Getting New Zealand residence based on your skills
You can work towards getting a resident visa to live in New Zealand, depending on your job and skills. When you meet the requirements, you can apply for residence.
Skilled residence pathways
'Skilled residence pathways' are the different ways you can get a resident visa based on your job and skills. Most people will need to work in New Zealand first to meet the requirements for work experience.
When you meet all the requirements for a resident visa, you can apply for it.
There are 3 skilled residence pathways:
- skilled migrant category pathway — follow this pathway if you have a skilled job based on your occupational registration, qualification or income
- Green List pathway that leads to the Straight to Residence Visa and Work to Residence Visa — follow this pathway if you have a Tier 1 or Tier 2 job on the Green List of in-demand jobs
- care workforce and transport sector agreements pathway — follow this pathway if you work in the care workforce or transport sectors.
Figure 1: Summary of skilled residence pathways
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 6 years of training
- a PhD or doctorate, or
- a job or job offer in New Zealand which pays at least 3 times the median wage.
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 5 years of training, or
- a Master's degree.
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 4 years of training
- an Honours Degree or Post-graduate Diploma, or
- a job or job offer in New Zealand which pays at least 2 times the median wage.
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 2 years of training
- a Bachelor's Degree or Post-graduate Certificate, or
- a job or job offer in New Zealand which pays at least 1.5 times the median wage.
Figure 1 is a visual summary of the skilled residence pathways.
The image shows the residence options available under the Skilled Migrant Category, Green List and sector agreements pathways. It includes the amount of work experience in New Zealand needed for each of these, before people can apply.
This image helps people who may have more than 1 way to residence, so they can decide on the best pathway.
Skilled migrant category pathway
You can apply if you have an acceptable job or job offer in New Zealand and 6 points. The image shows that you can achieve 6 points in 4 different ways.
When you do not need work experience
You can receive 6 points if you have:
You can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa with no skilled work in New Zealand.
When you need 1 year of work experience
You can receive 5 points if you have:
You can receive an additional point for 1 year of skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa.
Together, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
When you need 2 years of work experience
You can receive 4 points if you have:
You can receive an additional 2 points for 2 years of skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa.
Together, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
When you need 3 years of work experience
You can receive 3 points if you have:
You can receive an additional 3 points for 3 years of skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa.
Together, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
Green List pathway
The image shows 2 ways to apply for residence through the Green List.
If you have a job offer for an occupation on the Tier 1 list and you meet the specified qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you can apply for the Straight to Residence Visa.
If you have a job offer for an occupation on the Tier 2 list and you meet the specified qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you will need 2 years of relevant work in New Zealand on a specified work visa. After this you can apply for the Work to Residence Visa.
Care workforce and transport sector agreements pathway
If you have a job offer for an occupation in a specified sector agreement, and you meet the specified qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you need 2 years of relevant work in New Zealand on a specified work visa.
After this you can apply for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa or Transport Workforce Work to Residence Visa.
Details about each skilled residence pathway
Skilled migrant category pathway to residence
This pathway to New Zealand residence is for people who have a skilled job and have occupational registration, a Bachelor's qualification or higher, or earn 1.5 times the median wage.
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa - How to apply
Green List pathway to residence
This pathway to New Zealand residence is for people who have a Tier 1 or Tier 2 job on the Green List of in-demand jobs.
Green List pathway to residence
Care workforce and transport sector agreements pathway to residence
This pathway to New Zealand residence is for people who work in the care workforce or transport sectors.
Care workforce and transport sector agreements pathway to residence