Visa waiver entry with an NZeTA: The United States is on the INZ visa waiver list, so US passport holders do not apply for a visitor visa in advance. You must hold an NZeTA before you check in, complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, hold a passport valid for at least 3 months after your departure date, and have a ticket out of New Zealand or the money to buy one. Since 27 January 2025, NZeTA travellers may also work remotely for an overseas employer or clients while visiting; see the remote work route on this page.
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Living in New Zealand long term
New Zealand gives US passport holders 3 months visa free per visit with an NZeTA, visitor visas of up to 9 months that since 27 January 2025 include the right to work remotely for an overseas employer (there is no standalone digital nomad visa), and a residence system built around the Active Investor Plus visa (NZD 5 million Growth or NZD 10 million Balanced since the April 2025 relaunch), skilled residence through the 6 point Skilled Migrant Category and the Green List, and parent routes. There is no general retirement residence: the only retirement categories are the Parent Retirement Resident Visa, which needs a New Zealand citizen or resident adult child, and a 2 year Temporary Retirement visitor category for people aged 66 or older with NZD 750,000 to invest.
Numbers on this page apply to holders of a US passport. Page last verified: 2026-10-15
Rules change. Confirm the current rules with the official source or the consulate for New Zealand before you apply, pay a fee, or book travel around a date in this table.
Every route, with the math
Scroll sideways for the full table. The route name stays in view.
| Route | Income required | Investment required | Total cost | Processing time | Days allowed | Renewal rules | Tax residency trigger | Years to permanent residency | Years to citizenship | Last verified | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa waiver entry with an NZeTA Tourist allowance | Not applicable. There is no income threshold. You must be a genuine visitor with onward travel, and border officers can ask for evidence of funds to support your stay (INZ). | Not applicable | NZD 17 to request an NZeTA on the INZ mobile app, or NZD 23 on the INZ website, plus the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL): NZD 117 or NZD 123 in total per person. | Usually fast, but INZ advises requesting the NZeTA at least 72 hours before you travel in case extra checks are needed. | Up to 3 months per visit. The NZeTA is valid for 2 years and covers multiple visits (INZ). | The NZeTA is not renewed; you request a new one when it expires after 2 years. Visitor time does not build toward residence, and repeated long visits can lead border officers to doubt that you are a genuine visitor. | A short visit does not normally trigger tax residence. You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). | Not available. Visitor time does not count toward residence, or toward the 2 years as a resident normally needed for a Permanent Resident Visa. | Not available from visitor status. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years holding a resident visa, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Visitor Visa applied for in advance Tourist allowance | Funds of at least NZD 1,000 per month of stay, or NZD 400 per month if your accommodation is already paid for (INZ). This is a funds test, not an income threshold. | Not applicable | NZD 441 in total for most applicants applying from the United States (Band C, rest of world): NZD 300 application fee plus NZD 41 immigration levy from the INZ fee and levy table, plus the NZD 100 IVL. | 80 percent of visitor visa applications are completed within 2 weeks (INZ figure, reported). | Up to 9 months in an 18 month period. A multiple entry visitor visa allows stays totalling up to 6 months in each 12 month period (INZ). | A further visitor visa can be applied for, but the cap of 9 months in any 18 month period still applies, so visitor visas cannot be chained to live in New Zealand full time. | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). A full 9 month stay crosses the 183 day line, so long stay visitors are usually tax residents; new arrivals who were not New Zealand tax residents at any time in the previous 10 years qualify as transitional residents, and most of their foreign sourced income is exempt for about 4 years. | Not available. Visitor time does not count toward residence, or toward the 2 years as a resident normally needed for a Permanent Resident Visa. | Not available from visitor status. