SR5.5 Summary of requirements

1. To be granted a Green List: Work to Residence visa, all applicants must:
   1. meet health and character requirements for residence (see A4 and A5); and
   2. meet the applicable minimum standard of English or, where instructions allow, pre-purchase English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) tuition (see SR2.10).
2. In addition, the principal applicant must:
   1. hold a work visa or a critical purpose visitor visa with work conditions at the time the residence application is made; and
   2. meet acceptable employment requirements in a Tier 2 Green List occupation (see SR5.10); and
   3. have completed 24 months of work in New Zealand in a Tier 2 Green List occupation (see SR5.15); and
   4. meet the relevant wage rate in effect at the time:
      • they began to accrue skilled work experience in New Zealand that counts towards their residence requirements; or
      • their work visa, if it was granted in the five months before the applicant began to accrue their skilled work experience in New Zealand; and
   5. be aged 55 or younger at the time the residence application is made.
3. An applicant may be considered to meet the relevant wage rate when they apply for residence if they meet the rate for their occupation in effect on the applicable date specified in (b)(iv) above.
4. For the purpose of these instructions, applicants must accrue 24 months of skilled work experience in New Zealand within the 30 months immediately prior to submitting their residence application.

   Note: For the purposes of determining whether skilled work experience has been completed within the 30-month period, this period is calculated backwards from the date the resident visa is submitted.
   

   Example:

   A loader operator began their skilled work experience on 3 March 2026 with a remuneration of 1.15x the median wage ($38.59 per hour at that time). When they apply for residence on 3 September 2028, they need to have accrued 24 months of skilled work experience in the 30-month period immediately before (i.e. in the period from 3 March 2026 to 3 September 2028). The pay rate that they need to meet when they apply for residence is the rate that applied when they began to accrue their work experience, i.e. $38.59 per hour.
   

   Example:

   -An applicant has their work visa approved on 14 November 2025, for an occupation which must be paid at least the median wage. The median wage at that time was $33.56 per hour.

   -They began their skilled work experience on 12 March 2026 in a role paying $34.00 per hour when the median wage had increased to $35.00.

   -However, as less than five months had passed between the date of work visa approval and the commencement of their skilled employment, they are considered to meet the relevant wage rate for that occupation as long as they maintain at or above the median wage in effect on 14 November 2025 and submit an application for residence by 12 September 2028. If maintained, this wage rate ($33.56 per hour) is the wage rate that applies at the time of the residence application.

   -(This assumes the 30 month period immediately before applying for residence is 12 March 2026 – 12 September 2028).

5. Applications must be made using the approved online form provided on the Immigration New Zealand website.

SR5.5.1 Evidence

1. To demonstrate meeting specified evidential requirements for a Green List occupation (see Appendix 13) the applicant can provide the following:
   1. Qualification – the qualification and, if the Green List requirement is for a New Zealand qualification and the qualification is from outside New Zealand, an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

      Note: An IQA:
      - assesses an overseas qualification (or group of qualifications) by stating the learning outcomes of the closest New Zealand equivalent qualification; and
      - states the NZQF level and qualification type of that equivalent qualification; and
      - refers to any verification of the applicant's qualifications undertaken by the NZQA.

   2. Registration or Professional Membership - documentation confirming registration or professional membership.
   3. Acceptable employment in a specified occupation - employment agreement and job description specifying the occupation.
   4. Acceptable work in New Zealand - employment agreement and job description (previous and current) stating the duration of employment, position and remuneration and a summary of earnings from Inland Revenue confirming a period of at least 24 months’ work.
   5. Pay rate - employment agreement and job description stating the occupation, hours, and remuneration. A summary of earnings from Inland Revenue if the applicant has worked in New Zealand.

      Note: Where an immigration officer is not satisfied that sufficient information has been provided through the requirements under (a)(v), further evidence may be requested such as full bank statements showing salary payment, or payslips.

2. In cases where any of the details listed at SR5.5.1(a) have changed since an applicant’s most recent work visa application and these details are material to their application (for example their remuneration has changed and they are relying on work in New Zealand in a role paid at least twice median wage, an applicant must include the evidence of these changes as set out in SR5.5.1(a).
3. An Immigration Officer may consider evidence and information provided in previous work visa applications to determine whether the applicant:
   1. has a total of 24 months of acceptable work in New Zealand; or
   2. meets the requirements specified in the Green List.

Effective 24/08/2026