Comprehensive guide to New Zealand migration: skilled, work, employer and family pathways
New Zealand’s migration system is built around factors such as skills, work, qualifications, employer sponsorship, and family relationships. For those planning to settle in New Zealand long term, common options include the Skilled Migrant Category, Straight to Residence via the Green List, Work to Residence, post-study work visa pathways, and family residence visas.
As of April 2026, Immigration New Zealand’s main skilled-residence streams include the Skilled Migrant Category, Green List, Straight to Residence, Work to Residence, and several sector-specific residence pathways. Each category sets different requirements for occupation, qualifications, work experience, salary, employer accreditation, and English ability, so an overall plan tailored to your personal background is essential.
NewStars Newstarsec will walk you through the main migration categories, eligibility criteria, suitable applicant profiles, study-to-residence pathways, and common questions, so you can understand New Zealand migration options in a structured way.
Get a free assessment of your NZ migration options →Main NZ migration categories — five common pathways
New Zealand migration is not a single track — it covers several visa categories. Skilled and work-based pathways are currently the most common routes to long-term residence.
Skilled Migrant Category
Delivered through the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa. Suited to applicants with skilled employment, qualifications, occupational registration, or higher-income capability, and assessed under the 6-point system.
Green List occupation migration
The Green List is New Zealand’s shortage occupation list. It is split into Tier 1 (Straight to Residence) and Tier 2 (Work to Residence), each leading to a different residence pathway.
Work to Residence
Enter New Zealand on a work visa, then transition to residence through stable employment (typically 24 months) — one of the most common gradual pathways.
Study-to-work-to-residence pathway
After completing an eligible qualification, apply for a Post Study Work Visa (up to 3 years), then progress to a residence application based on occupation, income, and work experience.
Family-stream migration
Apply for residence through a partner, child, or other family relationship — and plan study or migration alongside arrangements for family members’ work and schooling.
Among these, the skilled and work-based pathways remain the most common routes to long-term residence.
Talk to a consultant about the right pathway for you →New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category — the 6-point framework
New Zealand skilled migration is delivered primarily through the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa. The category suits applicants with skilled employment, qualifications, occupational registration, or higher-income capability.
Skilled migration is currently assessed on a 6-point system. Applicants can earn 3 to 6 points through occupational registration, qualifications, or income, and may top up their score with skilled work experience gained in New Zealand. Reaching 6 points establishes the baseline eligibility to apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
Once you reach 6 points and meet the other requirements, you have the baseline eligibility to apply for skilled-migrant residence.
Free assessment of your 6-point score →Common ways to score points
Applicants can accumulate 6 points through any of the following:
- A doctoral qualification, certain senior-level occupational registrations, or earnings at 3x the median wage can directly reach 6 points
- A master’s qualification typically scores 5 points, paired with 1 year of NZ skilled work experience
- A bachelor’s qualification typically scores 3 points, paired with 3 years of NZ skilled work experience
- Higher-income employment can also serve as a basis for scoring points
Other baseline requirements
Applicants are also generally expected to meet:
- An eligible skilled job or job offer in New Zealand
- Meet health requirements
- Meet character requirements
- Meet English language requirements
New Zealand Green List migration — Tier 1 and Tier 2
The Green List is New Zealand’s shortage occupation list, covering roles in long-term demand. It is divided into Tier 1 and Tier 2, with each tier leading to a different residence pathway.
| Category | Pathway | Core requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Green List Tier 1 | Straight to Residence | Meet Tier 1 occupation requirements and hold a job or offer from an accredited employer |
| Green List Tier 2 | Work to Residence | Work in a Tier 2 occupation for 24 months, then apply for residence |
The Green List pathway hinges on whether your occupation is on the list, and whether you meet the qualifications, registration, salary, or professional requirements attached to that occupation.
Check if your occupation is on the Green List →Straight to Residence
The Straight to Residence Visa is for applicants holding a Green List Tier 1 occupation with a job or offer from an accredited employer in New Zealand. The visa allows you to apply for residence directly, without needing to first complete a set period of work in New Zealand.
Applicants typically need to meet the following conditions
- Be 55 years old or younger
- Have a job or offer in a Green List Tier 1 occupation
- The employer is an accredited employer
- Meet the requirements for the occupation
- Meet English, health, and character requirements
Straight to Residence suits applicants with strongly aligned occupations, a clear employer offer, and full alignment with Green List Tier 1 requirements.
Assess your Straight to Residence eligibility →Work to Residence
The Work to Residence Visa applies to Green List Tier 2 occupations. Applicants generally need to complete 24 months of work in New Zealand and currently hold an eligible job or offer from an accredited employer before applying for residence.
Core requirements
- Be 55 years old or younger
- Hold a work visa and have completed 24 months of work in New Zealand
- Be employed in a Green List Tier 2 occupation
- The employer is an accredited employer
- Work full-time and meet the corresponding salary or occupation requirements
- Meet English, health, and character requirements
This category suits people who first enter New Zealand on a work visa and progress to residence through stable employment.