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years holding a resident visa, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Remote work on a visitor visa (no standalone digital nomad visa) Digital nomad | Not applicable. There is no income threshold and no separate application. Your employer, business or clients must be outside New Zealand (INZ). | Not applicable | No extra cost. The right is built into visitor visas applied for on or after 27 January 2025 and into NZeTA travel, so the only costs are the NZeTA or visitor visa costs listed on this page. | No separate decision. The condition applies automatically to visitor visas granted on or after 27 January 2025 (INZ). | The same limits as your visitor status: up to 3 months per visit on an NZeTA, or up to 9 months in 18 months on a Visitor Visa (INZ). | There is no digital nomad visa to renew. Staying longer means using the visitor limits on this page or moving to a work, study or residence route. | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). The Government announcement of 27 January 2025 warns that anyone intending to work remotely for more than 90 days should look at the possible tax implications. | Not available. Time working remotely as a visitor does not count toward residence. | Not available from visitor status. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years holding a resident visa, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Temporary Retirement Category Visitor Visa Retirement | Annual income of at least NZD 60,000, plus at least NZD 500,000 in maintenance funds held separately from the investment funds (INZ Temporary Retirement Category settings). | At least NZD 750,000 in acceptable investments in New Zealand, held for the 2 year visa period. | NZD 7,791 in total: NZD 7,750 application fee plus NZD 41 immigration levy (INZ fee and levy table, rates from 1 October 2024). | 80 percent of applications processed within about 3 and a half weeks (reported). | 2 years (about 730 days), with multiple entry travel in and out of New Zealand. | Renewable for further 2 year periods for as long as the investment, income, maintenance funds and medical insurance conditions continue to be met. | Holders live in New Zealand for 2 years at a time, so they meet the tax residence test: present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or having a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). New arrivals who were not New Zealand tax residents at any time in the previous 10 years qualify as transitional residents, and most foreign sourced income is exempt for about 4 years (48 months); foreign employment income is not exempt. | Not available. This is a temporary visitor category and never leads to residence, no matter how many times it is renewed. | Not available from this visa. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years holding a resident visa, which this visitor category never grants. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Parent Retirement Resident Visa Retirement | Annual income of NZD 60,000 or more, plus settlement funds of at least NZD 500,000, which must be held on top of the annual income and the investment funds (INZ). | NZD 1 million in acceptable investments in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 years (INZ). | NZD 12,850 application cost (INZ fee schedule, rates from 1 October 2024). | INZ publishes no standard decision time for this category; applications are lodged on paper and assessed individually. If approved in principle, you then have 12 months to transfer the investment funds to New Zealand. | A resident visa: you can live in New Zealand indefinitely, with the NZD 1 million kept invested for the first 4 years (INZ). | A resident visa is not renewed. Once the 4 year investment period is complete and the conditions are met, you apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which gives indefinite travel rights. | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). New migrants who were not New Zealand tax residents at any time in the previous 10 years qualify as transitional residents, and most foreign sourced income is exempt for about 4 years (48 months); foreign employment income is not exempt. | 4 years: a Permanent Resident Visa becomes available once the 4 year investment period has been completed and the conditions met (INZ). | 5 years holding a resident visa immediately before applying, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years, plus English, good character and an intention to keep living in New Zealand (citizenship by grant, Department of Internal Affairs). A Permanent Resident Visa is not required first. The citizenship application fee is NZD 560 for an adult (from 21 November 2025). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Parent Resident Visa Other | No income test on the parent. The sponsoring child must meet the INZ sponsor income test, assessed over 2 of the 3 years before the expression of interest is selected: a single sponsor needs at least 1.5 times the median wage for 1 parent, which is NZD 109,200 a year using the median wage of NZD 72,800 that applies from 30 April 2026, rising by half the median wage (NZD 36,400) for each additional parent, up to 6 parents. Joint sponsors start at 2 times the median wage, NZD 145,600 for 1 parent (INZ sponsor income requirements, reported by RNZ). | Not applicable | NZD 450 to submit the expression of interest online (Immigration Regulations fee schedule), then NZD 5,810 in total if you are invited to apply for residence (INZ published cost, reported). | A two stage process with no single decision time: expressions of interest are selected in quarterly draws from a queue (90 percent of places) and a ballot (10 percent) under a cap of 2,500 visas a year, so the wait is set mainly by the queue. Only after an invitation to apply