Moving to New Zealand: How the Residence Visa Pathway Works
General information on how New Zealand's residence visas work: points, fees, wage floors and processing times, from Immigration New Zealand's published rules, with a route to a licensed adviser.
At a glance
- Visa fee
- From NZD $6,450The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa application fee, per INZ.
- Average wait
- 9 weeksINZ reports most complete within 3.5 months.
- Points needed
- 6 skilled resident pointsBuilt from qualification, income and NZ work experience.
- Employer status
- Must be accreditedA skilled job has to sit with an INZ-accredited employer.
What visa options exist?
Immigration New Zealand groups its visa information under visit, work, study and live. A person moving to New Zealand permanently, rather than for a holiday, a job contract or a course, is generally looking at a residence visa, and the skilled migrant route is the main path into that category for workers.
This page focuses on the residence route into New Zealand, in particular the Skilled Migrant Category and Work to Residence pathways set out below. Visit, work and study visas each carry their own separate published rules on the same Immigration New Zealand site.
How does the skilled migrant pathway work?
The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa runs on a points system. Immigration New Zealand sets a target of 6 skilled resident points, built from a mix of qualification, income and New Zealand work experience, and an applicant needs to reach that target before an Expression of Interest can be selected.
Point building runs on a sliding scale set by Immigration New Zealand, and it links qualification directly to work experience. A person with a PhD, or a job paid at three times the median wage, needs no extra New Zealand work experience at all. A person with a masters degree or a five year professional registration needs one year of skilled work in New Zealand to add the extra point. An honours degree or a four year registration needs two years of skilled work for two more points, and a standard bachelors degree or a two year registration needs three years of skilled work for three more points. In every case the target is six skilled resident points before Immigration New Zealand will consider an Expression of Interest, and the qualification and the New Zealand work experience together decide how fast a person reaches that number.
What must a skilled job pay?
A skilled job counted toward the Skilled Migrant Category has to clear a wage floor. Immigration New Zealand sets that floor at the median wage for skill level 1 to 3 roles, and at 1.5 times the median wage for skill level 4 to 5 roles, regardless of what the job title itself is called.
| Skill level | Minimum pay |
|---|---|
| Level 1 to 3 | NZD $35.00 an hour (the median wage) |
| Level 4 to 5 | NZD $52.50 an hour (1.5 times the median wage) |
Both figures move when Immigration New Zealand updates the median wage, so the current rate is the one published on its site rather than a fixed number.
What is Work to Residence?
Work to Residence is a second route onto the residence pathway, built around time already worked in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand requires 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 role with an accredited employer before this visa can be granted, and it leads to permanent residence rather than restarting the points process.
| Stage | What it requires | Time in this stage |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled job | Full time work with an accredited employer | Ongoing |
| Green List Tier 2 role | 24 months in a listed occupation | 24 months |
| Work to Residence Visa | Application lodged once the 24 months is complete | Decision time varies |
| Permanent Resident Visa | Available after the Work to Residence Visa is held | 2 years |
A Work to Residence Visa costs from NZD $6,450, published by Immigration New Zealand, and after holding it for 2 years a person becomes eligible to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
How long does a decision take?
A Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa decision takes measurable time. Immigration New Zealand reports an average wait of 9 weeks for applications processed in the last 4 weeks, and most decisions are completed within 3.5 months. The page defines the average as the time taken for half of applications, and “most completed within” as the time taken for 80% of them, both counted in working days.
These figures move as application volumes change, since Immigration New Zealand recalculates them from recently decided cases rather than fixed processing standards.
What does moving cost day to day?
Immigration New Zealand does not publish a single cost of living figure, because it depends on where a person settles and what kind of housing they choose. Its cost of living page sets out the main categories instead: housing, transport, healthcare and food, each with its own local variation across New Zealand’s regions.
Rent is typically charged weekly, and a landlord can ask for a bond of up to 4 weeks of rent on top of it, per Immigration New Zealand. Health care and disability services are funded for most people who hold a resident visa, while temporary visa holders may still access some services.
Who can help with an application?
This page sets out general information about Immigration New Zealand’s own published rules, and it is not immigration advice. Confirming current requirements, and getting an assessment against personal circumstances, sits with a licensed immigration adviser rather than with this page.
Jumpstart International connects people to a network of licensed immigration advisers and does not itself provide immigration advice. Reaching out to a licensed adviser directly is the way to move from these published rules to a plan for an individual situation.
- Immigration New Zealand, Moving to New Zealand. Supports the grouping in “What visa options exist?”: the page sits under INZ’s “Live” section beside visit, work and study. Checked 21 August 2026.
- Immigration New Zealand, Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa. Supports the fee, age limit and wage floor in “At a glance” and “What must a skilled job pay?”: the page states the fee is “From NZD $6450”, the age limit is “55 or younger”, and skilled pay must be at least “NZD $35.00 an hour” for level 1 to 3 jobs or “NZD $52.50 an hour” for level 4 to 5 jobs. Checked 21 August 2026.
- Immigration New Zealand, Skilled migrant category pathway to residence. Supports the points structure in “How does the skilled migrant pathway work?”: the page states a target of “6 skilled resident points” built from qualification, income and New Zealand work experience together. Checked 21 August 2026.
- Immigration New Zealand, Resident visa wait times. Supports the processing time in “At a glance” and “How long does a decision take?”: the page reports an average wait time of “9 weeks” and states most applications are “completed within” 3.5 months, with the average defined as the time for 50% of applications and “most completed within” as 80%, in working days. Checked 21 August 2026.
- Immigration New Zealand, Work to Residence Visa. Supports “What is Work to Residence?”: the page states the fee is “From NZD $6450”, the pathway needs the applicant to have “worked in New Zealand for 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 job”, the wage floor is “NZD $35.00 an hour (the 2025 median wage)”, and a Permanent Resident Visa follows “after holding this visa for 2 years”. Checked 21 August 2026.
- Immigration New Zealand, Cost of living in New Zealand. Supports “What does moving cost day to day?”: the page states rent is “typically charged each week” and a bond can run “up to 4 weeks of rent”, and that health care and disability services are funded for most resident visa holders. Checked 21 August 2026.
This is general information, not immigration advice, and visa rules change often. Check the official Immigration New Zealand website or talk to a licensed adviser before acting on it.
