The New Zealand Green List, Explained

The New Zealand Green List, Explained

The Green List is a schedule of 201 occupations New Zealand treats as being in shortage. Tier 1 holds 164 occupations and leads to the Straight to Residence Visa. Tier 2 holds 37 and requires 24 months of New Zealand work first. It is Appendix 13 of the Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual, effective 23 March 2026.

Quick Facts

Primary source: Appendix 13 — Green List, INZ Operational Manual, effective 23 March 2026. Read on 20 August 2026.

What the Green List actually is

The Green List is not a website feature or a marketing label. It is a legal schedule. It sits in the Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual as Appendix 13, and it forms part of government immigration instructions made under section 22 of the Immigration Act 2009.

That matters for two reasons.

First, the list is exact. Each entry names an occupation, gives its ANZSCO code (the six-digit occupation code New Zealand still uses for residence purposes), and states the specific requirement that occupation must meet — a registration, a qualification, a pay rate, or a combination. There is no room for "close enough". A job either matches an Appendix 13 entry or it does not.

Second, the list changes only when the government changes it, and it changes by announcement rather than on a timetable. There is no annual cycle. More on that below.

If a term on this page is new, the Green List glossary entry gives the one-paragraph version, and what ANZSCO is explains the coding system the list runs on.

The two tiers, and the single difference between them

The Green List has two tiers. They point at two different visas.

The whole structural difference is the 24-month test. A Tier 1 occupation can take a person from a job offer to a Resident Visa without ever having worked in New Zealand. A Tier 2 occupation cannot — it requires two years of New Zealand employment in that occupation first, on a work visa, before residence can even be applied for.

Both tiers grant the same thing at the end: a Resident Visa with an indefinite right to live, work and study in New Zealand. The route in is what differs. If you want the two side by side, see Straight to Residence vs Work to Residence.

How many occupations are on it — and why published counts differ

164 Tier 1 and 37 Tier 2. 201 in total.

Many guides publish a higher number. The reason is mechanical rather than dishonest: Appendix 13 is a merged-cell HTML table, and table rows are not the same as occupations. The Tier 1 table has 142 rows, but three of those rows bundle multiple ANZSCO codes under one shared requirement:

• the auditor row covers 2 occupations (External Auditor and Internal Auditor),
• the dental row covers 18,
• the teaching row covers 5.

Count rows and you get 142. Count occupations and you get 164. Count something else again and you get a third number. Tier 2 is simpler — 37 rows, 37 occupations.

Immigration New Zealand does not publish a headline total anywhere. The number has to be counted from the instrument, which is exactly why the figures in circulation disagree. The full explanation is in how many roles are actually on the Green List.

What Tier 1 is really made of

The popular framing — a broad list of skilled jobs New Zealand wants — is not what the instrument says. Tier 1 is, in practice, a health list.

Three quarters of the fastest residence pathway New Zealand offers is medicine, nursing, dentistry, allied health, psychology, social work and teaching. The 120 Health and Social Services entries include 34 medical practitioner occupations, 15 nursing occupations, all 18 dental occupations, midwifery, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, radiography, sonography, counselling and the registered teaching occupations.

Engineering is the second block, at 23 occupations, running from Chemical Engineer through Civil, Structural, Electrical and Mechanical to the four engineering technician occupations and the three Aircraft Maintenance Engineer occupations.

ICT is on the list but gated by money rather than by qualification. All 12 Tier 1 ICT occupations carry a pay threshold between NZ$57.75 and NZ$72.80 an hour. That functions as a seniority filter, not an open door.

Construction has only four Tier 1 entries: Construction Project Manager (133111), Project Builder (133112), Quantity Surveyor (233213) and Surveyor (232212).

What Tier 2 is really made of

Tier 2 is trades and operators.

The 17 trades cover the regulated building services trades (Electrician, Plumber, Gasfitter, Drainlayer), the automotive trades (Automotive Electrician, Motor Mechanic, Diesel Motor Mechanic, Motorcycle Mechanic, Panel Beater, Vehicle Painter) and the metal trades (Metal Fabricator, Welder, Pressure Welder, Fitter, Fitter and Turner, Fitter-Welder, Metal Machinist).

The seven Civil Machinery Operators are Earthmoving Plant Operator (General), Backhoe, Bulldozer, Excavator, Grader, Loader and Paving Plant Operator.

The seven education entries are School Principal, Special Needs Teacher, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Sight Impaired, Special Education Teachers nec, Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages, and registered Early Childhood Teacher. Note that mainstream primary and secondary teachers sit in Tier 1, while early childhood and special education teachers sit in Tier 2 — a distinction that catches teachers out regularly.

The single Factory Process Worker entry is Slaughterer (831212), and it is narrow: the role offered must be as a Halal Slaughterer, at an employer and site listed on the Ministry for Primary Industries halal premises notice.