does INZ decide the residence application itself. | A resident visa: you can live in New Zealand indefinitely (INZ). | A resident visa is not renewed. Your sponsor's obligations run for the first 10 years of your residence. | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). New migrants who were not New Zealand tax residents at any time in the previous 10 years qualify as transitional residents, and most foreign sourced income is exempt for about 4 years (48 months); foreign employment income is not exempt. | 10 years. INZ states that Parent Resident Visa holders can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa after holding the visa for 10 years in a row, matching the 10 year sponsorship period. | 5 years holding a resident visa immediately before applying, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years, plus English, good character and an intention to keep living in New Zealand (citizenship by grant, Department of Internal Affairs). A Permanent Resident Visa is not required first. The citizenship application fee is NZD 560 for an adult (from 21 November 2025). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Active Investor Plus Visa, Growth category Investor | Not applicable. There is no income test, no English language test, no age limit and no points test (INZ). | At least NZD 5 million in acceptable Growth category investments in New Zealand (Invest New Zealand approved managed funds and direct investments in New Zealand businesses), held for 36 months (INZ). | NZD 27,470 application fee, covering the main applicant and any partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger included in the application (INZ). | Approval in principle: 80 percent of applications within 4 months (INZ figure, reported). After approval in principle you have 6 months to transfer and invest the funds, and can apply for one further 6 month extension. | A resident visa: live in New Zealand indefinitely. You must spend at least 21 days in New Zealand as a resident visa holder during the 36 month investment period, and your travel conditions run for 4 years from your first day in New Zealand as a resident (INZ). | A resident visa is not renewed. At the end of the 36 month investment period you apply to have the section 49 conditions removed (there is no fee for this) and then for a Permanent Resident Visa. | Only if you build real ties. You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). The 21 day minimum stay does not by itself make you a tax resident. If you do become a tax resident and were not one at any time in the previous 10 years, the transitional resident exemption covers most foreign sourced income for about 4 years. | 3 years: a Permanent Resident Visa is available after the 36 month investment period, once all conditions are met (INZ). | 5 years holding a resident visa, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years (citizenship by grant, Department of Internal Affairs). The visa's own 21 day minimum stay does not come close to this; citizenship requires actually living in New Zealand. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Active Investor Plus Visa, Balanced category Investor | Not applicable. There is no income test, no English language test, no age limit and no points test (INZ). | At least NZD 10 million in acceptable Balanced category investments in New Zealand, held for 60 months. Balanced also allows the lower risk assets the Growth category excludes: government and corporate bonds, listed equities, new property developments and philanthropy, as well as Growth category investments (INZ). | NZD 27,470 application fee, covering the main applicant and any partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger included in the application (INZ). | Approval in principle: 80 percent of applications within 4 months (INZ figure, reported). After approval in principle you have 6 months to transfer and invest the funds, and can apply for one further 6 month extension. | A resident visa: live in New Zealand indefinitely. You must spend at least 105 days in New Zealand as a resident visa holder during the 60 month investment period. Extra funds invested in Growth category assets cut the requirement: NZD 11 million in total cuts it to 91 days, NZD 12 million to 77 days, and NZD 13 million or more to 63 days. Travel conditions run for 6 years from your first day in New Zealand as a resident (INZ). | A resident visa is not renewed. At the end of the 60 month investment period you apply to have the section 49 conditions removed (there is no fee for this) and then for a Permanent Resident Visa. | Only if you build real ties. You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). Meeting the 105 day minimum alone does not make you a tax resident unless you also have a permanent place of abode. If you do become a tax resident and were not one at any time in the previous 10 years, the transitional resident exemption covers most foreign sourced income for about 4 years. | 5 years: a Permanent Resident Visa is available after the 60 month investment period, once all conditions are met (INZ). | 5 years holding a resident visa, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years (citizenship by grant, Department of Internal Affairs). The visa's own minimum stay does not meet this; citizenship requires actually living in New Zealand. