New Zealand health visas now require in-person OET English tests

Health-sector workers eyeing New Zealand visas face a new hurdle: Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will no longer accept remotely administered English test results for the Occupational English Test (OET). From July 12, 2026, every part of the OET must be completed in person at an approved supervised centre for immigration purposes.

What changed

Before the cutoff, applicants could take a computer-based OET with a remotely administered speaking component and use that score for their visa. Under the update INZ announced on June 29, only fully in-person OET sittings count for any result submitted after July 12.

Results from a computer-based OET with a remote speaking section that were taken before July 13, 2026 remain valid, provided they meet the visa's minimum score and fall within the two-year recency window. The fully at-home OET@Home version, INZ notes, was never accepted for immigration in the first place.

OET is the standard English test for nurses, doctors, midwives and other clinicians applying through New Zealand's health pathways, including the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa and the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa. Those applicants are the ones directly affected.

What it means for applicants

The practical burden lands on candidates abroad who had booked remote sittings and planned to file later in 2026. If your OET session is dated July 13 or later, you now need an in-person booking at an approved centre, or the score will not be accepted, no matter how high it is. That adds test-centre availability, potential travel to a venue and possible rebooking fees to your timeline.

If you already hold a compliant remote-speaking OET result, INZ's guidance points toward filing before the two-year validity window closes rather than resitting the test unnecessarily. Anyone still preparing should assume in-person testing only and book accordingly.

INZ did not add a new fee for the change, but the costs of a supervised booking and any travel to reach a centre fall on the applicant. The move aligns with INZ's existing stance that remote at-home tests are not acceptable and results must be no more than two years old.

Other approved English tests remain unchanged. IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge B2 First all stay on the accepted list alongside in-person OET, with score thresholds varying by visa type. For remote workers weighing a move into New Zealand's health sector, the message is simple: plan for a supervised, in-person English test and factor the extra logistics into your application schedule.

Originally reported by Stamped Nomad.