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New Zealand immigration guides

Skilled residence

  • Registered Nurses Moving to New Zealand: How the Rules Fit Together — A nurse trained overseas deals with two separate bodies: the Nursing Council of New Zealand for registration, and Immigration New Zealand for the visa. The Council's published fee is NZD 485 plus outside costs, and every overseas applicant first verifies documents with TruMerit. INZ lists many registered nurse specialties on its Green List but shows the tier for each role only in its search tool.
  • Teachers Moving to New Zealand: Registration, Green List and Pay Rules — Teachers trained overseas deal with the Teaching Council for registration and Immigration New Zealand for the visa. The Council requires an NZQA International Qualification Assessment first. INZ's Green List names many teaching roles, and INZ says Tier 1 teaching is designed for experienced teachers paid at the median wage, not new graduates.
  • Software Engineers Moving to New Zealand: Green List Pay Rates and Other Rules — INZ's Green List names many ICT roles, including Software Engineer, Developer Programmer and Software Tester. INZ's published Straight to Residence wage table sets NZD 72.80 an hour for the category it calls ICT, electronics and telecommunications (208% of the 2025 median) from 9 March 2026, and NZD 109.20 for roles based on a contract for services. Whether a specific role is in that table is shown in INZ's Green List search.
  • SMC Points in NZ: How the 6-Point System Works — The Skilled Migrant Category points-based pathway needs 6 skilled resident points. INZ lets points come from one category only (qualification, occupational registration or income), topped up by up to 3 points of New Zealand skilled work experience. This guide sets out INZ's published tables as read on 9 October 2026.
  • SMC Wage Threshold 2026: NZD 35 an Hour and the Rate History — From 9 March 2026 the Skilled Migrant Category wage threshold is NZD 35.00 an hour. INZ fixes the rate that applies to a person when their skilled work experience starts counting, and says that once set, it does not change. This guide sets out INZ's published rate history, multiples and worked examples as read on 9 October 2026.
  • SMC Skilled Work Experience Pathway Explained — INZ's Skilled Work Experience pathway to residence is built on work history, not a degree: a skill level 1 to 3 job paid at 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold, 3 years of relevant experience and a further 2 years of skilled experience in New Zealand. Amber List jobs face higher requirements; Red List jobs are excluded. All rules here are INZ's, read on 9 October 2026.
  • SMC Trades and Technician Pathway Explained — INZ's Trades and Technician pathway to residence needs a job in a listed trades or technician occupation paid at least the SMC wage threshold, a level 4 or higher qualification, 2.5 years of post-qualification experience and a further 1.5 years of post-qualification skilled experience in New Zealand. The occupation list has 109 entries. Rules as read on 9 October 2026.
  • SMC EOI and Invitation to Apply: Step by Step — A Skilled Migrant Category application starts with an expression of interest (EOI). INZ charges no fee for it, tells the applicant immediately whether the requirements are met, and, if so, emails an invitation to apply that must be used within 4 months. This guide follows INZ's published steps as read on 9 October 2026.
  • Straight to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 1): How It Works — The Straight to Residence Visa is for people aged 55 or younger with a job or offer from an accredited employer in a Green List Tier 1 role, paid the role's specified rate or the median wage. INZ showed a fee of NZD 6,450 and 80% of applications completed within 3 months on 9 October 2026. The role list is searchable on INZ's site.
  • Work to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 2): How It Works — The Work to Residence Visa is for people aged 55 or younger who have worked 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 job in New Zealand within the 30 months before applying, and who hold or are offered a job with an accredited employer. INZ showed a fee of NZD 6,450 on 9 October 2026. The wage rate that counts is the one in force when the work experience started.
  • Green List and SMC Rules Side by Side — New Zealand has three main skilled residence routes: Straight to Residence (Green List Tier 1), Work to Residence (Tier 2) and the Skilled Migrant Category. All three need an applicant aged 55 or younger, an accredited employer and English, and all cost from NZD 6,450. They differ in how they start, how much New Zealand work is needed and how pay is measured.
  • Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa: How It Works — The Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa is for people aged 55 or younger who have worked 24 months in the 30 before applying in one of nine listed care jobs, paid at least the care workforce wage rate in place at the start, and who hold or are offered a care job with an accredited employer. INZ showed a fee of NZD 6,450 on 9 October 2026.
  • Transport Work to Residence Visa: How the Rules Work — The Transport Work to Residence Visa is a resident visa for people aged 55 or younger with 24 months of New Zealand work in an approved transport job in the 30 months before applying, paid at least the median wage (or NZD 28 an hour for bus drivers) that applied when the count began. INZ showed a fee of NZD 6,450 on 9 October 2026.
  • English Requirements for NZ Resident Visas — INZ sets different English standards by visa. Skilled residence visas need the higher standard (IELTS 6.5 overall for the main applicant), the Parent Resident Visa a lower one (IELTS 5), and the Accredited Employer Work Visa applies English rules only at skill levels 3 to 5. Read from INZ on 10 October 2026.