What each occupation has to satisfy

Appendix 13 attaches a requirement to every entry. There are three kinds, and some occupations carry more than one.

1. Mandatory occupational registration. 132 of the 201 Green List occupations require registration with a named New Zealand body — the Medical Council, the Nursing Council, the Dental Council, the Teaching Council, the Electrical Workers Registration Board, and so on. Where Appendix 13 says registration is required, a qualification alone does not satisfy the entry. Occupational registration in New Zealand sets out which body covers which occupation.

2. A named qualification. Qualifications in Appendix 13 are expressed as New Zealand qualifications on the NZQCF (the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework). An overseas qualification must be comparable to the standard of the New Zealand qualification named. Unless the qualification is on INZ's List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment, an NZQA International Qualification Assessment stating the comparable NZQCF level is required. See what an NZQA IQA is.

3. A pay threshold. 33 entries carry a dollar rate or a multiple of the median wage. Those figures are set out in Green List pay thresholds.

A caution about registration that most guides get wrong

For a large group of occupations, Appendix 13 does not make registration mandatory — it lists a professional body as one branch of an "or".

This applies to all 23 Engineering occupations, plus Construction Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor, Surveyor and the three motor-mechanic trades. For an engineer, the entry reads as a choice: a Washington Accord accredited engineering degree, or a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours at NZQCF Level 8, or a Level 7 qualification plus a benchmark letter from Engineering New Zealand, or registration as a Chartered Professional Engineer.

An engineer with an accredited degree can satisfy Appendix 13 and never register with anyone. Content that tells engineers they must be chartered to use the Green List is describing a requirement the instrument does not impose.

The employment rules that apply on top

Being in a Green List occupation is not sufficient on its own. The job itself has to qualify.

• The employer must be accredited by Immigration New Zealand. For Tier 2, the employer must be accredited at the time the residence application is made. You can check a business against INZ's published list — see how to check if an employer is accredited.
• The employment must be full-time, meaning at least 30 guaranteed hours a week.
• It must be permanent, or fixed-term for at least 12 months. For the Straight to Residence Visa a contract for services of at least 6 months is also acceptable.
• The pay must meet the rate. Where Appendix 13 sets a rate for the occupation, that rate applies. Where it does not, the immigration median wage applies — NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026.
• The job must be genuine and must not have been offered as a result of a payment. Paying for a job offer is unlawful in New Zealand and will sink an application.

The personal requirements

Both Green List visas apply the standard residence gates:

• Age 55 or younger at the date of application. There is no waiver of this for Green List applicants. See the residence age limit.
• English. The applicant must be able to speak and understand English. English requirements for residence covers the accepted evidence.
• Health. A medical examination and, in most cases, a chest x-ray. See health requirements.
• Character. Police certificates for everyone aged 17 or over, less than six months old at the time they are provided. See character requirements.

Family. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger may be included in the application.

Cost

Both Green List residence applications cost the same, and both are priced the same way as the Skilled Migrant Category:

Immigration New Zealand publishes only the combined "from $6,450" figure. The split matters because the two components behave differently — the levy funds the immigration system rather than the processing of your file, and some categories are exempt from it.

There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026. INZ's fee page still describes its rates as current "as of 1 October 2024". Costs outside the application fee — NZQA assessment, registration body fees, medicals, police certificates, translations — are additional and are covered in the cost of New Zealand residence.

How long it takes

These are INZ's published wait times as at August 2026 and they describe completed applications, not a guarantee. There is no paid priority or expedited processing for any New Zealand visa, at any price — see paid priority processing, because offers of it are a standard scam pitch.

Detail on what drives variation is in residence application processing times.

What the Green List does not do

Four honest limits.

It is not the only residence pathway. The Skilled Migrant Category is a separate, occupation-agnostic route based on six points from qualifications, income or occupational registration. Many people who are not on the Green List still qualify under the SMC. See pathways to New Zealand residence.

It does not cover several large professions. Lawyers, chartered accountants, real estate agents and Licensed Building Practitioners have no Green List entry at all. That is set out plainly in jobs with no Green List pathway.

It does not guarantee a decision in your favour. Meeting the published criteria is a requirement, not an outcome. Health, character and the genuineness of the employment are all assessed.

It is not the same list your work visa uses. Since 3 November 2025, Job Check and Accredited Employer Work Visa applications are classified under the National Occupation List, while the Green List still runs on ANZSCO codes. The same person can need their job identified under two different classification systems in a single journey. See ANZSCO vs the National Occupation List.

How the list changes

There is no fixed review cycle. Changes have come as ministerial announcements at irregular intervals: December 2022, March 2023, May 2023, September 2023, April 2024 — which included the removal of six transport occupations — and a wage recalibration in March 2026.