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa Work | A skilled job or job offer from an accredited employer, paid at least the SMC wage threshold of NZD 35.00 an hour for ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 jobs, or 1.5 times the threshold (NZD 52.50 an hour) for skill level 4 to 5 jobs (INZ). On the points pathway you also need 6 points, claimed from one skill source (a qualification, occupational registration, or income), plus up to 3 points from skilled work experience in New Zealand: income alone gives 3 points at 1.5 times the threshold, 4 points at 2 times, and 6 points at 3 times (NZD 105.00 an hour). | Not applicable | NZD 6,450 application fee (INZ, from 1 October 2024). Submitting the expression of interest is free. | 80 percent of applications completed within 4 months (INZ wait time figures, reported mid 2026). | A resident visa: live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. Travel conditions expire 2 years after you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident (INZ). | A resident visa is not renewed. After 2 years as a resident you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which gives indefinite travel. Some SMC visas carry section 49 conditions tied to skilled employment; being unemployed for more than 3 months can breach them, and removing the conditions once met is free (INZ). | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). New migrants who were not New Zealand tax residents at any time in the previous 10 years qualify as transitional residents, and most foreign sourced income is exempt for about 4 years (48 months); foreign employment income is not exempt. | 2 years holding the resident visa (INZ). | 5 years holding a resident visa immediately before applying, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years, plus English, good character and an intention to keep living in New Zealand (citizenship by grant, Department of Internal Affairs). A Permanent Resident Visa is not required first. The citizenship application fee is NZD 560 for an adult (from 21 November 2025). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Green List residence visas (Straight to Residence and Work to Residence) Work | A job or job offer with an accredited employer in a Green List role, paid at least the rate specified for that role, or NZD 35.00 an hour (the current median wage used by INZ) where no rate is specified for the role (INZ). Each role also has its own qualification or registration requirements. | Not applicable | NZD 6,490 for the residence application (Residence from Work fee in the INZ fee schedule from 1 October 2024, reported by RNZ). | INZ treats Straight to Residence as a priority residence category and publishes no separate standard decision time for the Green List residence visas (reported). Residence applications in these categories are normally decided in months, not years. | A resident visa once granted: live in New Zealand indefinitely. Tier 1 applicants can apply from the job offer; Tier 2 applicants reach residence after 24 months of working in their Green List role in New Zealand. | A resident visa is not renewed. After 2 years as a resident you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which gives indefinite travel. | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). New migrants who were not New Zealand tax residents at any time in the previous 10 years qualify as transitional residents, and most foreign sourced income is exempt for about 4 years (48 months); foreign employment income is not exempt. | The pathway itself is the wait: Tier 1 grants residence immediately, Tier 2 after 24 months of Green List work. A Permanent Resident Visa then follows after 2 years holding the resident visa. | 5 years holding a resident visa immediately before applying, with at least 1,350 days in New Zealand across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each of those years, plus English, good character and an intention to keep living in New Zealand (citizenship by grant, Department of Internal Affairs). A Permanent Resident Visa is not required first. The citizenship application fee is NZD 560 for an adult (from 21 November 2025). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Accredited Employer Work Visa Work | A current, full time job offer (at least 30 hours a week) from an accredited employer with an approved job check for the role, paid at least the market rate for the job (INZ). The AEWV itself has had no fixed median wage threshold since March 2025, but the residence pathways that build on it do set wage thresholds. | Not applicable | NZD 1,540 in total: application fee plus immigration levy (INZ fee and levy table, rates from 1 October 2024). | 80 percent of applications processed within 6 weeks (reported from INZ figures). | Up to 5 years for ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 roles paid at or above the median wage; up to 3 years for skill level 4 and 5 roles (INZ). | Further AEWVs can be granted up to the maximum continuous stay for your role (5 years for most roles, 3 years for skill level 4 and 5 roles). After reaching the maximum you must spend 12 months outside New Zealand before a further AEWV (INZ). | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). New migrants who were not New Zealand tax residents at any time in the previous 10 years qualify as transitional residents, and most foreign sourced income is exempt for about 4 years (48 months); foreign employment income, including your New Zealand salary, is not exempt. | Not by itself. The AEWV is a temporary work visa; residence comes by moving onto the Skilled Migrant Category or a Green List residence visa, and a Permanent Resident Visa follows after 2 years as a resident. | Not directly. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years holding a resident visa, so AEWV years alone do not count; they matter only once you hold residence. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Fee Paying Student Visa Study | Funds of NZD 20,000 for each year of tertiary, English language or other non-compulsory study, or NZD 1,667 per month for courses under a year, plus tuition fees and a return ticket (INZ). Students at primary or secondary school need NZD 17,000 per year. | Not applicable | NZD 750 in total: application fee plus immigration levy (INZ fee and levy table, rates from 1 October 2024). | 80 percent of tertiary student visa applications completed within 8 weeks (INZ figures, reported). | For the length of your course, usually up to 4 years on a Fee Paying Student Visa. A Pathway Student Visa covers up to 3 courses in a row over up to 5 years (INZ). | A new student visa is needed for a new or further course, and you must show attendance and satisfactory progress. After graduation, a Post Study Work Visa (NZD 1,670) gives open work rights for up to 3 years depending on the qualification. | Students in New Zealand for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or with a permanent place of abode in New Zealand, are tax residents (Inland Revenue). Most foreign sourced income of new arrivals is covered by the transitional resident exemption for about 4 years, but wages from working in New Zealand are taxed normally. | Not by itself. Student time does not count as residence. Graduates move to a post study work visa and then a residence pathway, and a Permanent Resident Visa follows after 2 years as a resident. | Not directly. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years holding a resident visa; student years do not count toward it. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| USA Working Holiday Visa Other | At least NZD 4,200 in available funds for living expenses, plus a return ticket or enough money to buy one, and full medical insurance for the length of the stay (INZ). | Not applicable | NZD 670 in total under the standard Working Holiday Scheme fee and immigration levy in the INZ fee and levy table (rates from 1 October 2024). | Applications are made online. INZ publishes no standard decision time for the USA scheme; decisions usually take weeks rather than months (reported). | 12 months (about 365 days) in New Zealand, with work rights for the whole period and study or training for up to 6 months (INZ). | It cannot be renewed, and it can only ever be held once: you cannot apply if INZ has granted you a working holiday visa before, even if you never used it (INZ). A separate 3 month Working Holiday Extension Work Visa exists for people who have done at least 3 months of seasonal work in the horticulture or viticulture industries. | You become a New Zealand tax resident if you are present for more than 183 days in any 12 month period, or if you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand (Inland Revenue). Most 12 month working holiday stays cross the 183 day line; wages from work in New Zealand are taxed either way. | Not available. Working holiday time does not count toward residence; holders switch to a work, study or residence visa to stay on. | Not directly. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years holding a resident visa; working holiday time does not count toward it. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
Route notes
Visitor Visa applied for in advance: US citizens normally use the visa waiver instead, but a Visitor Visa is the route for a single longer stay of up to 9 months, for people who cannot use an NZeTA, or for longer family visits. You must be a genuine visitor, show enough money or have an acceptable sponsor, and show you can leave at the end of your stay. Visitor visas granted on or after 27 January 2025 include the right to work remotely for an overseas employer or clients, with no limit on the amount of remote work (INZ).
Remote work on a visitor visa (no standalone digital nomad visa): New Zealand has no digital nomad visa and no plans for one have been put into operation; what changed on 27 January 2025 is the visitor visa conditions themselves. INZ confirms that all visitor visas applied for on or after that date allow remote work, including self employed work and content creation, with no limit on the amount. Work for a New Zealand employer, work for a New Zealand business or person in exchange for goods or services (for example free accommodation in return for a review), and work that requires you to be in New Zealand are all prohibited; those need a work visa.
