Citizeo
Pathway

New Zealand Work to Residence Visa

New Zealand Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

New Zealand's Work to Residence Visa is for someone who has completed at least 24 months of qualifying work in a Tier 2 Green List occupation in New Zealand. The applicant must also have a current Tier 2 job or offer with an accredited employer and meet that occupation's current requirements.

Type
Skilled-worker residence
Job or skills fit
A current Tier 2 Green List job or offer with an accredited employer
Core requirements
At least 24 months of qualifying full-time work in New Zealand within the previous 30 months
What to know
An overseas job offer does not provide immediate residence; the New Zealand work period must be completed first
Duration
Work-to-residence route after the required qualifying work period.
Renewal / path
Can lead to residence, then permanent resident status and citizenship if rules are met.

Summary

The Work to Residence Visa is for a person who has completed at least 24 months of qualifying New Zealand work in a Tier 2 Green List occupation and now holds a qualifying job or offer with an accredited employer.

This is not immediate residence from an overseas job offer. The applicant must first build the required New Zealand work and visa history while meeting the occupation and wage rules that applied to the work.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The principal applicant must be 55 or younger, speak and understand English, and meet health and character requirements. They must have held a qualifying work visa or work-authorized status for the relevant 24 months.

At least 24 months of full-time eligible work must fall within the 30 months immediately before applying. The periods can be interrupted and can combine different Tier 2 roles. Work in a job paid at least twice the median wage can sometimes fill part of the period. If an occupation is removed after the person begins qualifying work, the official continuity rules may preserve the time.

For every period claimed, the worker must have met the Green List registration, qualification, experience, and wage requirements for the job. For roles without a separate rate, the current residence-application threshold is NZD 35 an hour. A small number of roles, such as telecommunications technician, have a different listed threshold.

At application, the person must work in or hold an offer for an acceptable Tier 2 job with an accredited employer. The job must be full-time and permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, and it must meet the applicable current Green List requirements.

Scheduled change on 24 August 2026

These are the rules on 15 August 2026. From 24 August 2026, INZ will generally lock the wage rate to the threshold in force when qualifying work began and will not require a later increased rate simply because the worker changes employer or applies for residence. A new 5-month grace rule will also apply. The 24-month-in-30-month requirement remains.

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 the family and admissibility rules are met.

Travel conditions normally last 2 years. After holding residence for 2 years, the holder may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa if eligible.

What This Route Is Not

It is not enough to be “willing to work for 2 years” or to be pursuing a job. The residence application requires completed qualifying work plus a current qualifying job or offer.

An occupation name by itself is not proof. INZ can compare job duties, hours, pay, visa status, registration, qualifications, and tax records for each month claimed.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the exact occupation and Tier 2 requirements on the live Green List.
  2. Build a month-by-month 30-month record of visa status, occupation, employer, hours, pay, and qualifying leave.
  3. Obtain agreements, job descriptions, payslips, tax summaries, bank records, and registration or qualification evidence.
  4. Verify the current employer's accreditation and the current job's duration and pay.
  5. Prepare English, health, police, identity, and family evidence.
  6. Use the pre-24-August wage rules only for an application filed before that date; use the published new instructions from 24 August onward.
Compare your options

Similar skilled worker pathways in other destinations.

Sources