Work to Residence Visa NZ: Requirements & Timeline (2026)

Both visas are Green List pathways, both lead to the same outcome (a resident visa) and both require a job with an accredited employer plus occupation-specific requirements. The difference is a single question: does New Zealand make you prove yourself for 24 months first?

Work to Residence in one sentence: if your occupation is on Green List Tier 2, you can apply for New Zealand residence after working 24 months in that role in New Zealand — at the required wage, for an accredited employer, with no points test.

The core comparison

	Straight to Residence	Work to Residence
Green List tier	Tier 1 (164 occupations)	Tier 2 (37 occupations)
NZ work required first	None	24 months in the role
Where you can apply from	Anywhere: overseas or in NZ	After qualifying NZ work
Wage rule at application	Role’s specified rate, or median wage ($35.00/h) if none	Role’s specified rate; wage requirements also applied throughout the 24 months
Typical occupations	Doctors, nurses, engineers, ICT, teachers	Trades, machinery operators, corrections officers
Median processing time*	37 working days	42 working days

*INZ data, last 4 weeks as of August 2026.

Straight to Residence: the immediate path

If your occupation is Tier 1, the sequence is short: job offer from an accredited employer → meet the role’s Green List requirement (registration, qualification or pay rate) → apply. No NZ experience needed. Many Tier 1 applicants lodge from overseas and arrive as residents.

Watch one detail: for teaching roles, INZ has signalled Straight to Residence is aimed at experienced teachers paid at the median wage, not new graduates: who should look at post-study work routes instead.

Work to Residence: the 24-month path

Tier 2 is a contract with a clock:

1. Get an AEWV (or other acceptable work visa) for the Tier 2 role
2. Work 24 months in New Zealand in that role, meeting the wage requirement the whole time: for many trades that is 1.15×, 1.3× or 1.5× the median wage, not the base rate
3. Apply for residence while still in the role (or holding an offer)

The 24 months do not need to be with one employer or one visa: but every month must be in the qualifying role at the qualifying wage. Time in a different occupation, or below the wage line, does not count.

In effect since 24 August 2026: the wage rate for work-to-residence visas is locked in at the rate in place when you started counting work experience — or the rate on the day your work visa was granted, if you started work within 5 months of the grant. You no longer need to meet a higher rate when you change employer or when you apply for residence. The rule that you complete 24 months of work within the 30 months before applying is unchanged.

Work to Residence requirements at a glance

• Your occupation is on Green List Tier 2: the tier is fixed per occupation, you cannot choose
• 24 months of NZ work in that role on an acceptable work visa (AEWV or equivalent)
• The role’s wage requirement met throughout the 24 months: for many trades that means 1.15×–1.5× the median wage, not the base rate
• A job (or job offer) with an accredited employer when you apply
• Standard residence health, character and English requirements

The decision logic

Your occupation’s tier is fixed, so this is usually not a choice: it is a lookup. The real strategic question is when you have options across systems:

• Tier 1 job? Straight to Residence is almost always your fastest route.
• Tier 2 job + strong SMC profile (e.g. a Master’s degree or 2× income)? Compare: 24 months to Work to Residence versus potentially faster SMC 6-point eligibility.
• Job not on the Green List at all? Neither pathway applies: the SMC is your system.

Check your occupation’s exact tier and requirements in the Green List Checker, then model your SMC position in the points calculator.