, then you must spend at least 3 years outside New Zealand before you can get either visa again. You cannot include a partner or dependent children. Neither visa leads to residence: INZ says time on an India Skilled Work Visa cannot be used as skilled work experience for the Skilled Migrant Category or the Work to Residence visas, and the India Iconic Work Visa page says the same. The licensed advisers at ProVisas explain who can apply and how the visas work in their guide to the India and New Zealand FTA visas.
Which English tests INZ accepts
INZ accepts these tests for both visas, and says you can choose which one to take:
- IELTS, General Training or Academic module
- IELTS One Skill Retake
- TOEFL iBT
- PTE Academic
- Cambridge B2 First, or B2 First for Schools
- Occupational English Test (OET), designed for health care professionals
Two conditions apply to every test. You must sit it in person at a test centre; INZ says tests taken remotely outside a test centre, such as at-home tests, are not acceptable. And the result must be no more than 2 years old when you apply. INZ's documents list counts those 2 years from the issue date and says you cannot provide evidence of a future booking, so the result has to be in hand when you apply.
OET is on the accepted list, but INZ's score tables give an OET minimum only for the India Skilled Work Visa. If you are applying for the India Iconic Work Visa, use one of the tests with a minimum listed for your job.
India Skilled Work Visa: minimum scores
The same minimum applies to every India Skilled Work Visa job.
| Test | INZ minimum score |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5 overall or more |
| PTE Academic | 58 overall or more |
| TOEFL iBT | 79 overall or more |
| B2 First or B2 First for Schools | 176 overall or more |
| OET | Grade C+ or higher in all 4 skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) |
India Iconic Work Visa: minimum scores by job
For the India Iconic Work Visa, INZ sets two different minimums depending on your occupation.
| Test | Yoga instructor or Indian chef | Music teacher or AYUSH practitioner |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 5.0 or more in listening and speaking | 6.5 overall or more |
| PTE Academic | 36 or more in listening and speaking | 58 overall or more |
| TOEFL iBT | 12 or more in listening and 14 or more in speaking | 79 overall or more |
| B2 First or B2 First for Schools | 154 or more in listening and speaking | 176 overall or more |
Read the two columns differently. For yoga instructors and Indian chefs, INZ's minimum is on your listening and speaking scores, and its table sets no overall score for those two jobs. For music teachers and AYUSH practitioners, the minimum is on your overall score.
A minimum, not a points score
INZ's tables say "or more" for every test. Meeting the minimum is the requirement, and these visas have no points system, so a result above it earns nothing extra on the visa. Our PTE 58 vs 79 guide covers where a higher PTE score does matter, which is mainly professional registration and some university programmes.
If your job needs New Zealand registration
Three India Skilled Work Visa jobs need New Zealand registration. INZ's job requirements list registration with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand for primary and secondary school teachers, with the Nursing Council of New Zealand for registered nurses, and with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand for physiotherapists.
Registration bodies set their own English requirements, separate from INZ's visa minimum. They can ask for a higher score than the visa does, and they do not always accept the same tests. Check the council's or board's own English rules before you choose a test. Our guide to planning for both a council and a visa English requirement covers how those two requirements fit together.
A warning from INZ about job offers
INZ's pages for both visas warn that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. INZ says it will decline an application if it considers that you, or your agent, offered or promised money to an employer in exchange for a job offer.
Frequently asked questions
What IELTS score do I need for the India Skilled Work Visa?
What PTE score do I need for the India Skilled Work Visa?
What English score does the India Iconic Work Visa need?
Can I use an at-home English test for these visas?
How old can my English test result be?
Does a higher English score help my India Skilled Work Visa application?
Whether you qualify for either visa is a question for a licensed immigration adviser; we are an English test school. What we coach is the test. Our PTE Academic and IELTS classes run in New Zealand: in person at our Manukau, Papakura and Hamilton centres, and one to one online for students anywhere in New Zealand. See PTE coaching in Auckland and IELTS coaching in Auckland for class times and prices.
Related: PTE vs IELTS for NZ visa · AEWV English Requirements · Green List English Score Strategy