The Work to Residence Visa, Explained
The Work to Residence Visa grants New Zealand residence to people who have already worked 24 months full-time in New Zealand in one of the 37 Tier 2 Green List occupations, within the 30 months before applying. The current job must be with an accredited employer and paid at the specified rate. It costs from NZ$6,450 and takes an average of 8 weeks.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail (as at August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Who it is for | People already working in New Zealand in a Tier 2 Green List occupation |
| Occupations covered | 37 — Tier 2 of Appendix 13, effective 23 March 2026 |
| Prior New Zealand work | 24 months full-time, in the Tier 2 occupation, within the previous 30 months |
| Full-time means | At least 30 guaranteed hours a week |
| Can you apply from offshore? | No — the qualifying work must already be done in New Zealand |
| Employer | Must be accredited at the time of application |
| Job terms | Permanent, or fixed-term for at least 12 months |
| Pay | The Tier 2 rate in Appendix 13, or NZ$35.00 an hour where no rate is specified |
| Age | 55 or younger |
| Cost | From NZ$6,450 — NZ$2,880 fee + NZ$3,570 immigration levy |
| Processing | Average 8 weeks; 80% within 3.5 months |
| What it grants | Indefinite right to live, work and study in New Zealand |
| Onward | Permanent Resident Visa available after 2 years |
Primary sources: Work to Residence Visa — INZ, Appendix 13 — Green List and SR5.15 of the Operational Manual. All read on 20 August 2026.
The 24-month rule, precisely
Everything about this visa turns on one test, and the test has more moving parts than most summaries admit.
24 months of full-time work in New Zealand, in the Tier 2 occupation, within the 30 months immediately before the residence application.
Read that as four separate conditions:
- 24 months. Not two calendar years of holding a visa — 24 months of qualifying work.
- Full-time, meaning at least 30 guaranteed hours a week. Guaranteed, not averaged.
- In New Zealand. Overseas experience in the same occupation does not count toward this test at all.
- Within the previous 30 months. The 30-month window gives six months of slack. It does not give unlimited slack — work done three years ago has fallen out of the window.
The 24 months do not have to be consecutive. They can be assembled from more than one period, and under the Operational Manual they can be assembled from more than one qualifying role — for instance 18 months in a Tier 2 occupation plus 6 months in a role paid at twice the median wage.
What counts, and when the clock starts and stops
The Operational Manual sets out the mechanics in detail. These are the parts people get wrong.
Work is counted only from 29 September 2021 onwards. Nothing earlier qualifies.
You must have held a qualifying visa throughout. That means any work visa, a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa with work conditions, or an interim visa granted while you held one of those and were waiting on a further work visa.
When the clock starts depends on pay. Where the occupation has a pay requirement in Tier 2, the clock starts when your pay reaches the rate specified at that time. Where the occupation has no pay requirement, the clock starts when your pay is at or above the median wage at that time.
The clock stops if you stop holding a qualifying visa, if you change employer and the new pay is below the applicable rate, or if your pay drops below the applicable rate.
The clock does not stop when the required rate rises, provided your income has not decreased and you have not changed employer. This ratchet protection is important: an annual median wage increase does not, by itself, break an accrual that is already running.
Leave counts. Leave consistent with section 16 of the Holidays Act 2003, including parental leave and ACC leave, counts toward the 24 months.
Removal from the list does not wipe accrued time. If an occupation is taken off Tier 2 part-way through, work already accrued still counts, provided the person stays in the occupation and continues to meet the requirements as they were listed.
Which occupations are on Tier 2
37 occupations, weighted heavily to trades and machinery operation.
| Sector | Occupations |
|---|---|
| Trades | 17 |
| Health and Social Services (education roles) | 7 |
| Civil Machinery Operators | 7 |
| Construction | 2 |
| Agriculture | 1 |
| Factory Process Worker | 1 |
| ICT, Electronics and Telecommunications | 1 |
| Protective Service Workers | 1 |
Trades (17). Automotive Electrician (321111), Diesel Motor Mechanic (321212), Motor Mechanic General (321211), Motorcycle Mechanic (321213), Electrician General (341111), Plumber General (334111), Drainlayer (334113), Gasfitter (334114), Panel Beater (324111), Vehicle Painter (324311), Metal Fabricator (322311), Pressure Welder (322312), Welder (322313), Fitter General (323211), Fitter and Turner (323212), Fitter-Welder (323213), Metal Machinist First Class (323214).
