Pathways to New Zealand Residence: Every Route Explained
New Zealand has 33 residence visa products across five streams: skilled work, family, investment, Pacific and humanitarian. Most people arrive through a skilled route — the Skilled Migrant Category or the Green List — or through a partner. Skilled residence costs NZ$6,450 and takes around 10 weeks on average.
Quick Facts
| Number of residence visa products | 33, in INZ's own visa lookup |
| Main streams | Skilled and work-based · Family · Investor and business · Pacific · Humanitarian |
| Most common skilled route | Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa |
| Skilled residence cost | NZ$6,450 = NZ$2,880 application fee + NZ$3,570 immigration levy (Band A/C) |
| Family Category cost | NZ$5,360 = NZ$1,940 + NZ$3,420 levy |
| SMC processing time | Average 10 weeks; 80% within 4 months (as published 20 August 2026) |
| Age limit on skilled routes | 55 or younger |
| Immigration median wage | NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026 |
| Two-stage structure | A Resident Visa first; a Permanent Resident Visa later, usually after 2 years |
| Changing | The Skilled Migrant Category restructures on 24 August 2026 |
The structure to understand first
New Zealand does not grant "permanent residency" in one step. It grants a Resident Visa, and later a Permanent Resident Visa.
A Resident Visa gives you the right to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. What it does not give you is unlimited freedom to leave and come back. It carries travel conditions, usually valid for two years from first arrival. If you leave New Zealand after those conditions expire, you may not be able to re-enter as a resident.
A Permanent Resident Visa removes the travel conditions permanently. It is a separate application — usually available after 2 years of meeting commitment requirements — and it costs NZ$315.
Almost every route below grants a Resident Visa. The second stage is common to all of them. See resident visa vs permanent resident visa, the Permanent Resident Visa explained, and resident visa travel conditions explained.
The five streams
1. Skilled and work-based
The largest stream and the one most people mean when they ask about immigrating to New Zealand.
| Visa | Core test | NZ time needed | Age limit | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Migrant Category | 6 skilled resident points | Up to 3 years, falling to 2 from 24 Aug 2026 | 55 | NZ$6,450 |
| Straight to Residence | A Green List Tier 1 job offer | None | 55 | NZ$6,450 |
| Work to Residence | 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 job | 24 months | 55 | NZ$6,450 |
| Care Workforce Work to Residence | 24 months of care work in the last 30 | 24 months | 55 | NZ$6,450 |
| Transport Work to Residence | 24 months in an approved transport job in the last 30 | 24 months | 55 | NZ$6,450 |
Others in this stream include the South Island Contribution, Talent (Accredited Employer), Talent (Arts, Culture and Sports), Long Term Skill Shortage List, Religious Worker and Employees of Relocating Business resident visas. Several are legacy or narrow categories — see other New Zealand residence categories and sector agreements and residence pathways.
2. Family
| Visa | Core test | Age limit | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner of a New Zealander | Living together in a genuine and stable relationship for 12+ months | None published | NZ$5,360 |
| Dependent Child | Child is 24 or younger, single and financially dependent | 24 | NZ$3,230 |
| Parent Resident Visa | Sponsored by an adult child, sponsor income test, ballot selection | None published | From NZ$5,810 |
| Parent Retirement | Investment-based parent route | None published | NZ$9,430 + NZ$3,570 levy |
Two things about the family stream are unusual and worth knowing. The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa has no income requirement — New Zealand does not income-test partner residence, unlike several comparable countries. And the Parent Resident Visa does have a sponsor income test, at levels that rise with the number of parents being sponsored.
The Parent Category's selection model changes on 5 October 2026 to roughly 90% date-order selection plus 10% random ballot, with the first selection under the new model on 10 November 2026. See the Parent Category EOI selection explained.
One correction worth making, because it does real damage: the Parent Boost Visitor Visa is not a residence pathway. It is a temporary visitor visa and INZ says explicitly that it does not lead to a resident visa. See the Parent Boost visa explained.
3. Investor and business
| Visa | Investment | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Active Investor Plus — Growth | NZ$5 million over 3 years | NZ$27,470 |
| Active Investor Plus — Balanced | NZ$10 million over 5 years | NZ$27,470 |
| Business Investor | NZ$1m or NZ$2m into an established business | NZ$14,890 residence |
| Entrepreneur Resident | Open to existing Entrepreneur Work Visa holders | NZ$11,320 + NZ$3,570 levy |
Active Investor Plus is the most expensive product in the New Zealand system — and the only one where the immigration levy (NZ$15,400) is larger than the application fee (NZ$12,070). It also has no age limit for the principal applicant, which makes it one of the few routes open to someone over 55. See investor visa costs and fees.
