New Zealand skilled residence pathways

Find out what skilled residence pathways are available that will allow you to live in New Zealand as a resident.

Overview of skilled residence pathways

There are 3 skills-based pathways that allow you to get New Zealand residence if you meet the eligibility criteria:

  • the Skilled Migrant Resident pathway
  • the Green List pathway through the Straight to Residence Visa and Work to Residence Visa
  • the Care Workforce and Transport Sector Agreement pathways.

Some of the visas on these pathways allow you to apply for residence straight away, such as the Straight to Residence Visa. Other pathways may require you to work in New Zealand before you can apply for residence, such as the Work to Residence Visa.

This page includes information on the following:

Summary of skilled residence pathways

Straight to Residence Visa

Work to Residence Visa

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

Transport Work to Residence Visa

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

Maximum continuous stay period for Accredited Employer Work Visa holders

Summary of skilled residence pathways

Figure 1 is a summary of skilled residence pathways available. People need to meet specified requirements for their pathway, along with standard requirements in areas like age, English language, health, and character.

Fig. 1: Summary of skilled residence pathways

Full size image 

Detailed description of image

Figure 1 shows a summary of the skilled residence pathways available when the new Skilled Migrant Category takes effect in October 2023.

It illustrates the residence options available under the Skilled Migrant Category, Green List and sector agreements pathways, including the amount of work experience in New Zealand needed before people can apply for their respective residence visa.

This visual representation particularly helps people who may qualify under multiple pathways, so they can determine the pathway that suits them best.


Skilled Migrant Category pathway

You can apply if you have an acceptable job or job offer in New Zealand and 6 points. The infographic shows that you can achieve 6 points in 4 different ways.


You can receive 6 points if you have:

  • New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 6 years’ training, or
  • a PhD or doctorate, or
  • a job or job offer in New Zealand which pays at least 3 times the median wage.

Any 1 of these is worth 6 points and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa with no skilled work in New Zealand.


You can receive 5 points if you have:

  • New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 5 years’ training, or
  • a Master’s degree.

Either of these is worth 5 points. You can receive an additional point for 1 year’s skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa. With this, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.


You can receive 4 points if you have

  • New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 4 years’ training, or
  • 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.

You can receive an additional 2 points for 2 year’s skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa.

With this, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.


You can receive 3 points if you have:

  • New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 2 years’ training, or
  • 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.

You can receive an additional 3 points for 3 year’s skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa.

With this, 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 or 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’ relevant work in New Zealand on a specified visa.

After this you can apply for the Work to Residence Visa.


Care Workforce and Transport Sector Agreements pathways

If you have a job or job offer for an occupation in a specified sector agreement, and you meet the specified qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you need 2 years’ relevant work in New Zealand on a specified visa.

After this you can apply for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa or Transport Workforce Work to Residence Visa.

Straight to Residence Visa

You can apply for this visa if you work for an accredited employer or you have a job offer from an accredited employer and your role is on Tier 1 of the Green List.

If you are eligible you can apply for this visa now. You can either come to New Zealand on a work visa and apply or apply from overseas.

Check the visa information for more information on eligibility and how to apply.

Straight to Residence Visa

Work to Residence Visa

You can apply for this visa if you work for an accredited employer and you have worked in a Tier 2 Green List role for 24 months. You must be paid the current median wage when you apply for your Work to Residence Visa.

Claiming work experience for your Work to Residence Visa

During your 24 months work experience, you must have been paid either:

  • at least the median wage that was in place when your current visa was granted, or
  • the specific rate for your role.

Some visas allow you to be paid less than the median wage, for example the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) which uses the February 2023 median wage. If your visa was granted using a pay rate lower than the median wage, you cannot start counting that time towards your work experience.

For example, if your visa was granted after 28 February 2024, your job must pay at least NZD$31.61 (the current median wage) to be included towards your 24 months work experience.

If your pay increases to pay at least the current median wage, you can start counting time towards your Work to Residence work experience.

Example

Prasad was granted an AEWV in April 2024 as a Teacher of the Sight Impaired. His AEWV was granted based on the pay rate of NZD$29.66 an hour (the February 2023 median wage). He will not start gaining work experience to use towards a Work to Residence Visa.

In December 2024, Prasad's pay increases to NZD$34.19 an hour. He will start gaining work experience for a Work to Residence Visa from December 2024.