Choosing an adviser

  • How to Check an NZ Immigration Adviser's Licence — Search the adviser's name or licence number on the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) public register and confirm the status reads current. The record also shows whether the licence is full, provisional or limited. Lawyers are not on that register; check them on the New Zealand Law Society's register of lawyers.
  • What NZ Immigration Advisers Charge, and Why — There is no official price list. The Code of Conduct requires fees to be "fair and reasonable in the circumstances", set out in a written agreement (hourly rate with a time estimate, or a fixed fee, plus GST or overseas tax), and invoiced each time they fall due. INZ's own application fee is a separate cost.
  • Immigration Adviser or Lawyer in NZ: The Difference — Licensed immigration advisers (regulated by the IAA) and lawyers with a current New Zealand practising certificate (regulated by the New Zealand Law Society) can both give NZ immigration advice and represent people to INZ and the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. Only lawyers can represent a person in a New Zealand court or on judicial review.
  • Your First Consultation With an NZ Immigration Adviser — If an adviser charges for a first consultation, the Code of Conduct requires your written consent to the fee and payment terms before it starts; an email exchange is enough. A full written agreement is not needed for the consultation itself, but it is required before any further paid work.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Advice in NZ: How to Spot It — Anyone who gives New Zealand immigration advice, in NZ or overseas, must be licensed by the IAA or exempt (for example, a lawyer with a current practising certificate). Unlicensed advice can lead INZ to return an application, and the adviser faces up to NZ$100,000 and/or 7 years' imprisonment, even without charging. Complaints go to the IAA and do not affect your immigration status.
  • Complaining About an NZ Immigration Adviser: How the Process Works — Complaints about a licensed immigration adviser go to the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA), which can close them or refer them to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal. There is no cost, anyone can complain from anywhere, and the IAA says a complaint does not affect the complainant's immigration status.
  • NZ Visa Fees 2026: The Main Visa Costs in One List — Immigration New Zealand's fee finder showed these main application costs on 9 October 2026: visitor visa NZD 441, AEWV 1,540, Fee Paying Student 850, Post-Study Work 1,670, residence under the Skilled Migrant, Straight to Residence and Work to Residence visas 6,450, and Partner of a New Zealander Resident 5,360. Each is a stated amount for the passports and places queried.
  • NZ Visa Processing Times: What INZ Publishes and How to Read It — Immigration New Zealand publishes processing times in two forms: an average wait time (50% of applications) and a most-completed-within figure (80%), in working days, updated weekly for applications processed in the last 4 weeks; and a separate 80% figure in its fee finder. On 9 October 2026 the two sources gave different numbers for some visas, so the source and date matter.
  • NZ Working Holiday Visas: Country by Country — INZ lists 45 working holiday schemes. Most are for ages 18 to 30, nine are for 18 to 35, and each country's page states its own yearly cap, stay length and money requirement. Figures below are from INZ's country pages as read on 10 October 2026.
  • NZ Visa Medicals and Chest X-Rays: Who Needs Them — INZ's rules turn on length of stay, visa type and time spent in countries without a low incidence of tuberculosis. Residence applicants need both an X-ray and a medical; results must be no more than 3 months old when INZ receives the application. Read from INZ on 10 October 2026.
  • Active Investor Plus Visa: Fees and Process — INZ's Active Investor Plus Visa needs NZD 5 million (Growth) or NZD 10 million (Balanced) in acceptable investments. The application cost shown on INZ's fee finder on 10 October 2026 was NZD 27,470, with approval in principle first and a transfer stage after.
  • NZ Immigration Changes 2026: A Dated Timeline — This is a dated list of 2026 changes announced by INZ or Govt.nz, in order of effective date. Each entry says whether it is in force or still to come. Nothing here is a proposal unless it is labelled that way. Read on 10 October 2026.

