The New Zealand Work to Residence Visa is a resident visa for eligible Green List Tier 2 workers. The standard pathway requires 24 months of qualifying New Zealand work within the 30 months immediately before applying, plus a qualifying current job or offer and the remaining residence requirements. Holding any work visa for two years does not by itself establish eligibility.
Official INZ guidance checked November 2, 2026. This article covers the Green List Work to Residence category. Care Workforce, Transport and older Residence from Work categories have separate instructions.
Use this guide to check the route, organise your work history and prepare evidence. INZ’s Work to Residence Visa page and current operational instructions control the application; the examples below are planning aids.
For the related next step, see our searching for work as an overseas applicant. Confirm that the guide’s scope matches your circumstances before using its checklist.
Work to Residence versus other New Zealand pathways
The Green List pathway distinguishes Tier 1 from Tier 2. An AEWV is temporary permission to work; Work to Residence is a later residence application where the qualifying-work rules are met. It is not an automatic conversion of the work visa.
| Route | Main purpose | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Accredited Employer Work Visa | Temporary employment permission | Job offer, employer and worker requirements |
| Green List Work to Residence | Residence following qualifying work | Tier 2 role, work history and applicable pay |
| Straight to Residence | Residence through eligible Tier 1 employment | The Tier 1 job and its specific conditions |
| Skilled Migrant Category | A separate skilled residence category | The applicable SMC pathway and evidence |
| Care Workforce or Transport Work to Residence | Sector-specific residence | The relevant sector’s own job and work rules |
INZ lists these options in its skilled residence directory. Our guide to immigrating to New Zealand explains how to fit a work-first route into a broader moving plan. Do not choose a category solely because its name appears in an old application form or social-media post.
New Zealand Work to Residence Visa requirements
Under the current SR5.5 requirements, the principal applicant must be 55 or younger, hold the required visa at application, meet the employment and qualifying-work tests, and meet the applicable wage requirement. Health, character and English requirements also apply.
Prepare two separate checks: your historical qualifying work and your job or offer when applying. A complete historical timeline cannot repair a current offer that fails the employment test. Equally, an excellent new offer does not replace missing qualifying work.
Check the occupation, not just the industry
Search the official Green List for the actual occupation and tier. Read its qualification, registration, experience and wage conditions. Your employer’s industry and a loosely similar job title are not enough to establish the match.
Save the entry you checked and the date, then compare it with your actual duties and credentials. If professional registration is required, keep evidence of when it began and any conditions. Overseas qualifications may need an assessment where the listed requirement calls for one; do not assume every overseas award needs the same process.
The current job and accredited employer
The acceptable employment instructions require genuine full-time employment of at least 30 guaranteed hours each week, permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months from application. The employer must have qualifying accreditation, without suspension, at application or decision. Occupation-specific requirements and the applicable remuneration must also be met.
Use our accredited employer search guide to distinguish a business listing from a genuine contact and actual job offer. An accreditation result does not prove every vacancy leads to residence. Never pay for a job offer.
How to count 24 months within the 30-month window
Work backwards from the proposed residence submission date. Under the qualifying-work instructions, count eligible full-time work in New Zealand while meeting the occupation and visa conditions. Overseas experience does not substitute for this New Zealand work requirement.
The period need not be continuous. A gap does not automatically erase earlier qualifying time, but older work eventually falls outside the rolling 30-month window. Recalculate after changing the planned application date rather than keeping a total made months earlier.
| Illustrative 30-month record | Time included | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| First 8 months | 8 months | All relevant work, visa, occupation and pay rules met |
| Next 4 months | 0 months | No qualifying employment in this example |
| Final 18 months | 18 months | All relevant requirements met |
| Total | 26 qualifying months | Within the illustrated 30-month window; other visa tests still apply |
This example demonstrates the arithmetic only. It does not determine whether a particular gap, job, visa or pay record is acceptable. Mark uncertain periods for checking rather than counting them optimistically to reach the required total.
Visa history, leave and changes of role
The qualifying-work rules include work visas, historical Critical Purpose Visitor Visas with work conditions, and specified Interim Visa situations. Do not assume every Interim Visa period qualifies merely because some work was allowed. The visa held when applying is a separate test from the visas covering past work. SR5.5 specifies a work visa or a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa with work conditions at application; a historical Interim Visa period does not remove that application-stage requirement.
Lawful leave during qualifying employment can count under the relevant rules. If an occupation leaves the list after counting begins, a continuation provision may apply when the worker stays in that occupation and meets the specified conditions. Neither provision makes every absence or later job automatically count.
Some mixed work histories can be assessed using the separate twice-median-wage instructions for the balance of the period. Treat this as a specific rule to verify, not permission to count any well-paid job without the remaining Green List requirements.
Wage requirements: use the applicable date and occupation
The current work-to-residence wage guidance links the required rate to when qualifying work began, with a possible visa-grant-date grace period. It says a higher rate is not automatically required just because the median wage increases or the employer changes. A different occupation or another visa can bring a different wage test.
For the five-month grace period, the relevant earnings must meet the visa-grant-date rate within five months of the grant and within the eligible 30-month period. A grant date alone does not establish that the grace period applies.
Read the current occupation entry and historical wage table together. Record the role, date used to establish the threshold, required rate, actual guaranteed pay and any later changes. A single “current median wage” figure is not a complete assessment of a two-year history.
If pay falls below the applicable threshold or the work stops meeting the rules, that period may stop counting. A later pay increase does not retrospectively turn a non-qualifying period into qualifying work. Check older transitional provisions separately where relevant, including work connected with visas applied for before September 29, 2023.