Example

Mei was granted an AEWV in December 2023 as a Telecommunications Technician. She is paid NZD$36.35 an hour (the specific rate for her role on the Green List).

Mei can count work experience from December 2023.

Check the visa information for more information on eligibility and how to apply.

Work to Residence Visa

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

You must have been paid at least NZD$28.25 an hour during your work experience.

Claiming work experience for your Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

You may be able to use work experience in other roles to make up the 24 months. It must be:

  • in Tier 2 of our Green List of in-demand roles
  • a transport sector role, or
  • a role that paid at least twice the median wage.

Check the visa information for more information on eligibility and how to apply.

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

Transport Work to Residence Visa

You can apply for this visa if you work for an accredited employer and you have worked in a transport sector role for 24 months.

You must be paid at least the current median wage when you apply for your Transport Work to Residence Visa, unless you are a bus driver.

Claiming work experience for your Transport Work to Residence Visa

During your 24 months work experience, you must have been paid at least:

  • the median wage that was in place when your visa was granted, or
  • NZD$28 an hour if you are a bus driver covered by the transport sector agreement.

Some visas allow you to be paid less than the median wage, such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa which uses the February 2023 median wage. If your visa was granted based on a rate lower than the median wage, your work experience will not be included towards your work experience. There is an exception for bus drivers who can earn NZD$28 an hour during their work experience.

If your pay increases to meet the current median wage, you can start counting time towards your Transport Work to Residence Visa.

Example

John was granted an AEWV in November 2023 to work as a bus driver. His AEWV was granted based on the transport sector agreement rate of NZD$28 an hour.

His 24 months work experience will start being counted from November 2023.

Example

Elizabeth was granted an AEWV in March 2024 as an aircraft refueler. Her AEWV was granted based on the February 2023 median wage of NZD$29.66 an hour.

In June 2024, Elizabeth's pay increases to NZD$31.61 an hour. Her 24 months work experience will start being counted from June 2024.

Check the visa information for more information on eligibility and how to apply.

Transport Work to Residence Visa

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

This visa is for people who have skills that will contribute to New Zealand's economic growth.

You must have a job or job offer in skilled employment in New Zealand. Your job must pay at least the median wage.

You need 6 points to apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa. This can be made up from:

  • 3 to 6 points based on New Zealand occupational registration, qualifications, or income, and
  • 1 point for each year of work experience in New Zealand in a skilled job, up to a maximum of 3 points.

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

Claiming skilled work experience points for your Skilled Migrant Category Visa

During your skilled work experience, you must have been paid at least the wage threshold that was in place when your visa was granted.

  • If your job has an ANZSCO level of 1 to 3 you must earn the median wage or above.
  • If your job has an ANZSCO level of 4 to 5 you must earn 1.5 times the median wage or above.

If you will be claiming points for your income, you need to earn that income over your work experience. For example, if you earn 1.5 times the median wage you can claim 3 points from your income. You must earn 1.5 times the median wage during each year of your skilled work experience.

Skilled work experience starts counting from whenever you started earning the wage threshold. It will not stop counting if the wage threshold increases and you remain in your current job. If you change jobs you will need to meet the current wage threshold.

Some visas allow you to be paid less than the median wage. If your visa was granted based on a rate lower than the median wage your work experience will not be included towards your skilled work experience.

Example

Leon has an AEWV and has been working in a skilled job that pays NZD$64.88 an hour. Because he is paid at least twice the new median wage, he can claim 4 points from his income.

He has been working in this role for 2 years and has been earning $64.88 this entire time (at least twice the median wage). He can claim 2 points for skilled work experience.

Leon can claim 6 points based on his income and his work experience, so he can submit an expression of interest for a Skilled Migrant Category Visa.

Example

Kylie is granted an AEWV in July 2024 for a role that pays the February 2023 median wage.

Kylie works in this role for 1 year. She cannot use this time to claim points for work experience for a Skilled Migrant Category Visa.

Maximum continuous stay and longer visa length for Accredited Employer Work Visa

On 27 November 2023 we introduced a maximum continuous stay and longer visa length for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

Maximum continuous stay and longer visa length for Accredited Employer Work Visa

Other visa options

Check our website to find out what other visa options may be available to you.

Explore and select a visa