From 8 March 2027, 17 trades and technician roles leave Green List Tier 2 for the SMC, four special education teaching roles move to Straight to Residence, and Careers Counsellor leaves Tier 1. Who is affected and what the transitional rules say.
Written by the ProVisas Editorial Team. ProVisas is a licensed New Zealand immigration advisory firm (IAA Licence 201301110).
From 8 March 2027, 17 occupations will be removed from Tier 2 of the Green List, so they will no longer lead to the Work to Residence Visa; INZ says people in those jobs may instead qualify through the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) (immigration.govt.nz). Four special education teaching roles move up to Straight to Residence, Sterilisation Technician gets a membership requirement, and Careers Counsellor leaves Tier 1. INZ announced the changes on 3 November 2026. Nothing changes before 8 March 2027.
Four separate changes, all taking effect on 8 March 2027:
| Change | Occupations | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Removed from Tier 2 | 17 trades, technician and operator roles | No longer a Work to Residence Visa occupation; INZ points to an SMC pathway instead |
| Moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1 | 4 special education teaching roles | Straight to Residence Visa, with no 2 years of New Zealand work first |
| New requirement | Sterilisation Technician | Green List eligibility limited to graduate and registered members of the New Zealand Sterile Sciences Association |
| Removed from Tier 1 | Careers Counsellor | No longer a Straight to Residence Visa occupation |
INZ gives its reason for the first change directly: the SMC pathways introduced in August 2026 overlap with these jobs, so removing them from the Green List cuts duplication. It also says the Green List is expected to be reviewed again in 2027, so treat any list, including the tables below, as a snapshot.
Of the 41 Tier 2 roles on INZ’s list today, 21 are affected: 17 leave the Green List altogether and 4 move to Tier 1.
These 17 roles are currently Tier 2 on INZ’s Green List. The ANZSCO codes are the ones INZ’s list uses for each role.
Moving to the SMC Trades and Technician pathway (13 roles)
| ANZSCO | Role |
|---|---|
| 312112 | Building Associate (Building Construction Supervisor) |
| 321111 | Automotive Electrician |
| 321212 | Diesel Motor Mechanic (including Heavy Vehicle Inspector) |
| 321211 | Motor Mechanic (General) |
| 321213 | Motorcycle Mechanic |
| 324111 | Panel Beater |
| 324311 | Vehicle Painter |
| 322311 | Metal Fabricator |
| 322313 | Welder |
| 323211 | Fitter (General) |
| 323212 | Fitter and Turner |
| 323213 | Fitter-Welder |
| 323214 | Metal Machinist (First Class) |
Moving to the SMC Skilled Work Experience pathway (4 roles)
| ANZSCO | Role |
|---|---|
| 712111 | Crane, Hoist or Lift Operator (listed as Crane Operator on the Green List) |
| 342414 | Telecommunications Technician |
| 721913 | Paving Plant Operator |
| 322312 | Pressure Welder |
Other Tier 2 trades, such as electricians, plumbers, gasfitters, drainlayers and the civil machinery operators, are not named in the announcement, so on what INZ has published so far they keep their Tier 2 status. INZ expects to review the Green List again in 2027.
Possibly, but through a different door with different rules. INZ says the SMC pathways have their own qualification, work experience and wage requirements, and that for many experienced workers they offer a more accessible route (lower wage thresholds, shorter New Zealand work requirements, or no specified qualification, depending on the pathway). It also says plainly that they “may not be more accessible for everyone”.
That caveat matters most for the 13 Trades and Technician roles. That pathway needs a relevant qualification at Level 4 or higher, at least 2.5 years of relevant work experience after that qualification, and a further 1.5 years of post-qualification skilled work in New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz). If you have no relevant Level 4 qualification, or not enough experience since you gained it, this pathway may be harder for you than Work to Residence, so check both against your own history before you plan around either. Our Trades and Technician pathway guide and Skilled Work Experience pathway guide set out what each pathway asks for.
INZ says people who started accumulating qualifying work experience before 8 March 2027 can keep counting that work towards the existing 24-month Work to Residence Visa requirement. They still need to meet every other residence requirement.
