(NEW ZEALAND) — Immigration New Zealand said on June 29, 2026 that applicants who use the Occupational English Test, or OET, for immigration will have to sit the exam in person at a supervised test centre from July 13, 2026, ending acceptance of at-home OET results after that date.

The change applies to the full test. No part of an OET used for a New Zealand immigration application can be completed online from home once the new rule takes effect.

At-home OET results already taken before the deadline remain usable. Applicants who completed an at-home OET on or before Sunday, July 12, 2026, can still use those results for immigration, while any OET taken on or after July 13, 2026 must be completed at a supervised testing facility.

OET is commonly used by health-sector applicants, making the shift especially relevant for doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and allied health professionals seeking visas in New Zealand. The test has been a familiar route for applicants whose work depends on professional communication in clinical settings.

Immigration New Zealand said the update is intended to protect the fairness and integrity of the immigration system and to ensure that results reflect each applicant’s own English ability. The move places test supervision at the center of how English evidence is assessed for immigration purposes.

That change also removes a flexible option that some applicants had relied on. Home-based testing had allowed candidates to avoid travel, schedule exams more easily and fit testing around work and family demands.

Distance is likely to matter. Applicants who live far from an authorised OET test centre now face travel and earlier booking pressure, especially in places where test-centre availability varies by city.

Health care workers are expected to feel the shift most sharply because OET is tailored to workplace English in medical and clinical settings. Nurses applying through work or residence pathways, doctors and specialists using OET as English evidence, and other health professionals preparing immigration applications are among those most exposed to the deadline.

Applicants trying to file quickly before a visa or job-offer deadline also lose room to maneuver. A delayed test booking can now affect more than one step, because an English result may be needed for the visa application, professional registration and employer onboarding.

The transition rule is narrow but clear. OET completed at home on or before July 12, 2026 stays usable, subject to the ordinary validity rules and the requirements of the visa being sought.

Validity periods still matter. Immigration New Zealand states that English test results for an Accredited Employer Work Visa must be no more than two years old when the applicant applies.

The July rule change applies specifically to OET at-home testing, but Immigration New Zealand’s broader English-language rules already point in the same direction for other exams. The agency’s English-language pages state that tests must be sat in person at a test centre and that remote at-home tests are not acceptable.

That means IELTS, IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge B2 First continue under existing Immigration New Zealand rules, alongside OET. The new announcement does not remove OET from the system; it removes the at-home version for immigration use after the transition date.

Applicants using other approved tests still need to match the exam format to the immigration rules for their visa class. Immigration New Zealand lists IELTS, IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge B2 First, B2 First for Schools and OET as accepted English tests for the Accredited Employer Work Visa.

Skilled residence visas use a similar list. Immigration New Zealand also accepts IELTS, IELTS One Skill Retake, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge B2 First, B2 First for Schools and OET for skilled residence applications, though the score thresholds are higher than those used for many work visa applicants.

Recent Changes to English Language Requirements

The OET decision comes soon after another English-language change for work visas. From June 1, 2026, minimum English language requirements for the Accredited Employer Work Visa were extended to ANZSCO and National Occupation List skill level 3 occupations.

Before that date, the requirement applied to skill level 4 and 5 roles. Under the expanded rule, some mid-skilled workers now have to show English ability as part of an AEWV application even if the employer received a job check token before June 1, 2026.

For AEWV applicants in skill levels 3 to 5, Immigration New Zealand lists minimum scores of:

• IELTS overall 4
• TOEFL iBT overall 31
• PTE Academic overall 29
• Cambridge B2 First overall 142
• OET Grade D or higher in all four skills

Those thresholds set the floor for workers entering categories now covered by the June expansion.

Higher Standards for Residence Applicants

Residence applicants face a tougher standard. Immigration New Zealand says a higher standard of English is required for skilled residence visas, reflecting the longer-term nature of those pathways.

For skilled residence principal applicants, the minimum scores are:

• IELTS overall 6.5
• TOEFL iBT overall 79
• PTE Academic overall 58
• Cambridge B2 First overall 176
• OET Grade C+ or higher in all four skills

Partners and dependent children aged 16 or older may have lower English score requirements.

Upcoming Changes from August 2026

Another change is scheduled later in the year. From August 24, 2026, New Zealand will extend English language test validity to five years for some Skilled Migrant Category applicants who hold recognised occupational registration.

That later measure offers a longer window for some residence applicants, but it does not alter the immediate OET deadline in July. Anyone planning to rely on OET for immigration after July 13, 2026 will need a supervised test-centre result, regardless of whether the application is for work or residence.

The practical effect is likely to be felt first among applicants who had counted on home testing to move quickly. Booking a centre-based exam now becomes part of visa planning, especially where professional registration, employer timelines and immigration filing dates all have to line up.

Indian health care workers may need to plan carefully because test-centre availability can vary by city. Applicants from smaller cities may have to travel to an authorised test centre or secure a booking well in advance to avoid delays.

Why This Shift Matters

The shift also reflects a wider pattern in immigration systems, where language tests serve as more than a paperwork requirement. Supervised testing ties English evidence more closely to identity checks, professional readiness and compliance rules.

In health care, the standard carries added weight because communication ability can affect patient safety, workplace integration and licensing expectations. That helps explain why OET remains accepted in New Zealand, even as Immigration New Zealand tightens the way the exam must be taken.

Applicants who already sat an at-home OET before the cutoff do not lose that result solely because of the July rule. New Zealand continues to accept OET for immigration, and at-home OET completed on or before July 12, 2026 remains valid if it also meets the normal age and visa-specific requirements.

Applicants scheduled to take OET on or after July 13, 2026 face a different calculation. They will have to switch to a supervised test centre if they want the result to count for immigration in New Zealand.

That leaves the rule simple in form even if its effects vary from one applicant to another. OET stays in the immigration system, but from July 13, 2026, Immigration New Zealand will accept only centre-based results for new OET sittings, a deadline that lands hardest on health professionals working against visa, registration and job-start clocks.