New Zealand Residence: Green List & Skilled Migrant Category (2026)

Reader, before you start: this guide is about getting permanent residence — the right to live in New Zealand indefinitely. It assumes you have skilled work, a qualification, or a job offer. If you just want to work there for a few years, start with the Accredited Employer Work Visa. For the whole move, see moving to New Zealand in 2026.

What this guide covers

There are two main ways to turn skilled work into a New Zealand resident visa: the Green List, which qualifies you on your occupation, and the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), which scores you on points. They suit different people, and one is far faster than the other if your job is on the right list. This explains both, who each is for, and the changes landing in August 2026.

• The Green List: straight-to-residence and work-to-residence
• The SMC 6-point system, and how points actually add up
• Which route is faster, and what it costs
• The August 2026 changes that tighten the rules

Last verified: June 10, 2026. All rules and figures come from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and change regularly — the median wage that drives the SMC income points updated in March 2026, and the SMC itself changes again in August 2026. Confirm current settings before you apply.

Route 1: The Green List

The Green List is INZ’s list of in-demand occupations. If your job is on it, you skip the points maths entirely and qualify on the occupation itself (plus that role’s wage, qualification, or registration requirements). It has two tiers (INZ — Green List pathway to residence).

Tier 1 — Straight to Residence

You apply directly for a resident visa on a qualifying job offer, from inside or outside New Zealand. No required period of NZ work first. This is the fastest route to permanent residence there is.

Tier 1 occupations include many health, engineering, and tech roles:

• GPs, medical specialists, surgeons, registered nurses, midwives, dentists, psychologists
• Civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, and telecommunications engineers and engineering technicians
• Software engineers, ICT project managers, analyst and developer programmers, database administrators
• Auditors, quantity surveyors, construction project managers, veterinarians
• Primary, secondary, and early-childhood teachers (primary and intermediate teachers were added on 26 March 2025)

Tier 2 — Work to Residence

You work 24 months in the qualifying role in New Zealand, on an eligible work visa and meeting the wage requirement throughout, then apply for residence. Tier 2 is mostly trades:

• Electricians, plumbers, gasfitters, drainlayers
• Motor, diesel, and automotive mechanics
• Crane and earthmoving-plant operators, building site supervisors
• Dairy cattle farmers (with three or more years’ experience)

Ten trades occupations were added to this pathway on 18 August 2025 (INZ — trades added to work-to-residence). Tier 2 roles also get priority work-visa processing.

The practical takeaway: check the Green List for your exact occupation first. If you’re on Tier 1, it’s the simplest residence route in the system. Tier 2 gives a defined two-year runway with a near-guaranteed residence outcome — better than accumulating points.

Route 2: The Skilled Migrant Category (6 points)

If your occupation isn’t on the Green List, the SMC is the main alternative. It’s a points system: you submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), and if it’s selected you’re invited to apply. You must reach 6 points, and be 55 or younger (INZ — Skilled Migrant Category resident visa).

How the points work

You claim points from one of three sources, then add up to 3 more for skilled New Zealand work experience.

Points source	How you score
Occupational registration	6 points (6+ years’ training/experience), down to 3 (2+ years)
Qualification	6 (doctorate, Level 10), 5 (master’s, Level 9), 4 (Level 8), 3 (bachelor’s, Level 7)
Income	6 (3× median wage = NZD $105.00/hr), 4 (2× = NZD $70.00/hr), 3 (1.5× = NZD $52.50/hr)
+ NZ skilled work experience	+3 (3 years), +2 (2 years), +1 (1 year)

The income thresholds come from the immigration median wage, which rose to NZD $35.00/hour on 9 March 2026 (INZ — median wage increase). To qualify at all, your skilled job must pay at least the median wage (NZD $35.00/hour) for higher-skill roles, or NZD $52.50/hour for lower-skill bands.

So, for example: a registered professional with 6 years’ experience hits 6 on registration alone. A master’s graduate (5 points) needs only one year of skilled NZ work (+1) to reach 6. Someone earning twice the median (4 points) needs two years of NZ experience (+2).

Which route, and what it costs

• On the Green List Tier 1? Apply straight for residence. Fastest, no points, no NZ-time requirement.
• On Tier 2? Plan for 24 months of qualifying work, then residence.
• Not on the list but skilled? The SMC, via an EOI — and it runs longer because of the invitation step.

Route	Application fee (NZD)	Typical processing	Source
Skilled Migrant Category	from $6,450	~10 weeks average; 80% within ~5 months	INZ SMC
Green List (straight to residence)	check INZ for your category	Prioritised; faster than SMC	INZ Green List

Processing times move; see how New Zealand’s visa processing times work before planning around a date.