Contact a consultant to plan your Work to Residence pathway →Sector-specific residence (nursing, care, transport) + study pathways + family arrangements
Beyond the Green List, New Zealand offers several sector-specific residence pathways. Study-to-residence options and family arrangements are also core factors that should never be overlooked.
Care workforce / aged care / transport sector pathways
Beyond the Green List, New Zealand offers several sector-specific residence pathways — including the Care Workforce and Transport Sector categories. According to Immigration New Zealand, these pathways generally require applicants to first hold a New Zealand work visa and to work full-time for at least 24 months in an eligible nursing, aged-care, or transport role. Key factors include: whether the role is on a recognised sector list; whether you have the required New Zealand work experience; whether you meet salary, hours, and employer requirements; and whether you satisfy health, character, and English requirements. For applicants with more average qualifications who are willing to build experience through local employment, these pathways can be highly workable.
Study-to-residence pathway
After studying in New Zealand, graduates can usually enter the local job market on a Post Study Work Visa, and then move into a residence application based on their employment situation. According to Immigration New Zealand, eligible graduates can apply for the Post Study Work Visa for up to 3 years, with the exact duration depending on the qualification level and course type. Master’s or doctoral programs that meet the study-duration requirement can typically secure 3 years of post-study work rights. The standard structure is: study in New Zealand → apply for a Post Study Work Visa → secure local employment → apply for residence based on occupation, income, and work experience. Course selection is critical — fields such as IT, engineering, nursing, and education tend to align more naturally with employment and residence requirements.
Family member and partner arrangements
Family arrangements are an important factor in any New Zealand migration or study plan. Student visa holders can usually support partner and dependent-child visitor visa applications; under certain study conditions, they may also support a partner’s work visa or a dependent child’s student visa. Immigration New Zealand notes that Level 9 or 10 courses (master’s or doctoral), selected Green List-related Level 7 or 8 courses, and certain courses that qualify for the Post Study Work Visa may carry partner work-visa entitlements. This means a study or migration plan shouldn’t focus only on the main applicant’s program — it must also factor in the partner’s work, the children’s schooling, and the long-term residence arrangement.
These three bridging pathways complement one another — you can choose the entry point that best fits your background.
Speak to a consultant for an end-to-end plan →NZ migration application — five steps to move forward
Whichever pathway you choose, a New Zealand migration application typically follows the same five core steps — from setting the target direction and assessing your background to matching the right visa, preparing documents, and lodging for assessment. Every step requires a precise judgement based on your personal circumstances.
Confirm your target pathway
- Decide whether Skilled Migrant Category, Green List
- or Work to Residence, study-to-residence
- or family-stream visas suit you best
- The target pathway shapes every subsequent decision
Assess occupation and background
- Qualification level
- Occupational direction
- Work experience
- English ability
- Whether you hold an NZ job or offer
Match the visa category
- Choose a specific category based on your background
- such as SMC, Straight to Residence
- Work to Residence
- or the post-study work-visa pathway
Prepare documentation
- Academic transcripts and certificates
- Employment evidence
- English test results
- Occupational registration or qualification evidence
- Employer documentation
- Health and character documents
Lodge the application and await assessment
- Processing times vary by category
- For Straight to Residence, INZ’s website indicates 80% of applications are decided within 5 months
- Actual timeframes still depend on case complexity and the completeness of documentation
Why are NZ migration applications declined? Overall fit is the key
Failed New Zealand migration applications are rarely the result of a single weak criterion — usually the issue is overall fit.
Common issues include: an occupation that doesn’t match the list or skills criteria, a job offer that doesn’t meet accredited-employer requirements, salary below the relevant threshold, qualifications or occupational registration that fall short, insufficient English scores, incomplete work-experience evidence, or a study program that doesn’t align with downstream employment.
- Occupation doesn’t match the list or skills requirements
- Job offer doesn’t meet accredited-employer requirements
- Salary below the relevant threshold
- Qualifications or occupational registration fall short
- Insufficient English test scores
- Incomplete work-experience evidence
- Study program doesn’t align with downstream employment
For applicants planning to enter the NZ migration system through study, the most common risk is focusing solely on enrolment and overlooking post-graduation work and residence requirements — leaving the bridge to residence broken later on.
Get your tailored Australia + New Zealand migration plan
We assess your New Zealand migration feasibility based on your age, qualifications, occupation, English, and family situation — and design a long-term plan that also factors in Australia. We can help you structure:
- New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category and Green List options
- Post-study work and residence pathways
- End-to-end arrangements for partner and children
- Dual Australia / New Zealand planning
Get started today: free background assessment · migration plan recommendations · one-on-one planning consultation.