No occupations were added to or removed from the list in 2025 or 2026. The ten trades occupations added to Tier 2 took effect on 18 August 2025, which is the most recent change to the membership of the list.

Any page telling you the Green List is reviewed every year is describing a process that does not exist. The dated record is in how the Green List changes.

Step 1: Find your occupation's ANZSCO code

Appendix 13 is organised by ANZSCO code, not by job title. Job titles vary between employers; codes do not. Start by identifying the code that matches the duties you actually perform, not the title on your contract. How to find your ANZSCO code walks through it.

Step 2: Check the code against Appendix 13

Open the current Appendix 13 and search for the code. If it appears in the Tier 1 table, the Straight to Residence Visa is the relevant instruction. If it appears in Tier 2, the Work to Residence Visa is. If it appears in neither, there is no Green List pathway for that occupation and the Skilled Migrant Category is the route to read next.

Step 3: Read the requirement attached to that row

The requirement column is the part that decides eligibility. Note whether it demands registration, a qualification, a pay rate, or a choice between them — and whether the professional body named is mandatory or one option among several.

Step 4: Check the employment against the employment rules

Accredited employer, 30 hours or more a week, permanent or fixed-term 12 months or longer, paid at or above the applicable rate. All four must hold.

Step 5: Confirm the current version before you rely on it

Appendix 13 is reissued from time to time and the Operational Manual carries its own issue date. Confirm the version you are reading is the current one, and confirm any figure against Immigration New Zealand before you pay anything.

What changes on 24 August 2026

From 24 August 2026, Immigration New Zealand changes how required wage rates for work-to-residence visas are calculated. Applicants will need to meet the wage rate in force when they started accumulating the qualifying work experience, rather than the higher rate applying on the date they apply. A five-month grace period applies where the threshold rose between a work visa being granted and the person starting the job.

The change reaches the Work to Residence Visa, the Transport Work to Residence Visa, the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa and the Skilled Migrant Category. The Skilled Migrant Category is also restructured on the same date into three pathways — see Skilled Migrant Category changes.

This page was verified on 20 August 2026, four days before that change. Confirm the wage rules on Immigration New Zealand's site before relying on them.

Where to get advice

This page explains what the published rules require. It does not, and legally cannot, tell you whether you meet them. New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and assessing an individual's circumstances is licensed work.

If your situation involves a borderline occupation match, a health or character issue, a disputed ANZSCO code or a previous decline, that is a job for a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer. You can verify anyone's licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register before you pay them — see how to check an adviser's licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What jobs are on New Zealand's Green List?

201 occupations, in two tiers. Tier 1 holds 164 occupations, of which 120 are in Health and Social Services, 23 in Engineering, 12 in ICT, 4 in Construction, 3 in primary industries and science, and 2 are auditors. Tier 2 holds 37, mostly trades, civil machinery operators and specialist education roles.

Can I apply for a Green List resident visa from outside New Zealand?

For Tier 1, yes. The Straight to Residence Visa requires a job offer from an accredited employer but no prior New Zealand work, so it can be applied for offshore. A successful applicant must arrive in New Zealand within 12 months of the visa being granted. For Tier 2, no — the 24 months of qualifying work must already have been done in New Zealand.

Do I need an accredited employer for a Green List visa?

Yes. Both tiers require the employment to be with an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand. For the Work to Residence Visa the employer must hold accreditation at the time the residence application is made.

Can I count overseas experience toward the Tier 2 24-month requirement?

No. The 24 months must be full-time work in New Zealand, in the Tier 2 occupation, within the 30 months before the application. Work outside New Zealand does not count toward that test.

Do I need occupational registration to use the Green List?

It depends on the occupation. 132 of the 201 entries require registration with a named New Zealand body. For all 23 engineering occupations, Construction Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor, Surveyor and the three motor-mechanic trades, the professional body is one option among several — an accredited degree or a Level 4 certificate can satisfy the entry instead.

Is the Green List reviewed every year?

No. There is no fixed review cycle. Changes have been made by ministerial announcement at irregular intervals, and no occupations were added or removed in 2025 or 2026.

What is the difference between the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category?

The Green List is occupation-based: it asks what job you hold. The Skilled Migrant Category is points-based: it asks about your qualification, income or occupational registration, topped up by New Zealand work experience, and requires six points. They are separate instructions and an application is made under one or the other. See Green List vs Skilled Migrant Category.

How much does a Green List residence application cost?

From NZ$6,450 for either visa — a NZ$2,880 application fee plus a NZ$3,570 immigration levy. Assessment, registration, medical and police certificate costs sit outside that.

Does the Green List give permanent residence straight away?

No. It grants a Resident Visa, which carries travel conditions that expire. A Permanent Resident Visa, which has no travel expiry, can be applied for after two years once the commitment requirements are met. See Resident Visa vs Permanent Resident Visa.