Work visas

  • AEWV Declined: What the Options Are — A declined AEWV can be reconsidered by INZ for NZD 220 if the worker applied in New Zealand and meets the 14-calendar-day rule; a declined employer job check or accreditation can be reconsidered for NZD 250 within 14 days of the day after the decline. Otherwise INZ describes a new application.
  • NZ Interim Visas: When They Start and What They Allow — INZ normally grants an Interim Visa automatically, for no fee, if a temporary visa expires while a new temporary visa application is being assessed. It starts the day after the old visa expires, lasts up to 6 months, ends if the holder leaves New Zealand, and its work and study conditions depend on the old and new visa types.
  • AEWV Job Change and Variation of Conditions: The Rules — An Accredited Employer Work Visa holder who wants a different employer, job or location applies online for a Job Change, which needs an accredited employer and a valid job check for the new job. It does not change the visa's expiry date, and the new job's maximum continuous stay can block a move.
  • AEWV Maximum Continuous Stay: How the 3 and 5 Year Caps Work — INZ caps the total time a person can stay in New Zealand on one or more Accredited Employer Work Visas at 5 years for most jobs and 3 years for ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 jobs unless a pay or list exception applies. After reaching the cap, a person must spend 12 months in a row outside New Zealand before another regular AEWV.
  • Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): The 2026 Rules — The Accredited Employer Work Visa is New Zealand's main employer-sponsored work visa. The job must be full-time (30+ hours), with an accredited employer holding an approved job check, and paid at least the required rate. INZ showed a fee of NZD 1,540 and 80% of applications within 5 weeks on 9 October 2026. The longest continuous stay is 5 years, or 3 years for skill level 4 or 5 jobs.
  • Paying for an NZ Job Offer: What INZ Says — Immigration New Zealand says New Zealand employers or agents cannot charge a worker fees for a job or make them pay recruitment costs, and that it will decline an Accredited Employer Work Visa application if the applicant or their agent offered or promised money for a job offer. INZ calls job offer scams common in India and South Asia.

Declines and appeals

  • NZ Visa Declined: Reconsideration, IPT Appeals and Reapplying — Which routes exist after a decline depends on the visa type and where the person is. Temporary visa declines can be reconsidered by INZ in limited cases (14 days, NZD 220); residence declines can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (42 days, NZD 964).
  • IPT Residence Appeals: 42 Days, NZD 964 and Form 1 — A declined residence class visa can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on the grounds that the decision was wrong and/or special circumstances. The Tribunal must receive Form 1 and the NZD 964 fee within 42 days of notification, it cannot extend that deadline, and appeals are currently taking 12 to 13 months.
  • Deportation Liability Notices in NZ: Reasons and Appeal Deadlines — A person can become liable for deportation by staying after a visa expires or through a deportation liability notice. Appeals go to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, which must receive them within 28 or 42 days depending on the reason, and cannot accept late appeals.
  • Section 61 Requests in New Zealand: How They Work — A section 61 request asks INZ to grant a visa to someone in New Zealand unlawfully. INZ is not obliged to consider it, gives no reasons, has no time frame and there is no appeal; a fee of NZD 640 (temporary) or NZD 1,510 (residence) is charged only if INZ decides to grant.
  • Reconsideration of a Declined NZ Visa: How the Rules Work — INZ can reconsider a declined work, student or visitor visa only if the person applied in New Zealand, is still there, still holds a valid visa (an Interim Visa counts) and INZ receives the request within 14 calendar days of the decline. The fee is NZD 220 and there is one review only.

