New ZealandWork and qualifications

Green List residence in New Zealand

A visa for specialists who work, or have received a job offer, in a top-tier occupation on New Zealand's Green List of occupations in demand with an accredited employer. It gives residence straight away, with no intermediate work visa.

Processing time

80%

of applications — within 3 months

Work

The right to live, work and study in New Zealand with no limit of time.

Source: Immigration New Zealand — Straight to Residence Visa

Who can apply

Residence is granted straight away — no separate work visa is needed as an intermediate stage. Two forms of engagement meet the visa's conditions.

Employee

A permanent employment agreement or a fixed-term contract of at least 12 months with an accredited employer
Full-time employment (from 30 hours a week) in a top-tier Green List occupation
Pay no lower than NZD 35.00 an hour (the 2025 median wage) or no lower than the rate set for the particular occupation

Contractor (contract for services)

A contract, or several consecutive contracts with no breaks, for a term of 6 months or more
If a pay threshold for contractors is set for the occupation — 10 years of relevant work experience is needed
Pay no lower than the threshold set for a contract for services in that occupation

What it costs

Fee for the resident visa	6 450 NZD

Documents to gather

The main list of documents at lodgement — from the visa page. The agency may request further evidence after lodgement.

A copy of your passport or certificate of identity
One photograph meeting the requirements
Chest x-ray results
Results of a medical examination
Police certificates
Evidence of English language ability
Evidence of a job offer or current employment in a top-tier Green List occupation with an accredited employer and of meeting the other requirements of that occupation
Translations of all documents that are not in English
For a partner and dependent children — documents evidencing the relationship, proof of identity and photographs, police certificates and medical documents where required, evidence of English or of paid language courses

How the process runs

Lodgement is entirely online through an account on the Immigration New Zealand website.

1
Gather the documents
Translate documents that are not in English, prepare proof of identity, medical certificates and police certificates, and evidence of employment or a job offer in the required occupation and of English language ability.
2
Lodge the application and pay the fee
Complete the application in your account, upload the documents and pay the fee.
3
Wait for the decision
80% of applications — 3 months
The agency may request further documents during the assessment. If your current visa expires before the decision, you have to lodge separately for a temporary visa.
4
Check the status of the application and receive the visa
On approval an eVisa is issued. If the application was lodged outside New Zealand, you have to enter the country within 12 months of the date the visa was granted.

Who you can bring with you

A partner and dependent children can be included in the same application as the main applicant.

Partner

A genuine relationship and documents evidencing it are needed, for example a marriage certificate. A partner aged 16 and over has to have English language ability or to pay for English courses in New Zealand.

Dependent children aged 24 and under

Documents evidencing the relationship are needed, for example a birth certificate. Children aged 16 and over have to have English language ability or to pay for English courses in New Zealand.

Renewal and the grace period

After two consecutive years holding this resident visa you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa — it removes the limit set by the travel conditions on leaving and entering the country. Citizenship is available to most people after five years of living in the country as a resident, and no separate permanent resident visa is required for it.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Green List residence	AEWV work visa	Active investor visa
Visa term	A resident visa with no limit on the period of residence	Up to 5 years depending on the job offered; for occupations at skill level 4–5 the term is reduced to 3 years	This is a resident visa with no limit of time: you live, work and study in the country
Money	The fee is from NZD 6,450	The fee is from NZD 1,540	Growth category — an investment of at least NZD 5,000,000 for a term of 36 months
Work	The right to live, work and study in New Zealand with no limit of time	Work with an accredited employer	The right to live in New Zealand with no limit of time

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

After 2 consecutive years holding the visa you become eligible for a Permanent Resident Visa with open-ended travel conditions.

Frequently asked questions about Green List residence

Who can apply for residence straight through the Green List?

An applicant aged 55 or under at lodgement who has employment or a job offer in a top-tier Green List occupation with an accredited employer. English language ability, good health and good character are also required.

What does the visa cost and how long does an application take?

The fee is from NZD 6,450. 80% of applications are decided within 3 months.

Can a partner and children be included in the application?

Yes, a partner and dependent children aged 24 and under can be included in the same application. A partner and children aged 16 and over have to have English language ability or to pay for English courses in New Zealand.

How does this visa differ from the Green List work to residence visa?

The Green List divides occupations into tiers: top-tier occupations give the right to apply for residence straight away on this visa, while second-tier occupations lead to a separate Work to Residence Visa, where you first have to work for a set period with an accredited employer.

Can you work on this visa as a contractor rather than under an employment agreement?

Yes. Instead of a permanent or fixed-term employment agreement, a contract or several consecutive contracts with no breaks for a term of 6 months or more is accepted. If a pay threshold for contractors is set for the occupation, you additionally have to evidence 10 years of relevant work experience.

What happens once this resident visa is granted?

The visa gives the right to live, work and study in New Zealand with no limit of time, but the travel conditions allowing free departure and entry expire 2 years after first entry as a resident. After two consecutive years holding the visa you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which removes that limit. Citizenship is available to most people after five years of living as a resident.

Other ways to move to New Zealand

Every route in one list — migration programmes: New Zealand.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.