This matches the long-standing Work to Residence rule that if your job is removed from the Green List after you start working, your time in that job still counts towards your 24 months (immigration.govt.nz). INZ says its webpages will be updated closer to 8 March 2027, and the detailed transitional instructions are not out yet. Until then, how the rules apply to your dates (when you started counting, job changes, gaps) is worth having a licensed adviser check against INZ’s final wording rather than assuming.
Yes. INZ says employers can keep recruiting migrants in these 17 occupations through the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), as long as they meet the usual requirements. What goes are the Green List settings for these roles, which INZ names as labour market test exemptions where they apply and priority processing for job check and AEWV applications.
For employers, that means a job check for one of these roles from 8 March 2027 may need a labour market test it did not need before, and may be processed without the Green List priority.
Four special education teaching roles move from Tier 2 (Work to Residence) to Tier 1 (Straight to Residence) on 8 March 2027:
| ANZSCO | Role |
|---|---|
| 241511 | Special Needs Teacher |
| 241512 | Teacher of the Hearing Impaired |
| 241513 | Teacher of the Sight Impaired |
| 241599 | Special Education Teachers nec |
INZ says eligible people in these roles will be able to apply for residence directly, without first completing 2 years of qualifying work in New Zealand. Its reason is that special education teachers are registered teachers delivering the same curriculum as other teachers, so their residence pathway should match comparable teaching roles. The other requirements on INZ’s Green List entry for each role still apply.
Sterilisation Technician (ANZSCO 711914) stays on the Green List, but from 8 March 2027 eligibility is limited to graduate and registered members of the New Zealand Sterile Sciences Association. INZ says the change aligns the Green List with the occupation’s professional standards. If you work in this role without that membership, the Green List route will not be open to you from that date.
Careers Counsellor (ANZSCO 272111) leaves the Tier 1 Green List roles for the Straight to Residence Visa. INZ says the role was added along with allied healthcare occupations but does not fit the original focus of those additions. Careers Counsellors may still qualify for residence through the SMC or another residence pathway if they meet its requirements.
On 8 March 2027. INZ announced them on 3 November 2026, and until 8 March 2027 the current Green List applies, so the 17 trades and technician roles are still Tier 2 Work to Residence occupations. INZ says it will update its visa pages closer to the date, and that the Green List is expected to be reviewed again in 2027.
Until 8 March 2027, yes, as a Tier 2 Work to Residence occupation. From that date it is one of 13 roles INZ moves to the Skilled Migrant Category Trades and Technician pathway. People who started counting qualifying work before 8 March 2027 can keep counting it towards the 24 months, under INZ’s transitional arrangements.
INZ says people who began accumulating qualifying work experience before 8 March 2027 can continue counting it towards the 24-month Work to Residence Visa requirement. You still need to meet every other residence requirement. INZ has not yet published detailed instructions for the transition, so check how it applies to your dates once they are out.
Yes. Employers can keep recruiting migrants in the 17 roles through the Accredited Employer Work Visa if they meet its requirements. From 8 March 2027 the Green List settings stop applying to those roles, including any labour market test exemption and priority processing for job check and AEWV applications.
From 8 March 2027. Special Needs Teacher, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Sight Impaired and Special Education Teachers nec move from Tier 2 to Tier 1, so eligible people can apply for residence without first working 2 years in New Zealand. The other requirements on INZ’s Green List entry for the role still apply.
It depends on your qualifications and experience. INZ says the SMC pathways can offer lower wage thresholds, shorter New Zealand work requirements or no specified qualification, depending on the pathway, but may not be more accessible for everyone. The Trades and Technician pathway, for example, needs a relevant Level 4 or higher qualification and post-qualification work experience.
Current as at 4 November 2026, based on Immigration New Zealand policy announced on 3 November 2026. For advice on your own situation, talk to a ProVisas Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 201301110).
Last reviewed . Information may have changed since this article was reviewed. For your specific case, talk to a licensed immigration adviser.
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