Green List Tier 2: Work to Residence in New Zealand
Tier 2 of New Zealand's Green List holds 37 occupations. Unlike Tier 1, it does not lead to residence on a job offer alone. A Tier 2 applicant must first complete 24 months of full-time work in New Zealand in the listed role, and those 24 months must fall inside the 30 months immediately before the residence application.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail (as at August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Occupations on Tier 2 | 37 — 37 table rows, no bundling |
| Visa it leads to | Work to Residence Visa |
| New Zealand work required first | 24 months, full-time (at least 30 hours a week) |
| Window for that work | Inside the 30 months immediately before applying |
| Earliest work that counts | 29 September 2021 |
| Must the 24 months be consecutive? | No |
| Employer | Accredited employer, at the time of application |
| Cost | NZ$6,450 — NZ$2,880 fee + NZ$3,570 immigration levy |
| Wage multipliers from 9 March 2026 | NZ$40.25 (1.15×), NZ$45.50 (1.3×), NZ$52.50 (1.5×) |
| Rule change to re-check | INZ changed how work-to-residence wage rates are calculated on 24 August 2026 |
Primary sources: Appendix 13 – Green List (effective 23 March 2026) and SR5.15, Work to Residence instructions. Both read 20 August 2026.
The structural difference
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | Straight to Residence | Work to Residence |
| New Zealand work required first | None | 24 months full-time |
| Apply from offshore? | Yes, on a job offer | No — the work must already be done |
| Window | n/a | 24 months inside the prior 30 months |
| Employer | Accredited | Accredited |
Tier 2 is not a lesser version of Tier 1. It is a different instrument with a different shape. A Tier 2 occupation gives you a defined residence route that most occupations do not have — but it gives it to you two years after you start, not on arrival.
The 37 occupations
| Sector | Count | Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Trades | 17 | Electrician (General) 341111 · Plumber (General) 334111 · Gasfitter 334114 · Drainlayer 334113 · Automotive Electrician 321111 · Diesel Motor Mechanic 321212 · Motor Mechanic (General) 321211 · Motorcycle Mechanic 321213 · Metal Fabricator 322311 · Pressure Welder 322312 · Welder 322313 · Fitter (General) 323211 · Fitter and Turner 323212 · Fitter-Welder 323213 · Metal Machinist (First Class) 323214 · Panel Beater 324111 · Vehicle Painter 324311 |
| Health and Social Services | 7 | School Principal 134311 · Special Needs Teacher 241511 · Teacher of the Hearing Impaired 241512 · Teacher of the Sight Impaired 241513 · Special Education Teachers nec 241599 · Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages 249311 · Early Childhood Teacher (registered) 241111 |
| Civil Machinery Operators | 7 | Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) 721211 · Backhoe 721212 · Bulldozer 721213 · Excavator 721214 · Grader 721215 · Loader 721216 · Paving Plant Operator 721913 |
| Construction | 2 | Building Associate 312112 · Crane, Hoist or Lifter Operator 712111 |
| Agriculture | 1 | Dairy Cattle Farmer 121313 |
| Factory Process Worker | 1 | Slaughterer 831212 (Halal Slaughterer roles only) |
| ICT and Telecommunications | 1 | Telecommunications Technician 342414 |
| Protective Service Workers | 1 | Corrections Officer 442111 |
Note the teaching occupations classified under "Health and Social Services". That is Appendix 13's own grouping, not an error — see teaching jobs in New Zealand.
Unlike Tier 1, Tier 2's 37 rows are 37 occupations. No row bundles multiple codes, so counting rows here gives the right answer.
How the 24 months are counted
This is the part that decides most Tier 2 outcomes, and it is more forgiving than it first looks.
Work counts only from 29 September 2021 onwards. Nothing before that date can be used, regardless of how long you have been in New Zealand.
Qualifying visas. The work must have been done while holding any work visa; or a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa with work conditions; or an interim visa granted while holding one of those and awaiting a further work visa.
Full-time means at least 30 hours a week.
The 24 months need not be consecutive. They may be assembled across separate periods, and even across different qualifying roles. A person with 18 months in a Tier 2 role and 6 months in a role paid at twice the median wage can reach 24 months that way.
Leave counts. Leave consistent with section 16 of the Holidays Act 2003, including parental leave and ACC leave, counts toward the total.
When the clock starts
Where the occupation has a pay requirement, the clock starts when your pay reaches the rate specified for that occupation in Tier 2 at that time — not today's rate.
Where the occupation has no pay requirement, the clock starts when your pay is at or above the immigration median wage in force at that time.
When the clock stops
The clock stops if you:
- cease to hold a qualifying visa;
- change employer and your pay at the new employer falls below the applicable rate; or
- have your pay decrease below the applicable rate.
The ratchet protection
This provision is the one most often missed. If the required rate later increases, your clock does not stop — provided your income has not decreased and you have not changed employer.
The immigration median wage rose from NZ$31.61 to NZ$33.56 in August 2025 and to NZ$35.00 in March 2026, and the Tier 2 multipliers rose with it. Without the ratchet, every increase would have reset thousands of part-completed clocks. With it, a worker who stayed put and was not cut keeps their accrued time.
If your occupation is removed from Tier 2
Accrued work still counts, provided you stay in the occupation and continue to meet the requirements as they were listed when you were accruing.
