New Zealand Immigration (Immigration New Zealand) offers several visa pathways depending on your skills, age, and reason for moving. Below is an overview of the main visa categories.
Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa
The primary pathway for skilled workers to gain residence in New Zealand. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and are ranked by points. If selected, you apply for residence. As of late 2023, the SMC uses a simplified points system — 6 points minimum from a combination of qualifications, registration, and skilled work experience in New Zealand.
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
Replaced the old Essential Skills work visa. To apply, you need a job offer from a New Zealand employer who is accredited by Immigration NZ. The visa is tied to that specific employer and role. You can apply for residence after working for 2 years if you meet Green List requirements.
Green List Residence
Certain occupations are on the Green List — roles where New Zealand has a shortage. Depending on your job, you may qualify for either Direct to Residence (apply immediately) or Work to Residence (apply after 2 years of work). See the Green List guide for full details.
Student Visa
If you plan to study in New Zealand, you'll need a Student Visa. You must be enrolled in an approved course at a recognised education provider. Student visas allow part-time work (up to 20 hours/week during semester, full-time during holidays). Some graduates can apply for a Post-Study Work Visa after completing their qualification.
Visitor Visa
For short stays (usually up to 3 or 6 months depending on your passport). Visitors cannot work. UK, US, Canadian, Japanese, and many European passport holders can apply for a working holiday visa instead if they want to work during their stay.
Partner of a New Zealander
If you are in a genuine and stable relationship with a New Zealand citizen or resident, you can apply for a Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa (temporary) or Residence Visa. You need to provide evidence of living together for at least 12 months.
Other Visa Pathways
- Working Holiday Scheme: For young people (usually 18–30) from partner countries to work and travel in NZ for up to 12 or 23 months.
- Investor Visa: For those investing NZ$5–15 million in New Zealand.
- Parent Category: For parents of New Zealand citizens or residents (currently paused for most applications).
- Refugee or Protected Person: For those who meet the refugee definition under the Refugee Convention.
Visa Application Tips
- Always apply through the official Immigration New Zealand website: immigration.govt.nz
- Processing times vary widely — expect 3–12 months for residence visas.
- You'll need police certificates from countries you've lived in, medical certificates, and certified copies of qualifications.
- Consider using a Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA) if your case is complex.
2026 Fee Changes: Budget for the New Numbers
Visa fees rose sharply from 1 October 2024, and the 2026 budgets should use the new figures. Indicative costs: Accredited Employer Work Visa NZ$1,540 (plus the NZ$100 Immigration Levy), Skilled Migrant Category residence NZ$6,450, Residence from Work NZ$6,490, partner of a New Zealander work visa around NZ$1,630, student visa NZ$750–$850, and visitor visa from NZ$441. The IVL (Immigration Levy) of NZ$100 applies to most applications, and medicals, police certificates and NZQA assessments add hundreds more. Fees are non-refundable and paid at lodgement, so the practical rule is: prepare the complete file before you pay, because a declined application costs you the full fee with nothing to show for it.
How to Choose Your Pathway
New Zealand's visa system rewards one decision above all: matching your occupation to the right pathway before you apply. The decision tree is simple. If your occupation is on the Green List Tier 1, apply Direct to Residence — the fastest route in the system. If it is Tier 2, take a job via AEWV, work 24 months, then convert through Work to Residence. If you have a job offer at the median wage but your occupation is not on the Green List, the AEWV → Skilled Migrant Category route is your path — and from 24 August 2026 the new Skilled Work Experience and Trades and Technician pathways broaden the options. Students should check whether their qualification leads to a Green List role before enrolling, because that single fact determines whether study converts into residence. When in doubt, use a licensed immigration adviser (INZ publishes a register) — with fees this high, professional advice pays for itself on a first application.
What Each Visa Actually Allows
The visa name matters less than the three things it controls: how long you can stay, whether you can work, and whether it leads anywhere. Working through them in that order prevents most of the expensive mistakes:
| Visa | Work rights | Path to residence? |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor | None. Study up to a limited period is sometimes allowed. | No — but it buys time to look for work or visit employers |
| Student | Part-time during term and full-time in holidays, for eligible courses | Indirectly, via a post-study route and skilled work |
| Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) | Full-time for a specific accredited employer and role | Yes — skilled work in New Zealand adds points to a later residence application |
| Green List Tier 2 | Full-time in the qualifying occupation | Yes, after the required qualifying period in the role |
| Green List Tier 1 | Full-time in the occupation | Yes — residence directly |
| Skilled Migrant Category | Unrestricted on residence | This is residence |
| Partner of a New Zealander | Depends on the specific partner visa granted | Yes, through the partner residence pathway |
The Order Newcomers Usually Follow
Most successful settlement stories follow one of three patterns, and knowing which one you are on determines what to prioritise in the first year:
- Offshore-to-residence. You apply for a Green List Tier 1 or Skilled Migrant visa from outside New Zealand and arrive as a resident. Fastest if you qualify, and it avoids the visa-to-visa treadmill entirely.
- Work visa, then residence. You arrive on an AEWV or Tier 2 role, build two to three years of documented skilled employment, and apply for residence. The most common path, and the one where keeping clean paperwork matters most.
- Study, then work, then residence. The longest route, but it is also how people who do not yet meet a skilled occupation requirement get there. Budget several years and significant tuition costs.
Whichever path you take, the same two things decide outcomes: skilled employment consistent with your visa conditions, and evidence that holds up. Visa fees, income thresholds and processing times change frequently, so confirm current requirements on the Immigration New Zealand website before you commit money or resign a job.
The Two Things That Sink Applications
- Non-declaration. Health conditions, previous visa refusals, criminal convictions and dependants must all be declared. Immigration New Zealand cross-checks, and a discovered omission is treated far more seriously than the underlying fact.
- Thin relationship or employment evidence. Applications are decided on documents. Joint tenancy agreements, shared bank accounts, and job descriptions that match the occupation definition do the work — statements of intent do not.