Temporary Retirement Category Visitor Visa: Applicants must be aged 66 or older and hold comprehensive medical insurance for the whole stay. A partner can be included; dependent children cannot. Holders cannot work for a New Zealand employer, although remote work for overseas clients is permitted under the general visitor conditions. This is the only retirement style route open to people without a New Zealand citizen or resident adult child: New Zealand has no retirement resident visa for the general public.
Parent Retirement Resident Visa: You must have an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident. Unlike the Parent Resident Visa there is no sponsor income test, no expression of interest ballot and no annual cap, and applications are prioritised. You cannot include dependent children. If INZ approves your application in principle, you have 12 months to transfer the investment funds to New Zealand, and funds already invested in acceptable investments in New Zealand can start the 4 year clock from approval in principle (INZ).
Parent Resident Visa: Entry is by expression of interest, then invitation to apply. Your sponsoring child must be 18 or older, a New Zealand citizen or resident for at least 3 years, and living in New Zealand (184 or more days in each of those 3 years). You cannot have dependent children. Grandparents and legal guardians can also qualify. You and any partner included must meet health and character requirements and speak and understand English, or prepay English language lessons. Your sponsor must meet your accommodation, health and welfare costs for the first 10 years of your residence and cover deportation costs if needed (INZ).
Active Investor Plus Visa, Growth category: Settings from the 1 April 2025 relaunch, which replaced the old NZD 15 million weighted system and removed the English language requirement (INZ). Funds must be nominated and the source of funds evidenced. INZ checks that the funds stayed invested at 24 and 36 months, and you must complete a post investment questionnaire at both points. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included in the same application at no extra investment. If the conditions are not met at the end of the investment period, INZ warns that you may have to leave New Zealand.
Active Investor Plus Visa, Balanced category: Settings from the 1 April 2025 relaunch (INZ). INZ checks that the funds stayed invested at 24 and 60 months, and you must complete a post investment questionnaire at both points. Any extra funds used to reduce the days in New Zealand requirement must be nominated before your application is approved in principle. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included at no extra investment.
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: Since 24 August 2026 the SMC has 3 pathways (INZ): the 6 point pathway; a Skilled Work Experience pathway, needing at least 5 years of directly relevant work experience including 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand, in a skill level 1 to 3 job paid at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold; and a Trades and Technician pathway, needing a relevant qualification at level 4 or higher plus at least 4 years of post qualification experience including 18 months skilled in New Zealand. Applicants must be aged 55 or younger and meet English, health and character requirements. Some occupations sit on Red or Amber lists that restrict the two newer pathways.
Green List residence visas (Straight to Residence and Work to Residence): Tier 1 Green List roles qualify for the Straight to Residence Visa, which you can apply for offshore or in New Zealand as soon as you have the job or job offer. Tier 2 roles qualify for the Work to Residence Visa after 24 months of work in the role in New Zealand. There are also Care Workforce and Transport Sector work to residence visas on the same pattern. The Green List and the requirements for each role change over time, so check the current list on the INZ website before planning around a specific role.
Accredited Employer Work Visa: The process has 3 stages run in order: the employer gets accredited, the job passes a job check, then the employer sends you a token to apply. You need the skills for the role (at least 2 years of relevant work experience or a level 4 or higher qualification, unless exempt), occupational registration if the job requires it, and English if the role is skill level 3 to 5. You cannot include a partner or dependent children in the application itself; they apply separately. Employers and agents are forbidden from charging you for the job, the accreditation or the job check (INZ).
Fee Paying Student Visa: You need an offer of a place from an approved education provider, full medical and travel insurance, and evidence that the funds are genuinely available to you. Student visas allow part time work in term time (25 hours a week for eligible tertiary students since November 2025, reported) and full time work in scheduled holidays, as shown on the visa. INZ advises applying at least 3 months before you intend to travel.
USA Working Holiday Visa: For US citizens aged 18 to 30 who normally live in the USA (and have not spent more than 2 years outside the USA immediately before applying). It is an open work visa: any employer and any role, anywhere in New Zealand, with holiday as the main purpose of the trip. Your partner cannot be included and must apply for a visa of their own, and you cannot bring dependent children.