Green List Work Visa – Fast-Track Your Path to NZ Residence
The Green List identifies occupations where New Zealand has critical skill shortages. If your role is on the list and you have the required qualifications and experience, you may be able to apply for residence immediately or after two years of working here. We’ll assess whether your occupation and qualifications match Green List criteria and guide you through the application process.
01. Introduction
The Green List is divided into two tiers: Tier 1 (Straight to Residence) and Tier 2 (Work to Residence). This streamlined system makes it easier for accredited employers to hire skilled migrants while offering guaranteed residence pathways for eligible workers.
Immigration New Zealand regularly updates the Green List to reflect the country’s evolving workforce needs. Recent changes include primary school teachers moving to Straight to Residence in May 2025, and ten trades occupations added to Work to Residence in August 2025.
For workers:
- Direct pathways to New Zealand residence, either immediately or after 24 months of employment
- Partners may qualify for work visas, and children can attend New Zealand schools
- Faster visa processing for priority occupations
- Clear pathway from temporary work to permanent residence
For employers:
- Streamlined hiring process for hard-to-fill roles
- Access to international talent in critical shortage areas
- Ability to offer residence pathways to attract top candidates
03. Eligibility requirements
To qualify for a Green List residence visa, you must:
Basic requirements:
- Be aged 55 or younger when you apply
- Have a job offer or current employment with an accredited New Zealand employer
- Employment must be permanent, fixed-term for at least 12 months, or contracts totaling at least 6 months
- Meet health and character requirements
- Meet English language requirements (for skilled residence visas)
Occupation-specific requirements: Each Green List occupation has specific requirements for qualifications, professional registration, or work experience. For roles without specified qualifications, you must earn at least NZD $33.56 per hour (the 2024 median wage threshold).
Important: Wage thresholds were updated on August 18, 2025, to align with the new median wage of $33.56/hour. Some trades occupations have higher occupation-specific wage requirements.
Licensed advisers can assess whether you meet the specific requirements for your occupation and help gather the necessary evidence.
Tier 1 occupations are eligible for the Straight to Residence Visa, allowing immediate residency applications. Below are occupations that provide fast-track access to residence:
Construction Roles:
- Construction Project Manager (ANZSCO 133111)
- Project Builder (including Building Project Manager and Site Foreman) (ANZSCO 133112)
- Quantity Surveyor (ANZSCO 233213)
- Surveyor (ANZSCO 232212)
Engineering Roles:
- Chemical Engineer (ANZSCO 233111)
- Materials Engineer (ANZSCO 233112)
- Civil Engineer (ANZSCO 233211)
- Geotechnical Engineer (ANZSCO 233212)
- Structural Engineer (ANZSCO 233214)
- Electrical Engineer (ANZSCO 233311)
- Electronics Engineer (ANZSCO 233411)
- Environmental Engineer (ANZSCO 233915)
- Industrial Engineer (ANZSCO 233511)
- Mechanical Engineer (ANZSCO 233512)
- Production or Plant Engineer (ANZSCO 233513)
- Engineering Professionals nec (ANZSCO 233999)
Health & Social Services Roles:
- General Practitioner (ANZSCO 253111)
- Anesthetist (ANZSCO 253211)
- Psychiatrist (ANZSCO 253411)
- Specialist Physicians nec (ANZSCO 253399)
- Surgeon (General) (ANZSCO 253511)
- Cardiothoracic Surgeon (ANZSCO 253512)
- Neurosurgeon (ANZSCO 253513)
- Orthopedic Surgeon (ANZSCO 253514)
- Vascular Surgeon (ANZSCO 253521)
- Urologist (ANZSCO 253518)
- Otorhinolaryngologist (ANZSCO 253515)
- Dermatologist (ANZSCO 253911)
- Obstetrician and Gynecologist (ANZSCO 253913)
- Ophthalmologist (ANZSCO 253914)
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist (ANZSCO 253917)
- Radiation Oncologist (ANZSCO 253918)
- Resident Medical Officer (ANZSCO 253112)
- Medical Laboratory Scientist (ANZSCO 234611)
- Clinical Psychologist (ANZSCO 272311)
