Work in New Zealand 2026: Green List Jobs and Residence Routes

New Zealand needs nurses, engineers, teachers, tradespeople and tech workers, and its Green List is designed to help employers hire them. It's a real pathway to residence. It is not a shortcut, and it doesn't start until an accredited employer offers you a job.

This guide explains how the Green List, the Accredited Employer Work Visa and New Zealand's other skilled residence routes work in 2026, with official pay thresholds, fees and realistic timelines. Immigration settings change often, so check each detail on immigration.govt.nz before you apply.

How New Zealand's skilled migration system fits together

Most skilled migrants follow one of two paths:

• Residence straight away, if the job is a Tier 1 role on the Green List.
• Work first, then residence, using a work visa such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and then a residence visa once you meet the rules.

Nearly every route has the same foundation: a real, full-time job with an accredited employer, meaning a business Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has approved to hire migrants.

What the Green List is

The Green List is INZ's list of hard-to-fill roles. Each role has requirements, such as a New Zealand registration, a specific qualification or a minimum pay rate. Roles are split into two tiers:

• Tier 1 roles can use the Straight to Residence Visa.
• Tier 2 roles can use the Work to Residence Visa after 24 months of work.

INZ says Tier 1 roles are often in health, engineering, education, construction and information and communications technology. Tier 2 roles are often in construction, education, farming and machinery operation.

The list includes roles such as registered nurses, midwives, general practitioners, software engineers, ICT security specialists, civil engineers, secondary school teachers, electricians, plumbers, welders, diesel mechanics and dairy farm managers. The tier and requirements differ by role, so search the official Green List for your exact job title.

Straight to Residence Visa (Tier 1)

The Straight to Residence Visa lets you live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. According to INZ, you must:

• be aged 55 or younger when you apply
• have a job, or a job offer, in a Green List Tier 1 role with an accredited employer
• be paid at least the rate listed for your role, or NZD 35.00 an hour (the 2025 median wage) if no rate is listed
• have a job that is full time and permanent, or fixed-term for at least 12 months, or contracts adding up to at least 6 months
• meet health, character and English language requirements

You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger. After holding the visa for two years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which lets you travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely.

INZ lists the cost from NZD 6,450, and showed 80% of applications processed within 3 months when we checked in September 2026.

Work to Residence Visa (Tier 2)

The Work to Residence Visa is for people already working in New Zealand in a Tier 2 role. You must:

• be 55 or younger
• have held a work visa for at least 24 months before you apply
• have worked in a Green List Tier 2 job for 24 months within the 30 months before you apply
• have been paid at least the required wage rate when you started counting your experience
• currently work in, or have an offer of, a full-time Tier 2 job with an accredited employer

The 24 months don't have to be continuous. INZ gives the example of two 12-month periods with a six-month gap. If your role is removed from the Green List after you start, your time in that job still counts.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa

For most people, the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is how they first start working in New Zealand. The employer applies for accreditation and a "job check," then sends you a link to apply.

Key rules from INZ:

• The job must be for at least 30 hours a week with an accredited employer.
• You need 2 years of relevant experience or a qualification at level 4 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework. Green List roles have their own evidence rules.
• If your job is skill level 3 to 5 on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), you must show you speak and understand English.
• You can stay up to 5 years in most jobs, or 3 years for skill level 4 or 5 jobs. After that, you normally need to spend 12 months outside New Zealand before getting another AEWV.
• The employment agreement can't include a trial period, unlawful deductions or clauses making you repay money if you leave.

The AEWV costs from NZD 1,540, and INZ showed 80% of applications processed within 7 weeks when we checked. It can't be used for planting, harvesting or packing crops in horticulture or viticulture, which use a different visa.

Other residence routes

Skilled Migrant Category

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) is a separate residence visa with three pathways. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and wait to be invited.

• Points-based pathway: you need 6 points from your qualification, New Zealand occupational registration or pay, plus up to 3 points from skilled work in New Zealand if needed.
• Skilled Work Experience pathway: at least 5 years of relevant experience, including at least 2 years of skilled work in New Zealand.
• Trades and Technician pathway: a relevant qualification and at least 4 years of post-qualification experience, including 18 months in New Zealand.

Care workforce and transport

INZ also runs Work to Residence routes for eligible care workers, such as aged or disabled carers, and certain transport workers. These usually need about 2 years of work in New Zealand.

Pay, costs and money matters

What you'll earn

Pay depends on the role, the employer and your experience. Instead of relying on salary claims online, use the official thresholds as your minimum benchmark:

As simple arithmetic, NZD 35.00 an hour for 40 hours a week over 52 weeks is NZD 72,800 a year before tax. Many Green List roles specify a higher rate, so check the requirement for your role.

Costs to plan for

• Visa fees: from NZD 1,540 for the AEWV and from NZD 6,450 for residence visas, plus medicals, chest X-rays, police certificates and English tests.
• Qualification checks: you may need an International Qualification Assessment from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).
• Registration: nurses, doctors, teachers, electricians and plumbers need New Zealand registration, which has its own fees and timelines.
• Relocation: flights, a rental bond and first rent, and furniture. Rents in Auckland and Wellington are usually higher than in smaller cities.

Health care, tax and banking

According to Health New Zealand, work visa holders who are allowed to be in New Zealand for 2 years or more are generally eligible for publicly funded health services. If your visa is shorter, buy health insurance before you travel.

Get an IRD number from Inland Revenue so you're taxed at the right rate, and open a New Zealand bank account soon after arrival. If you send money home, compare exchange rates and total fees across providers.

Step by step: from job search to residence

1. Check the Green List. Find your exact role, its tier and its requirements.
2. Sort out registration and qualifications. Start occupational registration or an NZQA assessment early.
3. Find an accredited employer. Search INZ's accredited employer list and apply for roles directly.
4. Get a written job offer. It should meet the pay and hours requirements for your route.
5. Apply for the right visa. Use Straight to Residence for Tier 1 roles, or the AEWV to start working.
6. Keep records. Save pay slips, contracts and tax records, especially if you're counting 24 months toward Work to Residence.
7. Apply for residence when you meet every requirement, before your work visa expires.

Common mistakes

• Assuming your job title matches. The Green List uses specific role names and requirements. A "nurse" in your country may not meet the requirements for a registered nurse in New Zealand.
• Ignoring the pay rate. A job below the required rate won't qualify, even if the role is on the Green List.
• Letting a work visa run out. Plan your residence application well before your current visa expires.
• Counting the wrong experience. For Work to Residence, only full-time work in a qualifying role at the required pay counts.
• Starting registration too late. Registration for health and trade roles can take months.
• Turning 56 before applying. The age limit is checked when you apply, so don't leave it late.

Scam warning

INZ warns that job offer scams are common, particularly targeting people in India and South Asia. Walk away if:

• someone asks you to pay for a job, a "placement fee" or a job check
• an adviser claims connections that can guarantee or speed up a decision
• you're told to lie about experience or qualifications
• you're told migrants don't have the same minimum employment rights as New Zealanders

INZ says it will decline an AEWV if you or your agent offered money to an employer for a job offer. Anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice must be licensed, unless they're exempt, such as a lawyer.

Your next steps

• Search the Green List for your exact role and note its tier and requirements.
• Check whether you need New Zealand registration or an NZQA assessment.
• Build a list of accredited employers in your field.
• Budget for visa fees, medicals, tests and relocation costs.
• Keep copies of every contract and pay slip from your first day.
• Recheck the INZ page for your visa right before you apply.

If you're weighing up nearby options, compare this route with our guide to Australia skilled migration. Health workers may also find our look at healthcare worker shortages useful.