Partner visas

  • Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: How It Works — The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa is for people whose partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident and who have lived with that partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months. INZ showed NZD 5,360 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026.
  • NZ Partnership Evidence: What INZ Says It Asks For — INZ defines a partnership as two people living together in a marriage, civil union or de facto relationship, and publishes lists of evidence of living together and of a genuine, stable relationship. For the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, it also offers an optional timeline and checklist (INZ 11975).
  • Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa: How It Works — The Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa lets the partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident live and work in New Zealand for up to 3 years. INZ showed NZD 1,630 for an application made from New Zealand and 80% of applications completed within 6.5 weeks on 9 October 2026.
  • Partner of a Worker Work Visa: Rules for AEWV Partners — The Partner of a Worker Work Visa lets the partner of an eligible work visa holder live and work in New Zealand for the same period as the worker's visa. For AEWV holders, INZ ties it to the job's skill level, pay and sector. INZ showed NZD 1,630 and 7 weeks (80%) on 9 October 2026.
  • Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa NZ: The Rules — The Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa lets a person come to New Zealand for up to 3 months to marry, or after marrying overseas, where the marriage was arranged by someone other than the couple within an identified cultural tradition. INZ showed NZD 441, including the NZD 100 levy, and 5 weeks (80%) on 9 October 2026.

Family visas

  • Parent Resident Visa 2026: The New Queue and Ballot Explained — From 5 October 2026 Parent Resident Visa expressions of interest sit in one pool: about 90% are selected in date order and about 10% by random ballot, four times a year, with a cap of 2,500 visas a year. The first selection under the new model is on 10 November 2026. EOIs no longer expire after 2 years if the holder confirms within the required window.
  • Parent Boost Visitor Visa NZ: Income, Insurance and Fees — The Parent Boost Visitor Visa lets parents of New Zealand citizens or residents visit for up to 5 years, with a health and insurance check in year 3. INZ showed NZD 3,100 and an expected processing time of around 4 months on 9 October 2026; a person can hold only 2 of these visas and it does not lead to residence.
  • Dependent Child Resident Visa NZ: How the Rules Work — The Dependent Child Resident Visa lets a New Zealand citizen or resident bring a single, dependent child aged 24 or younger to live in New Zealand. INZ showed NZD 3,230 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026; the child's resident visa carries the same section 49 conditions as the parent's.
  • Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category Ballots — Both are annual ballots. The 2026 Samoan Quota had 1,100 places and the Pacific Access Category 650 (250 Fiji, 250 Tonga, 75 Kiribati, 75 Tuvalu). INZ shows 2026 registrations as closed and says 2027 reopening dates will be announced in 2027.

Applying from overseas

  • NZ Visas for Indian Citizens: What INZ Publishes and Its Scam Warnings — Immigration New Zealand publishes counts of residence and work visa applications by nationality, and it warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. The visa rules, fees and processing times it publishes for the main skilled routes are the same for every passport. This page reports INZ's figures and warnings and does not say which visa suits anyone.
  • NZ Visas for Filipino Citizens: What Immigration New Zealand Publishes — INZ publishes application counts by nationality and runs two visas that are open only to Filipino citizens: the Philippines Special Work Visa (140 places a year) and the Philippines Working Holiday Visa (100 places a year, shown as closed for 2026). The main skilled-route fees were the same for Philippine passports as for others when checked. This page reports INZ's figures and rules and does not say which visa suits anyone.
  • South Africans Moving to New Zealand: What INZ Publishes and How the Visa Rules Work — INZ publishes counts of residence and work visa applications by nationality, including South Africa. The main skilled routes (Straight to Residence, Work to Residence, the Skilled Migrant Category and the AEWV) use the same published criteria and fees for every passport. This page reports INZ's figures and rules and does not say which visa suits anyone.