Civil Machinery Operators (7). Earthmoving Plant Operator General (721211), Backhoe Operator (721212), Bulldozer Operator (721213), Excavator Operator (721214), Grader Operator (721215), Loader Operator (721216), Paving Plant Operator (721913).
Education (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).
Construction (2). Building Associate (312112), Crane, Hoist or Lifter Operator (712111) — the latter only where the role offered is as a Crane Operator.
And one each of: Dairy Cattle Farmer (121313), Slaughterer (831212) — only as a Halal Slaughterer at Ministry for Primary Industries listed premises, Telecommunications Technician (342414), and Corrections Officer (442111).
Pay: the part that decides most cases
Some Tier 2 occupations carry a multiple of the median wage written into Appendix 13. With the immigration median wage at NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026, those multiples resolve as follows:
| Multiple | Rate from 9 March 2026 | Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5× | NZ$52.50/hr | Building Associate |
| 1.3× | NZ$45.50/hr | Crane Operator, Metal Fabricator, Pressure Welder, Welder, Fitter (General), Fitter and Turner, Fitter-Welder, Metal Machinist (First Class) |
| 1.15× | NZ$40.25/hr | Telecommunications Technician, the seven Civil Machinery Operators, Panel Beater, Vehicle Painter |
| No multiple stated | NZ$35.00/hr (the median wage) | The regulated trades, education roles, Corrections Officer, Dairy Cattle Farmer, Slaughterer |
The requirement applies over the 24-month qualifying period, not just on the day you apply. That is what makes the pay rule the most common reason an accrual fails: a person works two years in a qualifying occupation for a qualifying employer, and discovers that for part of that period the hourly rate sat under the applicable threshold.
Full detail, including the Tier 1 rates and the multiplier history, is in Green List pay thresholds.
What the current job must look like
Separately from the 24 months of history, the job you hold when you apply must satisfy its own tests:
- Accredited employer, accredited at the time of the application.
- Full-time — at least 30 guaranteed hours a week.
- Permanent, or fixed-term for at least 12 months.
- Paid at the applicable rate for the occupation.
- Genuine, and not obtained through payment.
Occupation requirements on top of the work test
Tier 2 entries also attach a requirement to the occupation.
Mandatory registration applies to the regulated trades and the education roles: Electrician (Electrical Workers Registration Board), Plumber, Gasfitter and Drainlayer (Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board), and all seven education occupations (Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand).
There is a useful concession for plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying. Overseas-trained applicants generally work first on a provisional licence, valid up to 12 months, while preparing for the registration exam. Appendix 13 confirms that 12 months on a provisional licence counts toward the 24-month duration, provided registration is complete when the residence application is made.
Qualification requirements apply to the automotive trades — a certificate at NZQCF Level 4 or higher including the credit and knowledge requirements of the named New Zealand certificate. For Diesel Motor Mechanic, Motor Mechanic (General) and Motorcycle Mechanic, an appointment as a vehicle inspector with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is an alternative branch, not a mandatory step.
Experience requirements apply to Dairy Cattle Farmer: a minimum of three years working on a commercial farm in a relevant role.
Pay thresholds are the whole requirement for the civil machinery operators, the metal trades, Panel Beater and Vehicle Painter.
Age, English, health and character
- Age 55 or younger at the date of application.
- English — must be able to speak and understand English.
- Health — medical examination and, in most cases, a chest x-ray.
- Character — police certificates for everyone aged 17 and over, less than six months old.
A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger may be included.
Cost and processing
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$2,880 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$3,570 |
| Total | NZ$6,450 |
Immigration New Zealand publishes the combined figure only. Processing as at August 2026: average 8 weeks, 80% within 3.5 months. That is a little slower than the Straight to Residence Visa, which averages 7 weeks — the extra time reflects the evidence needed to establish 24 months of qualifying employment.
Note that the years spent building up to this application are not free either. Two years on an Accredited Employer Work Visa, medicals, police certificates and any registration process all sit outside the NZ$6,450.