- Educational Psychologist (ANZSCO 272312)
- Organizational Psychologist (ANZSCO 272313)
- Psychotherapist (ANZSCO 272314)
- Psychologists nec (ANZSCO 272399)
- Physicist (Medical) (ANZSCO 234914)
- Orthoptist (ANZSCO 251412)
- Veterinarian (ANZSCO 234711)
Primary Industries and Science Roles:
- Other Spatial Scientist (ANZSCO 232214)
- Environmental Research Scientist (ANZSCO 234313)
- Food Technologist (ANZSCO 234212)
ICT, Electronics, and Telecommunications Roles:
- Chief Information Officer (ANZSCO 135111)
- ICT Project Manager (ANZSCO 135112)
- ICT Managers nec (ANZSCO 135199)
- Software Engineer (ANZSCO 261313)
- ICT Security Specialist (ANZSCO 262112)
- Multimedia Specialist (ANZSCO 261211)
05. Tier 2: Work to Residence occupations
Tier 2 occupations are eligible for residence applications after 24 months of employment in New Zealand. Below are occupations requiring 2 years of work before applying for residence:
Health and Social Services:
- Anesthetic Technician (ANZSCO 311211)
- Medical Diagnostic Radiographer (Medical Imaging Technologist) (ANZSCO 251211)
- Medical Laboratory Technician (ANZSCO 311213)
- Medical Radiation Therapist (ANZSCO 251212)
- Occupational Therapist (ANZSCO 252411)
- Sonographer (ANZSCO 251214)
- Podiatrist (ANZSCO 252611)
- Audiologist (ANZSCO 252711)
- Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (ANZSCO 254412)
- Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health) (ANZSCO 254413)
- Registered Nurse (Community Health) (ANZSCO 254414)
- Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (ANZSCO 254415)
- Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability) (ANZSCO 254416)
- Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation) (ANZSCO 254417)
- Registered Nurse (Medical) (ANZSCO 254418)
- Registered Nurse (Medical Practice) (ANZSCO 254421)
- Registered Nurse (Mental Health) (ANZSCO 254422)
- Registered Nurse (Perioperative) (ANZSCO 254423)
- Registered Nurse (Surgical) (ANZSCO 254424)
- Registered Nurse (Pediatrics) (ANZSCO 254425)
- Registered Nurses nec (ANZSCO 254499)
- Midwife (ANZSCO 254111)
- Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO 241411)
Trades Roles: Ten trades occupations were added to the Work to Residence pathway on August 18, 2025:
- Automotive Electrician (ANZSCO 321111)
- Diesel Motor Mechanic (including Heavy Vehicle Inspector) (ANZSCO 321212)
- Electrician (General) (ANZSCO 341111)
- Plumber (General) (ANZSCO 334111)
- Cabinetmaker (ANZSCO 394111)
- Carpenter (ANZSCO 331212)
- Joiner (ANZSCO 331211)
- Bricklayer (ANZSCO 331111)
- Stonemason (ANZSCO 331112)
- Roof Tiler (ANZSCO 333411)
Agriculture Roles:
- Dairy Cattle Farmer (ANZSCO 121313) – requires at least 3 years of commercial dairy farming experience
Workers in these trades roles must earn at least the required Green List wage threshold for their occupation and complete 24 months of full-time, paid work experience in New Zealand.
06. Washington and Sydney Accord engineering degrees
If you have an engineering degree from a university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, or the United States, your qualification may be automatically recognised under the Washington or Sydney Accord. This can make you eligible for professional engineering registration in New Zealand without additional assessment.
Licensed advisers can confirm whether your engineering qualification meets these requirements.
If your occupation is on the Green List:
- Verify your eligibility – Check whether you meet the specific requirements for your occupation
- Secure a job offer – Your employer must be accredited by Immigration New Zealand
- Gather evidence – Collect qualifications, registration certificates, work experience documentation
- Apply for residence – Either immediately (Tier 1) or after 24 months of work (Tier 2)
No surprises: We’re transparent about your eligibility, realistic timeframes, and total costs from the start. The Green List offers clear pathways, but meeting occupation-specific requirements is critical.
Book a free consultation to assess whether your occupation and qualifications match Green List criteria and discuss your pathway to New Zealand residence.