Changes coming 24 August 2026

The SMC tightens from 24 August 2026, so build these in if you’re applying around then (INZ — further SMC changes August 2026):

• A new Trades and Technician pathway for skill-level 1–3 roles (a Level 4+ qualification plus 4 years’ experience, including 1.5 years in NZ at the SMC median wage).
• A “red list” of roles (such as retail manager and hairdresser) that will need the full 6 points through standard pathways.
• An “amber list” (such as chef and hotel manager) needing 5+ years of relevant NZ experience, including 2 years of skilled work at 1.2× the SMC median wage.
• NZ qualifications get +1 point over equivalent overseas ones, and the English-test validity extends to 5 years for registered occupations.

A separate change flagged for 2027 would let AEWV holders extend up to 12 months to finish meeting SMC requirements.

A note on the investor route

If your path is capital rather than a job, the Active Investor Plus visa leads to residence through investment — Growth (from NZD $5 million over 3 years) or Balanced (from NZD $10 million over 5 years) (INZ — Active Investor Plus). It’s a different track from skilled residence and suits a small group; most readers will use the Green List or SMC.

What they don’t tell you

• Your occupation decides your speed. A Green List Tier 1 role can go straight to residence with no NZ-time requirement. The exact same salary in a non-listed job means the slower SMC. Check the list before you accept a job.
• Skill level beats salary for residence. A high salary in a low-skill role often won’t qualify, while a moderate salary in a registered or listed occupation will. Optimise for the right occupation, not just pay.
• The median wage moves the goalposts. SMC income points are tied to the immigration median wage, which rose to $35/hour in March 2026. A pay packet that qualified last year might not this year.
• August 2026 makes some roles harder. Red- and amber-list occupations face tougher requirements. If you’re in retail or hospitality management, the rules are tightening — apply with current advice.
• The EOI is a queue, not a guarantee. Reaching 6 points lets you submit an Expression of Interest; you still wait to be selected and invited. Green List applicants skip that step.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category?

The Green List qualifies you on your occupation — if your job is on it, you skip the points system. Tier 1 roles go straight to residence; Tier 2 roles after 24 months of work. The Skilled Migrant Category is the points-based alternative for skilled people whose occupation isn’t on the Green List.

How many points do I need for the Skilled Migrant Category?

Six. You claim them from one of three sources — occupational registration, qualifications, or income — and can add up to three more for skilled New Zealand work experience. You also need to be 55 or younger and have a job paying at least the relevant wage threshold.

What is the fastest way to get New Zealand residence?

A Green List Tier 1 (straight-to-residence) occupation. You can apply directly for a resident visa on a qualifying job offer, from inside or outside New Zealand, with no required period of NZ work first. It’s faster than both the SMC and the Tier 2 work-to-residence route.

How much does New Zealand residence cost?

The Skilled Migrant Category application fee starts at NZD $6,450. Green List residence fees vary by category — check Immigration New Zealand for yours. Both are separate from any earlier work-visa costs.

How long does residence take to process?

The Skilled Migrant Category averages about 10 weeks, with 80% of applications decided within roughly 5 months. Green List residence applications are prioritised and tend to be faster. Times change weekly, so check the live figure before relying on a date.

Do I need a job offer for residence?

For the Green List, yes — a qualifying job offer in a listed occupation. For the Skilled Migrant Category, you need skilled employment (or an offer) that meets the wage threshold, plus enough points. There’s no skilled-residence route with no work component except the investor visa.

Next steps

Look up your exact occupation on the Green List first — if it’s there, that’s almost always your best route, and Tier 1 can go straight to residence. If it isn’t, work out your SMC points from registration, qualifications, or income, and remember the August 2026 changes if you’re applying around then. Most people reach residence through a work visa first, so if you’re not there yet, start with the Accredited Employer Work Visa, and read moving to New Zealand in 2026 for the rest of the picture.

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Sources

• Immigration New Zealand — Skilled Migrant Category resident visa — accessed 2026-06-10
• Immigration New Zealand — Green List pathway to residence — accessed 2026-06-10
• Immigration New Zealand — Ten trades occupations added to the work-to-residence pathway — accessed 2026-06-10
• Immigration New Zealand — Further changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (August 2026) — accessed 2026-06-10
• Immigration New Zealand — Median wage increase and the National Occupation List — accessed 2026-06-10
• Immigration New Zealand — Active Investor Plus visa — accessed 2026-06-10