Documents and an evidence record that supports your timeline
Prepare identity and photo evidence, current and previous employment records, evidence of the occupation requirements, and the required English, health and character documents. Follow the live application’s instructions for translations and for material already provided to INZ.
A useful employment evidence set connects agreements and job descriptions with payroll, employer confirmation and tax records. Do not rely on a job title in a reference letter to prove duties, hours, location and pay throughout the entire period.
Inland Revenue explains how to request an income summary in myIR. Choose the relevant dates and obtain the appropriate breakdown. Compare tax records with employment documents; an annual income total alone does not explain a change of occupation or a gap between jobs.
| Period | Record in your private worksheet | Supporting evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Each job | Dates, employer, occupation, duties and location | Agreement, job description and employer confirmation |
| Each pay change | Required rate, actual rate and effective date | Pay records and written variations |
| Each visa period | Visa type, expiry and work conditions | eVisa and relevant decisions |
| Leave or interruption | Dates, reason and treatment to verify | Employment and leave records |
| Occupation credentials | Qualification or registration and effective dates | Award, assessment or regulator documentation |
Use one row whenever a material fact changes, even if the employer remains the same. Give files clear names and keep an index linking them to each period. This is an optional organisation method, not an extra INZ form or an official eligibility calculator.
English, health, character and family
Check INZ’s skilled residence English requirements before booking a test. Qualifying citizenship, work or study history can satisfy the rules in defined circumstances. Where a test is used, check the approved test, required result and validity; the principal applicant cannot use the family English-lesson option instead.
Partners and dependent children aged 16 or older have separate English provisions, including the permitted lesson option. Do not assume an English-speaking passport alone removes all evidence requirements. Prepare the appropriate records for each included person.
The category permits eligible partners and dependent children aged 24 or younger, with relationship and dependency evidence as applicable. Check the instructions concerning family already holding or applying for relationship-based temporary visas.
Use our New Zealand visa medical guide for certificate timing, panel physicians and eMedical references. Residence health evidence differs from a generic visitor checklist. Arrange any required police documents and translations using the current application instructions.
How to apply online for Work to Residence
- Confirm that Green List Work to Residence is the correct category.
- Check the occupation requirements and current employment or offer.
- Build and review the qualifying-work, visa and wage timeline.
- Gather the required personal, family and employment evidence.
- Open the official application from the INZ category page.
- Review declarations, upload readable documents, pay and submit.
- Save confirmation and monitor the account for requests and decisions.
You do not use the SMC points calculation as a substitute for the Work to Residence tests. A saved online form is not a submitted application, and payment is not a residence grant.
If you are still at the temporary employment stage, our AEWV application guide explains that earlier process. If your current visa may expire during the residence decision, make a separate lawful-status plan. Filing residence alone does not automatically extend temporary permission to stay or work.
Follow any request for additional records through the instructed channel. Keep the request, deadline and response together. Check current visa conditions before changing employer, duties or location while still holding a temporary work visa.
Visa cost and processing time
The official category page checked on November 2, 2026 displays a cost from NZD 6,450. Verify the charge for your application before payment. Medical examinations, police records, translations, qualification assessments and optional professional help can create separate expenses.
For Work to Residence Visa processing time, check the current INZ category page and any linked waiting-time information. Published figures describe other applications and change; they are not a completion deadline for yours. Evidence requests or individual issues can affect timing.
Keep the qualifying-work period, preparation time and decision time as three separate planning items. An estimate that begins after submission does not include the years needed to establish the work history. Avoid fixed travel or resignation plans based on somebody else’s decision date.
After approval: resident visa and later permanent residence
Read the actual eVisa for first-entry and return-travel conditions. A resident visa allows ongoing residence but still has travel conditions. It is different from the later Permanent Resident Visa, which has its own application requirements.
Our New Zealand resident visa guide explains the status and travel distinction. Keep your passport and visa records current, and check return permission before an overseas trip instead of assuming residence means unlimited travel.
Test the current job and past work as separate evidence checks
A complete work-history folder can still leave a current-job requirement unresolved. Make two checks: what supports the eligible work period being claimed, and what establishes the job or offer used at application. Keep any employer, occupation, pay or visa change visible in the chronology.
For each period, identify the agreement, duties, hours, relevant pay records and immigration permission. If the planned application date moves, reconsider the period being counted rather than reusing a total calculated for an earlier date. Do not silently fill a gap with overseas employment or non-qualifying work.
The official Work to Residence page and the detailed instructions linked above govern those tests. This evidence method does not replace occupation-specific requirements or decide whether a particular period qualifies.
Check the business using the employer-list guide and keep temporary permission separate using the AEWV guide. If considering a different skilled route, compare SMC requirements. Use the processing-time guide only for the later decision stage, not the period spent building eligibility.
November 4, 2026 update: test the current job and past work as separate evidence checks. Current official references checked for this added guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Does two years on an AEWV automatically qualify me?
No. You need qualifying work, the applicable occupation and pay requirements, acceptable current employment, and the remaining residence conditions. The visa’s elapsed duration alone is insufficient.
Must all qualifying work be with one employer?
Not necessarily. Each period must meet the applicable rules, and only eligible work inside the look-back window can be used. Check the role, pay and visa conditions before a change.
Is Work to Residence the same as Straight to Residence?
No. Green List Work to Residence concerns Tier 2 and qualifying work history. Straight to Residence concerns eligible Tier 1 employment and its separate requirements.
Can an overseas job offer replace the New Zealand work history?
No. A job offer and overseas experience do not replace the qualifying New Zealand work required for this category. For an initial move, compare temporary work and other appropriate residence routes.
Do I receive a Permanent Resident Visa automatically?
No. This category grants a resident visa. The later Permanent Resident Visa requires a separate application and its own criteria; approval is not automatic.