End-to-end professional services for NZ migration
Newstarsec has worked across Australia and New Zealand migration for many years, with mature advisory and application frameworks for the Skilled Migrant Category, Green List, Work to Residence, and study-to-residence pathways.
Pathway precision assessment
We combine age, qualifications, occupation, English, and family situation to match you to the optimal pathway across SMC, Green List, Work to Residence, and study-to-residence options.
Employer and occupational credential review
We vet accredited-employer status, whether the occupation sits on the Tier 1/2 list, and whether the salary meets market benchmarks — heading off refusals before they happen.
Documentation consistency review
We align qualifications, work experience, occupational registration, English results, and employer documentation across the board to maximise approval rates.
Dual AU + NZ planning
We consider Australian and New Zealand pathways in parallel — combined with family arrangements — to deliver a long-term plan and avoid single-pathway risk.
Real-client NZ migration approval stories
Genuine feedback from Newstarsec NZ migration clients — proof of our advisory expertise.
After my master’s degree I stayed in Auckland on a Post Study Work Visa. Newstarsec mapped out a Skilled Migrant Category 6-point plan, and with the addition of local work experience I reached 6 points and was granted the SMC residence.
I’m a registered nurse — a Green List Tier 1 occupation. Newstarsec reviewed my employer’s accredited-employer status, prepared the occupational registration documentation, and ran a clean, efficient Straight to Residence process. Approved within 5 months.
I had already worked in New Zealand for two years but wasn’t sure I could pursue Work to Residence. Newstarsec pinpointed my Tier 2 occupation and organised the 24-month employment evidence, and I was successfully granted the Resident Visa.
10 core questions on NZ migration
1. What are the main NZ migration pathways today?
Common options today include the Skilled Migrant Category, Straight to Residence via the Green List, Work to Residence, sector-specific residence pathways for care and transport roles, the post-study work-visa pathway, and family-stream visas. Each pathway has its own requirements — you cannot judge based only on occupation or qualifications. Work, income, English, and long-term plans all factor in.
2. What does the NZ Skilled Migrant Category 6-point system mean?
The 6-point system is the core framework of the Skilled Migrant Category. Applicants can earn base points through qualifications, occupational registration, or income, and then top up with skilled work experience gained in New Zealand. Reaching 6 points and meeting the other requirements establishes the baseline eligibility for skilled-migrant residence.
3. Can I apply for skilled migration without a job in New Zealand?
In some high-scoring scenarios, you may not need to accumulate New Zealand work experience first — for example, a doctoral qualification, certain senior-level occupational registrations, or high-income employment can reach 6 points directly. In practice, however, an eligible skilled job or offer in New Zealand is still typically required, so a case-by-case assessment is essential.
4. Is the Green List the easiest path to migrate?
The Green List is one of the clearer migration pathways, but it does not mean automatic approval. Applicants still need to meet the specific occupation, employer, salary, English, health, and character requirements. Tier 1 typically leads to Straight to Residence; Tier 2 generally requires 24 months of work before applying for Work to Residence.
5. Can I migrate to New Zealand after studying there?
Yes — but graduation does not automatically equal migration. The common route is to complete an eligible qualification, apply for a Post Study Work Visa, and then progress to a residence application based on local work experience, occupation, and income. Immigration New Zealand notes that eligible graduates can apply for the Post Study Work Visa for up to 3 years.
6. Which fields of study work best for NZ migration planning?
The priority should be fields that bridge into local employment and residence requirements — for example IT, engineering, nursing, education, and selected health and technical disciplines. Whether a course is the right fit, however, isn’t decided by popularity alone. You need to weigh it against the Green List, occupational registration requirements, Post Study Work Visa eligibility, and your personal background.
7. Is there an age limit for NZ migration?
Most skilled-residence visas typically require applicants to be 55 years old or younger. The Straight to Residence and Work to Residence visas, for example, both list the age band as 55 or under.
8. Does NZ migration require English test scores?
Most skilled and residence visas require English to be met. Different categories have different English standards, and partners or family members may face their own language or fee requirements. English planning should be taken care of well before residence lodgement, not at the last minute.
9. Is the NZ Post Study Work Visa guaranteed?
No. The Post Study Work Visa is subject to course level, study-duration, and eligibility requirements. Immigration New Zealand notes that Level 7 degrees and above generally qualify; sub-degree courses must appear on the eligible-qualifications list and meet full-time study and relevant work requirements.
10. NZ migration vs Australia migration — which suits me better?
The two systems work differently. New Zealand puts more weight on local employment, occupation lists, income, and employer fit; Australia leans more on skills assessments, EOI scores, state sponsorship, and occupational competition. For applicants planning across both countries, the right answer depends on age, qualifications, English, occupation, and family arrangements — assessed together.
Start your New Zealand migration plan today
Our licensed migration agent team can assess SMC, Green List, Straight to Residence, Work to Residence, and study-to-residence pathways for you — combined with dual Australia + New Zealand planning for the long term.
Free NZ migration assessment →