Step 1: Confirm the occupation is on Tier 2
Find the ANZSCO code matching the duties performed and check it against the Tier 2 table in Appendix 13. If the code is in Tier 1, the Straight to Residence Visa applies instead and no waiting period is needed.
Step 2: Establish that the 24 months qualify
Work backwards from today. Identify the periods worked in the occupation, the visa held during each, the hours guaranteed, and the hourly rate paid — then test each period against the rate that applied at that time. Payslips, employment agreements and IRD records are the evidence.
Step 3: Check the employer's accreditation and the current job terms
The employer must be accredited when the application is made, and the job must be full-time and permanent or fixed-term for 12 months or more.
Step 4: Complete any registration
Where registration is mandatory it must be in place at the time of the residence application, even if part of the 24 months was worked on a provisional licence.
Step 5: Apply online
Applications are made through an Immigration Online account. There is no paid fast track — priority processing does not exist in the New Zealand system, at any price.
What changes on 24 August 2026
This is the change that matters most for this visa.
From 24 August 2026, applicants no longer need to meet the increased wage rate applying at the date of the residence application. Instead they need to satisfy the wage rate in force when they began accumulating the qualifying work experience. A five-month grace period also applies where the threshold rose between a work visa being granted and the person starting work.
Under the old approach, a person who accrued 24 months at NZ$40.25 an hour could find the threshold had risen by the time they applied. From 24 August 2026 that mismatch is addressed directly. The change also extends to 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 took effect. Confirm the wage rules on Immigration New Zealand's site before you lodge anything.
After the visa is granted
This is a Resident Visa. It grants an indefinite right to live, work and study in New Zealand, but its travel conditions expire — typically two years from first arrival. A Permanent Resident Visa, which has no travel expiry, can be applied for after two years. It costs NZ$315 and is decided in an average of 1.5 weeks.
See Resident Visa vs Permanent Resident Visa for the distinction, and rights of a New Zealand resident for what the visa actually gives you.
Where to get advice
This page sets out what the instructions require. Whether a particular sequence of jobs, visas and pay rates satisfies the 24-month test is exactly the kind of assessment that counts as immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and it is licensed work whether or not anyone is paid for it.
If your accrual has gaps, an employer change, a pay dip or a visa interruption in it, take it to a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer. See licensed immigration advisers explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I count overseas experience toward the 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 done outside New Zealand does not count toward this test.
Do the 24 months have to be with the same employer?
No, and they do not have to be consecutive. But changing employer stops the clock if the new pay falls below the applicable rate, so the pay rate is what governs continuity rather than the employer's identity.
What happens if my wage falls below the required rate?
The clock stops. Work performed while paid below the applicable rate does not count toward the 24 months. The reverse case is protected: if the required rate rises while you are in the same job at the same or higher income, the clock keeps running.
Does time on a provisional plumbing licence count?
Yes. Appendix 13 states that 12 months on a provisional licence counts toward the 24-month duration for the Green List, provided registration is complete when the residence application is made.
What is the pay rate for Work to Residence?
It depends on the occupation. Where Appendix 13 sets a multiple, it resolves to NZ$52.50 an hour at 1.5×, NZ$45.50 at 1.3× and NZ$40.25 at 1.15×, based on the NZ$35.00 median wage in force from 9 March 2026. Where no multiple is stated, the median wage itself applies.
How long does the Work to Residence Visa take to process?
An average of 8 weeks, with 80% decided within 3.5 months, on Immigration New Zealand's published figures as at August 2026.
Can I apply for Work to Residence from outside New Zealand?
No. The qualifying 24 months must already have been worked in New Zealand, so this pathway is only available to people already in the country on a qualifying work visa.
What is the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2?
Tier 1 leads to the Straight to Residence Visa and requires no prior New Zealand work. Tier 2 leads to this visa and requires 24 months. See Green List Tier 1 vs Tier 2.
What if my occupation is removed from Tier 2 while I am accruing time?
Work already accrued still counts, provided you remain in the occupation and continue to meet the requirements as they were listed. Six transport occupations were removed on 7 April 2024, which is the clearest example of this rule mattering in practice.