Study visas

  • Post-Study Work Visa NZ: The Rules and the 16 November 2026 Changes — The Post-Study Work Visa lets eligible graduates of New Zealand study work for up to 3 years. From 16 November 2026 INZ extends eligibility to level 7 graduate diplomas held with a bachelor's degree; INZ showed NZD 1,670 and 80% within 5 weeks on 9 October 2026.
  • Short-Term Graduate Work Visa NZ: The Rules for the 6-Month Visa — The Short-Term Graduate Work Visa gives eligible graduates 6 months of open work rights from applications opening on 16 November 2026. INZ requires a level 5–7 qualification studied full-time for at least 24 weeks, NZD 5,000 in funds and an application within 3 months of the student visa ending; INZ had not published a fee on 9 October 2026.
  • NZ Student Visa: Fees, Funds and Work Hours — The Fee Paying Student Visa lets international students study in New Zealand for up to 4 years. INZ showed NZD 850 and 80% within 7 weeks on 9 October 2026, requires living-cost funds of NZD 20,000 a year for most tertiary study, and allows part-time work of up to 25 hours a week only where the visa conditions say so.

Residence

  • NZ Permanent Resident Visa: The 2-Year Rules and Five Commitment Tests — The Permanent Resident Visa is for people who have held a resident visa for at least 2 years in a row and can show commitment to New Zealand in one of five set ways, of which the 184-days-a-year test is only one. INZ showed NZD 315 and 80% within 2 weeks on 9 October 2026.
  • NZ Citizenship by Grant: Fees, Requirements and Timeframes — From 28 August 2026 the Department of Internal Affairs charges NZD 641 for an adult (16 and over) and NZD 320 for a child to apply for citizenship by grant. Govt.nz lists three presence rules, an English requirement and a character requirement, and says 90% of applicants receive an outcome within 4 months of applying.
  • NZ Citizenship Test 2027: What Has Been Confirmed and What Has Not — DIA says that from late 2027 most people applying for New Zealand citizenship by grant will have to pass an in-person test of 20 multiple-choice questions, with at least 15 correct. Aspeq Limited was named as the provider on 7 October 2026; the start date, test locations and test fee have not been decided.

Moving on to Australia

  • Australian Migration Agents Licensed in NZ (TTMRA) — An Australian registered migration agent needs a New Zealand immigration adviser licence before giving New Zealand immigration advice. Under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 they can apply to the IAA without being tested on NZ immigration law, for NZD 2,039.33 (ordinarily resident in NZ) or NZD 1,773.33 (not). Check any agent on the IAA register, not Australia's OMARA register.
  • Moving to NZ From Australia: How the Rules for Australians Work — Immigration New Zealand grants an Australian Resident Visa at the New Zealand border for NZD 0 to Australian citizens and to permanent residents who hold an NZeTA. It lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, but Australian temporary residents are not eligible.

More guides

  • NZ Immigration Advisers Based Outside New Zealand — Anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice from outside New Zealand needs an IAA licence unless they are exempt; 459 of the 1,681 licensed advisers were offshore at 30 June 2026. The one offshore-specific exemption covers student visa advice only.
  • AEWV Employer Accreditation and Job Check: How They Work — To hire a migrant on an Accredited Employer Work Visa, a New Zealand employer first gets accredited (NZD 775 standard, 1,280 high-volume), usually advertises the job, then pays NZD 735 for each job check. INZ's wait times page showed accreditation averaging 2 days and job checks about 2 days, with most done within 1 to 1.5 weeks.
  • NZ Visitor Visa or NZeTA: How the Two Differ, Fees and the NZD 100 Levy — A Visitor Visa costs from NZD 441 and an NZeTA NZD 117 (app) or NZD 123 (online form), each including the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. An NZeTA is not a visa: INZ says it lets visa-waiver travellers visit without applying for a visa first, and a visa is still granted at the border.