Skilled Residence Pathways

For many skilled migrants, obtaining New Zealand residence is their ultimate immigration goal…

New Zealand offers a number of residence pathways for people with the skills, qualifications and experience needed by the New Zealand labour market. Depending on your occupation, qualifications and circumstances, residence may be available immediately, or after working in New Zealand for a period of time.

Understanding your residence options early is important. Decisions relating to employment, study, qualifications, occupational registration, salary levels and work experience can all influence which residence pathways may be available to you in the future.

While the pathways outlined below may appear straightforward, the underlying residence policies are highly detailed, complex and can change regularly. Small differences in qualifications, employment terms, salary levels, registration requirements, work experience and timing can have a significant impact on residence eligibility. For this reason, residence planning should begin as early as possible.

Can I Qualify for Residence?

Most skilled residence pathways require you to:

Be under 56 years of age
Meet English language requirements
Meet health and character requirements
Hold suitable skilled employment, or a skilled job offer, with an accredited New Zealand employer
Meet any qualification, occupational registration, work experience or salary requirements relevant to the pathway

The exact requirements vary depending on the residence category being considered.

New Zealand currently offers several skilled residence pathways.

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Skilled Migrant Category (SMC)

The Skilled Migrant Category is New Zealand's principal points-based residence pathway.

Recent changes have significantly expanded the number of ways people can qualify for residence. Depending on your circumstances, points may be available through qualifications, occupational registration, income levels, work experience and skilled employment in New Zealand.

For many skilled workers, the SMC is the most accessible and flexible residence pathway.

Green List Residence

The Green List comprises occupations experiencing significant skill shortages in New Zealand.

If your occupation is on the Green List, residence may be available through either:

Straight to Residence - where residence may be available immediately; or
Work to Residence - where residence becomes available after working in New Zealand for a specified period.

Many health professionals, engineers, ICT specialists, construction professionals and other highly skilled workers may qualify via the Green List.

Work to Residence Pathways

Not everyone qualifies for residence immediately. Many migrants first obtain a work visa and then become eligible for residence after completing a required period of skilled employment in New Zealand.

Current Work to Residence pathways include opportunities for people employed in:

Green List Tier 2 occupations
Care Workforce occupations
Transport sector occupations
Trades and technician occupations
Other skilled occupations requiring a period of New Zealand work experience

These pathways provide a structured progression from temporary work visas through to residence with, generally, the salary and nature of the role being key factors.

Why Planning Ahead Matters

One of the most common mistakes migrants make is focusing solely on obtaining a work visa without considering how that employment supports their future residence plans.

The type of role you accept, the employer you work for, your salary level, qualifications, occupational registration and previous work experience can all influence which residence pathways are available to you.

Timing can also be critical. The dates you commence employment, you first meet the required pay threshold, complete your qualification, obtain professional registration, or accumulate the necessary work experience will determine if, when, and under which category, you may become eligible for residence.

The strongest residence outcomes are usually achieved when a long-term residence strategy is developed early and reviewed on an ongoing basis as your individual circumstances evolve, and as policies change.