The wage multipliers
Tier 2 pay requirements are written as multiples of the immigration median wage rather than as fixed dollar figures. From 9 March 2026 the median is NZ$35.00 an hour, so the multiples resolve as follows.
| Multiple | Rate from 9 March 2026 | Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.15× | NZ$40.25/hr | Telecommunications Technician · the seven Civil Machinery Operators · Panel Beater · Vehicle Painter |
| 1.3× | NZ$45.50/hr | Crane Operator · Metal Fabricator · Pressure Welder · Welder · Fitter (General) · Fitter and Turner · Fitter-Welder · Metal Machinist (First Class) |
| 1.5× | NZ$52.50/hr | Building Associate |
The remaining Tier 2 occupations are gated by registration, qualification or experience instead. Electricians, plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers are gated by registration; the motor trades by an NZQCF Level 4 certificate; Dairy Cattle Farmer by three years of commercial farm experience; Corrections Officer by a New Zealand Level 3 certificate.
A rule change you must check
On 24 August 2026 Immigration New Zealand changed how required wage rates for work-to-residence visas are calculated. The stated substance is that applicants meet the wage rate in force when they began accruing the qualifying experience, rather than the higher rate current at the date they apply.
Everything in this section was verified on 20 August 2026 — four days before that change took effect. Re-check the Tier 2 wage mechanics against SR5.15 and INZ's own page before relying on them. See also wage thresholds for New Zealand visas.
The ten trades added in 2025
Effective 18 August 2025, ten occupations joined Tier 2, having been announced on 13 June 2025:
Metal Fabricator · Metal Machinist (First Class) · Fitter (General) · Fitter and Turner · Fitter-Welder · Pressure Welder · Welder · Panel Beater · Vehicle Painter · Paving Plant Operator
This matters for two reasons. It is the most recent confirmed expansion of the Green List, and it is direct evidence against the common claim that the list never moves. It is also evidence against the opposite claim — that the list is refreshed on a schedule. There is no fixed review cycle; this was a ministerial announcement with a two-month lead time.
The most recent change of any kind was on 23 March 2026, when the Corrections Officer requirement was relaxed: the Corrections Officer Development Pathway prerequisite was dropped, and the acceptable qualification broadened to a New Zealand Certificate Level 3 or higher including the requirements of either the New Zealand Certificate in Prisoner Management Level 3 or the New Zealand Certificate in Offender Management Level 3.
Step 1: Confirm the occupation and its ANZSCO code on Tier 2
Match the six-digit code in Appendix 13. Job titles vary between employers; codes do not.
Step 2: Establish which gate applies
Registration, qualification, pay multiple or experience. Only one of them is your requirement, and it determines what you organise first.
Step 3: Get onto a qualifying visa and start the clock
For most people this is an Accredited Employer Work Visa. The clock does not start on arrival — it starts when the pay condition is met.
Step 4: Keep the clock running for 24 months
Do not let pay fall below the applicable rate, and understand that changing employer resets exposure to the rate test. Keep payslips, employment agreements and visa records for the whole period; the 24 months must be evidenced, not asserted.
Step 5: Apply within the 30-month window
The 24 qualifying months must sit inside the 30 months immediately before the residence application. Six months of tolerance, no more.
Registration-gated trades: a timing trap
For electricians, plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, registration is genuinely mandatory — there is no qualification-only branch. There is, however, a concession worth knowing: 12 months on a Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board provisional licence counts toward the 24-month duration and for AEWV purposes, provided registration is complete when the residence application is made.
That single sentence in Appendix 13 is worth a year to a plumber who arrives with overseas qualifications.
What Tier 2 does not do
It does not remove health, character, age or English requirements. It does not remove the accredited-employer requirement. And it does not convert into Tier 1 through good behaviour — the tier attached to an occupation is set by the instrument.
Whether your particular work history satisfies the 24-month rule is a question about your circumstances, not about the rules. That is tailored immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to work in New Zealand for a Green List Tier 2 residence visa?
24 months of full-time work — at least 30 hours a week — in the Tier 2 occupation, falling inside the 30 months immediately before you apply for residence.
Do the 24 months have to be with one employer?
No. The months need not be consecutive and may be assembled across roles, though changing employer can stop the clock if the new pay falls below the applicable rate.
Does work I did before 2021 count?
No. Only work from 29 September 2021 onwards is counted.
What happens if the required wage rate goes up while I am accruing?
Your accrued time is protected, provided your income has not decreased and you have not changed employer. Note that INZ changed the wage-rate calculation rules on 24 August 2026, so confirm the current position on INZ's site.
Which trades were added to the Green List in 2025?
Ten, effective 18 August 2025: Metal Fabricator, Metal Machinist (First Class), Fitter (General), Fitter and Turner, Fitter-Welder, Pressure Welder, Welder, Panel Beater, Vehicle Painter and Paving Plant Operator.
Can I apply for Tier 2 residence from outside New Zealand?
No. The 24 months of New Zealand work must already be complete. Tier 2's residence route is only reachable from inside the country.
How much does the Work to Residence application cost?
NZ$6,450 — NZ$2,880 application fee plus NZ$3,570 immigration levy. There has been no general fee increase in 2025 or 2026, but confirm the amount before paying.
Is Tier 2 the same as the Care Workforce or Transport pathways?
No, though they share the 24-month structure. Those are separate visa products with their own occupation lists and their own pay rates — see sector-specific residence pathways.
