Green List Pay Thresholds and Wage Multiples
Green List jobs must be paid at the immigration median wage — NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026 — unless Appendix 13 sets a different rate for the occupation. Some Tier 1 entries carry fixed dollar rates up to NZ$72.80. Tier 2 entries carry multiples of the median: 1.15×, 1.3× and 1.5×, resolving to NZ$40.25, NZ$45.50 and NZ$52.50.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail (as at August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Baseline rate | Immigration median wage — NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026 |
| Annual equivalent | NZ$72,800 on a 40-hour week |
| Basis | Statistics New Zealand June 2025 median hourly earnings |
| Tier 1 fixed rates | NZ$45.50 (auditors), NZ$57.75, NZ$70.00 and NZ$72.80 (ICT) |
| Tier 2 multiples | 1.15× = NZ$40.25 · 1.3× = NZ$45.50 · 1.5× = NZ$52.50 |
| Care workforce rate | NZ$28.25 an hour — separately fixed, not a multiple of the median |
| When Tier 2 pay is tested | Across the whole 24-month qualifying period, not just at application |
| Update cycle | Annual, but the effective month drifts — do not assume a date |
| Changing 24 August 2026 | The rate in force when experience began will apply, plus a 5-month grace period |
Primary sources: SR5.15.1 — median wage table, INZ Operational Manual and Appendix 13 — Green List. Both read on 20 August 2026.
The number everything hangs off
The immigration median wage is a single figure Immigration New Zealand sets and then reuses across many instructions. From 9 March 2026 it is NZ$35.00 an hour, which is NZ$72,800 a year on a 40-hour week. It is derived from Statistics New Zealand's June 2025 publication of median hourly earnings.
Where Appendix 13 does not state a rate for an occupation, this is the rate the job must be paid.
Where Appendix 13 does state a rate, that rate governs instead — either as a fixed dollar figure (Tier 1) or as a multiple of the median (Tier 2).
The official history
Immigration New Zealand publishes the full series, including the multiplier columns:
| In force | Median | +15% | +30% | +50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2021 – 3 Jul 2022 | $27.00 | $31.05 | $35.10 | $40.50 |
| 4 Jul 2022 – 26 Feb 2023 | $27.76 | $31.96 | $35.96 | $41.49 |
| 27 Feb 2023 – 27 Feb 2024 | $29.66 | $34.11 | $38.56 | $44.49 |
| 28 Feb 2024 – 17 Aug 2025 | $31.61 | $36.35 | $41.09 | $47.41 |
| 18 Aug 2025 – 8 Mar 2026 | $33.56 | $38.59 | $43.63 | $50.34 |
| From 9 Mar 2026 | $35.00 | $40.25 | $45.50 | $52.50 |
That history is not decoration. Because the Tier 2 pay test applies across a 24-month period, the rate that mattered during any given stretch of that period is the rate in the table for those dates — not today's rate.
The month drifts. Do not promise one.
The median wage is reviewed annually, but the date it takes effect has moved considerably: 27 February 2023, then 28 February 2024, then 18 August 2025, then 9 March 2026. Any page telling you the figure updates each February is describing a pattern that broke.
The only safe statement is that the review is annual, is derived from Statistics New Zealand's June-quarter median hourly earnings, and takes effect on a date Immigration New Zealand announces.
Tier 1: fixed dollar rates
Most Tier 1 occupations have no pay rate of their own — they are gated by registration or qualification, and the median wage applies as the floor. A minority carry an explicit rate, and for those occupations the rate is the requirement.
| Occupation(s) | Required rate | Contract-for-services variant (Straight to Residence only) |
|---|---|---|
| External Auditor (221213), Internal Auditor (221214) | NZ$45.50/hr — stated in Appendix 13 as NZ$94,640 a year on a 40-hour week | — |
| Chief Information Officer (135111), ICT Project Manager (135112), ICT Managers nec (135199), Analyst Programmer (261311), Developer Programmer (261312), Software Engineer (261313), Software Tester (261314), ICT Security Specialist (262112), Software and Applications Programmers nec (261399) | NZ$72.80/hr | NZ$109.20/hr plus a minimum of 10 years' work in a relevant role |
| Database Administrator (262111) | NZ$70.00/hr — NZ$145,600 a year on a 40-hour week | NZ$87.50/hr (NZ$182,000 a year) plus 10 years' relevant work |
| Systems Administrator (262113) | NZ$70.00/hr — NZ$145,600 a year on a 40-hour week | NZ$87.50/hr (NZ$182,000 a year) plus 10 years' relevant work |
| Multimedia Specialist (261211) | NZ$57.75/hr | NZ$86.45/hr plus 10 years' relevant work |
Two things follow from that table.
