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Pathway

New Zealand Care Worker Residence Visa

New Zealand Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

New Zealand's Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa is for people aged 55 or younger who have completed qualifying New Zealand care-sector work and have a current care workforce job or offer from an accredited employer.

Type
Care workforce residence
Work history
Usually 24 months in qualifying New Zealand care roles
Employer
Accredited New Zealand employer
What to know
Role list, wage rate, and timing rules are specific
What it gives
The resident visa permits indefinite residence, work, and study.
Main limit
This is not a first work visa, and overseas care experience alone does not satisfy the 24-month New Zealand requirement.

Summary

The Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa is for a person who has already completed qualifying care-sector work in New Zealand. It grants residence only after the worker has built at least 24 months of eligible New Zealand work and holds a current qualifying job or offer from an accredited employer.

It is a narrow occupation route, not a general visa for every health or care worker. The exact occupation, pay history, work visa history, current job, English, age, health, and character all matter.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The principal applicant must be 55 or younger, speak and understand English, and meet health and character requirements. During the qualifying period the applicant must have held a work visa, a qualifying Critical Purpose Visitor Visa, or the relevant interim status.

The listed care jobs currently include Māori Health Assistant, Disabilities Services Officer, Residential Care Officer, Aged or Disabled Carer, Nursing Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant, Therapy Aide, Child or Youth Residential Care Assistant, and Diversional Therapist.

At least 24 months of eligible full-time work must fall within the 30 months immediately before applying. The periods do not have to be continuous. Eligible leave counts, and limited time in Tier 2 Green List, transport, or twice-median-wage work can sometimes make up part of the total. The care work must have paid at least NZD 28.25 an hour from 1 July 2022; earlier qualifying work used the historical rate on the official page.

At application, the person must hold or be offered a listed care job with an accredited employer. It must be full-time, permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, and pay at least NZD 28.25 an hour.

Scheduled change on 24 August 2026

The rules above are current on 15 August 2026. INZ has published an enacted change for 24 August 2026: qualifying work will generally keep the wage threshold that applied when the worker started counting, and a higher current wage will no longer be required merely because the worker changes employer or applies for residence. The 24-month-in-30-month requirement remains. Applicants filing on or after that date should use the new rule.

What This Route Allows

The resident visa permits indefinite residence, work, and study. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included if relationship, identity, health, character, and family English requirements are met.

The initial resident visa normally has 2 years of travel conditions. After holding it for 2 years, the holder may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa if the applicable requirements are met.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a first work visa, and overseas care experience alone does not satisfy the 24-month New Zealand requirement. A job that sounds similar but does not match one of INZ's listed occupations is not enough.

It is not safe to count a month without checking the occupation, hours, visa held, and wage paid at that time. Payslips, tax summaries, job descriptions, and agreements should be reconciled month by month.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the exact occupation and its current INZ classification.
  2. Build a 30-month timeline showing visa status, employer, occupation, hours, pay, and eligible leave for every period claimed.
  3. Check the current job or offer for accredited-employer status, full-time hours, duration, and pay.
  4. Gather employment agreements, job descriptions, payslips, bank records, and Inland Revenue income summaries.
  5. Prepare English, health, police, identity, and family evidence.
  6. If applying on or after 24 August 2026, apply the new wage-lock and grace-period instructions rather than the pre-24-August rule.
Compare your options

Similar skilled worker pathways in other destinations.

Sources