4. Pacific
| Route | Places | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Access Category | 650 a year — Fiji 250, Tonga 250, Kiribati 75, Tuvalu 75 | 18 to 45 at registration close | From NZ$1,389 |
| Samoan Quota | 1,100 in 2026 | 18 to 45 at registration close | From NZ$820 |
Both are ballots, both require an acceptable job offer of at least 12 months for the applicant or their partner, and both require the applicant to speak, read and understand English. Samoan citizens applying for a resident visa are exempt from the immigration levy — one of a small number of levy exemptions in the system.
5. Humanitarian and special categories
Refugee Family Support, Community Sponsored Refugee, Victims of Family Violence, Trafficking Victim and Pitcairn Islander resident visas. Several are exempt from the immigration levy. These are narrow categories with their own registration and sponsorship rules.
Which route fits which situation
We are not going to tell you which visa to apply for — that is an assessment of your circumstances and it is regulated advice. What we can do is show which questions each route actually asks.
| If the deciding fact is… | The routes that ask about it |
|---|---|
| Your occupation is in shortage | Green List Tier 1 → Straight to Residence; Tier 2 → Work to Residence |
| You have a high qualification or high income | Skilled Migrant Category, points-based pathway |
| You have long experience but no degree | Skilled Work Experience pathway (from 24 Aug 2026) |
| You have a trade certificate at Level 4+ | Trades and Technician pathway (from 24 Aug 2026) |
| You work in aged or disability care | Care Workforce Work to Residence |
| You drive, fly or crew for a living | Transport Work to Residence |
| Your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident | Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa |
| Your adult child lives in New Zealand | Parent Resident Visa |
| You have several million dollars to invest | Active Investor Plus |
| You are a citizen of Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu or Samoa | Pacific Access Category or Samoan Quota |
Two related pages go further: visas that lead to residence and residence without a job offer.
The Green List routes in more detail
The Green List is a schedule of occupations New Zealand has identified as in shortage. It sits in INZ's Operational Manual and has two tiers.
Tier 1 — Straight to Residence. A qualifying job offer in a Tier 1 occupation with an accredited employer lets you apply for residence directly. No points, no waiting period. Pay must be at least NZ$35.00 an hour or the rate specified for that occupation, whichever is higher. Processing runs at 80% within 3 months.
Tier 2 — Work to Residence. You must first work 24 months in New Zealand in a Tier 2 occupation, then apply. Processing runs at 80% within 3.5 months.
Each occupation on the list carries its own conditions — a specified qualification, an occupational registration, a pay rate above the median, or a combination. Tier 2 trades in particular tend to require both registration and a pay multiple.
We deliberately do not publish a headline count of Green List roles. The counts circulating on other sites are wrong, and INZ does not publish a single authoritative number — one occupation code can cover several named roles, which is where the miscounting comes from. How many roles are on the Green List explains the problem properly.
There is also no fixed review cycle for the Green List. Changes have come as ad-hoc ministerial announcements, and no occupations were added or removed during 2025 or 2026. Do not plan around a scheduled review — see Green List changes and review cycle.
Start with the Green List explained, Green List Tier 1 vs Tier 2 and Green List pay thresholds explained.
The Skilled Migrant Category restructure on 24 August 2026
The largest change to this map in years lands on 24 August 2026, when the Skilled Migrant Category becomes three pathways:
- Points-based — the existing 6-point system, with amended point values.
- Skilled Work Experience — 5 years of relevant experience including 2 in New Zealand at 1.1× the median wage (NZ$38.50/hr). No qualification required.
- Trades and Technician — 4 years including 18 months in New Zealand at the median wage (NZ$35.00/hr), plus a Level 4 qualification.
Also: the maximum New Zealand experience requirement falls from 3 years to 2; a red list of 6 occupations is barred from the Skilled Work Experience pathway and an amber list of 14 faces tougher tests; an IELTS 6.5 requirement applies; and draft Expressions of Interest are deleted on 24 August 2026.
The complete new points table is published and set out in full at Skilled Migrant Category points, explained. See also what changed in the Skilled Migrant Category.
Step 1: Work out which stream you are in
Skilled, family, investment, Pacific or humanitarian. Almost nobody qualifies under two, and the requirements have nothing in common between streams.
Step 2: Check the disqualifiers before anything else
Age is the big one — every skilled route caps at 55 or younger at the date of application, with no waiver. Health and character are the others: INZ can decline where likely health service costs exceed NZ$81,000, and police certificates must be less than 6 months old. See the age limit for New Zealand skilled residence, health requirements and character requirements.
Step 3: Check whether the route needs an EOI
The Skilled Migrant Category and the Parent Category run through an Expression of Interest. Most other routes do not — you apply directly. See the residence Expression of Interest, explained.