The auditor rate is a threshold, not a professional credential. External Auditor and Internal Auditor are the only two Business Professionals entries on Tier 1, and the requirement attached to them is money. Membership of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand is not what Appendix 13 asks for. NZ$45.50 an hour is 1.3× the median, and NZ$45.50 × 40 × 52 comes to exactly NZ$94,640 — the annual figure the instrument states.
ICT is on the list but gated hard. All 12 Tier 1 ICT occupations sit between NZ$57.75 and NZ$72.80 an hour. That is a seniority filter. A competent mid-level developer on a normal New Zealand salary does not clear NZ$72.80 an hour, and no amount of technical skill substitutes for the number.
The higher contract-for-services rates apply only to the Straight to Residence Visa, and only where the work is done under a contract for services rather than an employment agreement. They come with a ten-year experience requirement attached.
Tier 2: multiples of the median
Tier 2 expresses its pay requirements as multiples, which means they re-index automatically whenever the median wage moves.
| Multiple | Rate from 9 March 2026 | Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5× | NZ$52.50/hr | Building Associate (312112) |
| 1.3× | NZ$45.50/hr | Crane, Hoist or Lifter Operator (712111), Metal Fabricator (322311), Pressure Welder (322312), Welder (322313), Fitter General (323211), Fitter and Turner (323212), Fitter-Welder (323213), Metal Machinist First Class (323214) |
| 1.15× | NZ$40.25/hr | Telecommunications Technician (342414), Earthmoving Plant Operator General (721211), Backhoe Operator (721212), Bulldozer Operator (721213), Excavator Operator (721214), Grader Operator (721215), Loader Operator (721216), Paving Plant Operator (721913), Panel Beater (324111), Vehicle Painter (324311) |
| No multiple stated | NZ$35.00/hr — the median wage | Electrician, Plumber, Gasfitter, Drainlayer, the automotive trades, the seven education occupations, Corrections Officer, Dairy Cattle Farmer, Slaughterer |
Crane, Hoist or Lifter Operator carries a second condition alongside the rate: the role offered must be as a Crane Operator specifically, and a New Zealand Level 3 Certificate in Cranes with at least one Level 4 specialisation, or an overseas equivalent, is required.
Telecommunications Technician is written as an either/or — the 1.15× rate or the specified Level 3 certificate.
Why the 2025 trades figures should not be quoted as current
When ten trades occupations were added to Tier 2 on 18 August 2025, Immigration New Zealand's announcement gave minimum rates of NZ$43.63 an hour for the metal trades and NZ$38.59 an hour for paving plant operators, panel beaters and vehicle painters.
Those figures were correct then. They were set against the NZ$33.56 median wage in force at the time — NZ$43.63 is 1.3× of NZ$33.56, and NZ$38.59 is 1.15×. Against the current NZ$35.00 median, the equivalent multiples are NZ$45.50 and NZ$40.25.
The 2025 dollar figures still appear in circulation as if they were live rates. They are historical. Use the multiples, resolve them against the current median, and confirm the result against Appendix 13.
The pay test applies over the whole 24 months
This is the single most consequential mechanic on the page, and it is where accruals fail.
For a Tier 2 occupation, the requirement is that remuneration over the 24-month qualifying period met the applicable rate. Not on the day you apply. Not on the day you started. Throughout.
The Operational Manual sets out how that works:
- Where the occupation has a rate in Tier 2, the qualifying clock starts when pay reaches the rate specified at that time.
- Where the occupation has no rate, the clock starts when pay reaches the median wage at that time.
- The clock stops if pay falls below the applicable rate, if the person changes employer and the new pay is below it, or if they stop holding a qualifying work visa.
- The clock does not stop when the required rate rises — provided income has not decreased and the person has not changed employer. This ratchet protection is what stops an annual median wage increase from silently ending an accrual already in progress.
Applied to a real sequence: a welder who began at NZ$43.63 an hour in September 2025, when that was 1.3× the then-median, keeps accruing after 9 March 2026 even though 1.3× is now NZ$45.50 — because the rate rose, their income did not fall, and they stayed with the same employer. A welder who changed employers in April 2026 for NZ$44.00 an hour would not, because a change of employer removes the protection and NZ$44.00 is below the current 1.3×.
