Under their rules, sex work or escorting is a type of “level 5 skilled employment” which can earn points for would-be migrants if they were paid at or above around €21 per hour, the NZ Herald reports.

They would also require three years of relevant work experience.

Sex workers have said that its presence on the skilled employment list was absurd when it is illegal for temporary migrants to do sex work in New Zealand under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003.

New Zealand said its list comes from the common Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) list.