Step 4: Budget for the real total
The advertised fee is not the total. Add the immigration levy, medical examinations, chest x-rays, police certificates from every country you have lived in, qualification assessments and English tests. See what New Zealand residence actually costs.
Step 5: Apply, then plan for the second stage
A Resident Visa is stage one. The travel conditions on it expire, usually after two years, and a Permanent Resident Visa is a separate application. Citizenship is a third stage again — see from residence to New Zealand citizenship.
Costs and times across the main routes
| Route | Fee | Levy | Total | Processing (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Migrant Category | NZ$2,880 | NZ$3,570 | NZ$6,450 | 4 months |
| Straight to Residence | NZ$2,880 | NZ$3,570 | NZ$6,450 | 3 months |
| Work to Residence | NZ$2,880 | NZ$3,570 | NZ$6,450 | 3.5 months |
| Partner of a New Zealander | NZ$1,940 | NZ$3,420 | NZ$5,360 | 7 months |
| Dependent Child | NZ$1,830 | NZ$1,400 | NZ$3,230 | 8.5 months |
| Parent Resident Visa | — | — | From NZ$5,810 | 10 months |
| Active Investor Plus | NZ$12,070 | NZ$15,400 | NZ$27,470 | — |
| Permanent Resident Visa | NZ$315 | — | NZ$315 | 2 weeks |
Fees are Band A and Band C rates from the INZ Fees Guide (INZ 1028, May 2026). Pacific fee-band applicants applying from offshore pay less on most lines. Processing times were published on 20 August 2026 and are updated weekly by INZ. There is no priority processing in the New Zealand system. Nobody can move an application forward, whatever they charge.
What this page cannot do
It maps the routes. It cannot tell you which one you qualify for.
New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. Publishing general information about published rules — which is what this page is — is expressly exempt. Assessing a specific person's circumstances against those rules is not, and doing it without a licence carries up to NZ$100,000 and seven years' imprisonment.
So we explain what each route requires, and we do not tell you what to apply for, whether you will succeed, or how to present a case. If you need that, you need a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer. The public register is at app.mbieregisters.govt.nz. See what a licensed immigration adviser is and immigration adviser vs immigration lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get permanent residency in New Zealand?
In two stages. First you obtain a Resident Visa through one of the residence categories — skilled, family, investor, Pacific or humanitarian. That gives you the right to live, work and study here indefinitely, with travel conditions usually valid two years. Then you apply separately for a Permanent Resident Visa, generally available after two years of meeting commitment requirements, which removes the travel conditions. It costs NZ$315.
How many residence visas does New Zealand have?
Thirty-three residence visa products appear in INZ's own visa lookup, across skilled and work-based, family, investor and business, Pacific and humanitarian streams. Most people use a small handful of them.
What is the easiest way to immigrate to New Zealand?
There is no general answer, and anyone who gives you one without asking about your occupation, age, qualifications and family is guessing. The routes ask completely different questions — one asks about your occupation, another about your partner, another about several million dollars. What is available depends entirely on the facts of your case.
Can I get residence without a job offer?
Some routes do not require one — partner and family categories, investor categories, and the Pacific ballots (which do require a job offer for the applicant or their partner). Every skilled route requires qualifying employment. See residence without a job offer.
How much does New Zealand residence cost?
NZ$6,450 for skilled residence as at August 2026 — a NZ$2,880 application fee plus a NZ$3,570 immigration levy. Family Category is NZ$5,360, Dependent Child NZ$3,230, and Active Investor Plus NZ$27,470. Add medicals, police certificates and qualification assessments on top.
How long does a residence application take?
As published on 20 August 2026: Straight to Residence 80% within 3 months, Work to Residence 3.5 months, Skilled Migrant Category 4 months, Partner of a New Zealander 7 months, Dependent Child 8.5 months, Parent Resident Visa 10 months. INZ updates these weekly.
Is there an age limit for New Zealand residence?
Every skilled route caps at 55 or younger at the date of application. The Pacific Access Category and Samoan Quota require applicants to be 18 to 45 at registration close. Partner and family categories publish no age limit, and Active Investor Plus has none for the principal applicant.
Does the 24 August 2026 change affect the Green List?
No. The restructure applies to the Skilled Migrant Category. The Green List is a separate occupation schedule with its own Tier 1 and Tier 2 routes. The wage-threshold fairness rule introduced on 24 August 2026 does extend to Work to Residence, Transport Work to Residence and Care Workforce Work to Residence.
Does living in New Zealand on a work visa lead to residence automatically?
No. Time on a temporary visa does not convert into residence by itself. It can count towards a residence requirement — the 24 months for Work to Residence, the New Zealand experience components of the Skilled Migrant Category — but a residence application always has to be made and approved separately.