The care workforce rate is different, and lower
The Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa uses NZ$28.25 an hour, in force since 1 July 2022. Between 29 September 2021 and 30 June 2022 the rate was NZ$27.00.
This figure is not indexed to the median wage. It is separately fixed, it did not move on 9 March 2026, and it is materially below NZ$35.00. Do not describe it as a multiple of the median or expect it to rise with the median — it has its own history and its own settings. Detail is in Care Workforce Work to Residence.
Rates on the other named residence pathways
| Pathway | Rate |
|---|---|
| Transport Work to Residence — general | NZ$35.00 an hour |
| Transport Work to Residence — bus driver roles approved before 7 April 2024 | NZ$28.00 an hour |
| Transport Work to Residence — truck driver roles approved before 7 April 2024 | NZ$31.61 an hour |
| Care Workforce Work to Residence | NZ$28.25 an hour |
The two transport figures are legacy rates attached to roles approved before 7 April 2024. See Transport Work to Residence.
How this differs from the Skilled Migrant Category
The Skilled Migrant Category uses the same median wage but applies it differently — as a set of multiples that determine whether work counts as skilled and how many income points can be claimed:
| SMC use | Multiple | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled work, ANZSCO skill levels 1–3 | 1.0× | NZ$35.00/hr |
| Skilled work, ANZSCO skill levels 4–5, or occupation not listed | 1.5× | NZ$52.50/hr |
| 3 income points | 1.5× | NZ$52.50/hr |
| 4 income points | 2.0× | NZ$70.00/hr |
| 6 income points | 3.0× | NZ$105.00/hr |
Those are not Green List figures and should not be transplanted onto a Green List application. See SMC wage thresholds.
Note also that the Accredited Employer Work Visa no longer uses the median wage at all. That test was removed on 10 March 2025 and replaced by a New Zealand market-rate test with a minimum-wage floor. The median wage continues to govern residence pathways, partner support thresholds and the maximum-stay rules for some lower-skilled roles. See the AEWV median wage removal.
What changes on 24 August 2026
From 24 August 2026, applicants for work-to-residence visas need to meet the wage rate in force when they began accumulating 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 covers the Work to Residence Visa, the Transport Work to Residence Visa, the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa and the Skilled Migrant Category.
This page was verified on 20 August 2026, four days before that change. Every figure here should be confirmed against Immigration New Zealand before you rely on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum pay for a Green List job?
The immigration median wage, NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026, unless Appendix 13 sets a specific rate for the occupation. Where it does — auditors, the ICT occupations, and the Tier 2 occupations with multiples — that rate applies instead.
What is 1.15×, 1.3× and 1.5× the median wage in dollars?
From 9 March 2026: 1.15× is NZ$40.25, 1.3× is NZ$45.50 and 1.5× is NZ$52.50 an hour. Those figures change whenever the median wage is re-set.
Do Green List pay thresholds include overtime or allowances?
Appendix 13 expresses the requirement as remuneration for the employment, and states annual equivalents on a 40-hour week. How a particular pay structure is assessed is a question for Immigration New Zealand or a licensed adviser rather than something this page can answer for an individual case.
What happens if my pay falls below the threshold during the 24 months?
The qualifying clock stops. Work performed while paid below the applicable rate does not count. If the required rate rises while you remain with the same employer and your income has not fallen, the clock keeps running.
Is the care workforce rate going up with the median wage?
It has not been indexed to the median wage. NZ$28.25 an hour has applied since 1 July 2022 and did not change when the median rose to NZ$35.00 on 9 March 2026.
When does the median wage next change?
Immigration New Zealand reviews it annually, but the effective month has moved — February 2023, February 2024, August 2025, March 2026. No date should be assumed; the change is announced by INZ.
Are the NZ$43.63 and NZ$38.59 trades rates still correct?
They were the rates announced when ten trades occupations joined Tier 2 on 18 August 2025, set against the NZ$33.56 median then in force. Against the current NZ$35.00 median the equivalent multiples resolve to NZ$45.50 and NZ$40.25. Confirm the current figure in Appendix 13.
Does the pay threshold apply to my partner's job too?
No. Green List pay rules apply to the principal applicant's employment. Separate income thresholds exist for supporting a partner on a temporary visa, which is a different instruction — see income thresholds to support a partner visa.
