Migratio New Zealand · Guides · Find advisers · For advisers

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.

New Zealand's Green List is INZ's list of jobs it says it needs people for, split into two tiers. Tier 1 roles lead to the Straight to Residence Visa, which grants residence directly. Tier 2 roles lead to the Work to Residence Visa after 24 months of work in New Zealand. People searching "straight to residence NZ" or "Green List Tier 1" are trying to understand the first of the two.

This guide explains how the visa works, using Immigration New Zealand's Straight to Residence Visa page, Green List page, Work to Residence page, English language page and fee finder, all read on 9 October 2026. It describes the rules. It does not say whether any reader's job is on Tier 1 or whether they would meet the requirements, because applying the rules to a person's own facts is immigration advice that, in New Zealand, only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give.

INZ's Green List page is a search tool, and the tier and requirements for each role appear when a role is searched. This guide therefore does not name which roles are Tier 1 or Tier 2. The INZ page is the authority.

What the visa is

INZ describes the Straight to Residence Visa this way: "Apply for this visa if you have a job or job offer with an accredited employer, and your job is on Tier 1 of the Green List of in-demand jobs."

The visa is a resident visa. It "lets you live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely" and the holder can include a partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in the application. The age cap for the main applicant is 55 or younger when applying. INZ's page lists the cost as "From NZD $6450" and the processing time as "80% within 3 months".

How it differs from the other two main skilled routes, in INZ's own terms:

  • Tier 2 Green List roles lead to the Work to Residence Visa, which requires 24 months of work in New Zealand in a Tier 2 job within the 30 months before applying, plus a work visa held for at least 24 months.
  • The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa starts with an expression of interest and has three pathways.
  • The Straight to Residence Visa has no minimum period of New Zealand work: INZ's requirements are a Tier 1 job or offer, with an accredited employer, at the required pay.

A side-by-side comparison of the published rules is in the related guide on Green List and SMC rules.

The requirements

INZ's list of requirements to apply:

  • be aged 55 or younger;
  • have an offer of, or be working in, a Green List Tier 1 job with an accredited employer;
  • be in good health;
  • be of good character;
  • have a genuine relationship with any partner and dependent children being included; and
  • speak and understand English.

The job. INZ says it must be with an accredited employer, be a Tier 1 job on the Green List, pay at least the rate specified for that Tier 1 job (or the current median wage if no rate is specified), be full-time, and be permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months from when the application is made, or a contract or continuous contracts for at least 6 months. The accredited employer list is published by INZ.

Green List requirements. INZ states that the applicant "must also meet the Green List requirements for your job. Requirements can include needing to be paid a certain amount or have a specific registration, professional membership, or qualification." Those are shown against each role on the Green List page.

The Green List itself. INZ says: "The Green List is a list of jobs that we need people for in New Zealand — these jobs are separated into skill levels called tiers. Tier 1 jobs allow you to apply for a Straight to Residence Visa. Tier 2 jobs allow you to apply for a Work to Residence Visa."

INZ also states a note about teaching. For Tier 1 teaching roles, "Straight to Residence is designed for experienced teachers who are working at, or are offered, roles paid at the median wage. It is not intended for newly graduated teachers or those early in their careers who are not yet earning at this level." It names the Post Study Work Visa and the Accredited Employer Work Visa as options INZ describes for newly graduated teachers.

How much the job must pay

The pay rule is two-part. The job must pay at least "the rate specified for your Green List Tier 1 job, or NZD $35.00 an hour (the 2025 median wage) if a wage rate is not specified for your Green List job."

That means the figure depends on the role's entry in the Green List. Some roles carry a specific hourly rate; others fall back on the median wage figure of NZD 35.00. INZ's wage rates for visas page explains that median-based thresholds change as the median wage changes, and that the rate that applies depends on the visa and when the person got it. For a Green List role, the Green List entry and INZ's wage-rate pages are the references.

Documents INZ lists to show pay include the employment agreement, fixed-term contract or employment offer letter from the accredited employer, showing hours, duration, position and pay; for contracts, contracts without breaks adding up to 6 months or more.

Contractors face additional rules. INZ says: "If your job will be based on a contract for services, you may have additional pay or skill requirements you need to meet." Where the job has a wage threshold for employment based on a contract for services, the applicant needs evidence of "10 years of relevant experience" and of being paid at least the contract-for-services threshold. Those requirements are listed under each role on the Green List page where they apply.

Qualifications, registration and English

Qualifications. INZ says an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) may be needed for qualifications gained outside New Zealand. "Not all international qualifications need to be assessed, such as the Washington or Sydney Accord qualifications." INZ's IQA page explains that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) runs the assessment, and that a skill shortage list IQA exists for Green List jobs. If an IQA is needed it must be applied for, and the result included with the visa application. The role's Green List entry says what qualification or registration the role needs.

English. INZ says "You must speak and understand English" and sets out two ways to show it: citizenship, where the applicant studied and the qualifications gained, or an English language test. Test results must meet INZ's minimum score and be no more than 2 years old when applying. INZ's English requirements page for skilled residence visas gives the detail:

  • citizens of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States who have spent at least 5 years working or studying in one of those countries, Australia or New Zealand may meet the requirement through citizenship;
  • a qualification comparable with a New Zealand level 7 bachelor's degree gained in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, after living there at least 2 years while studying, can be used; for level 8 or above the required time is 1 year;
  • for tests, the principal applicant's minimum is an IELTS overall score of 6.5, with TOEFL iBT 79, PTE Academic 58, and Cambridge B2 First 176 among the accepted equivalents; partners and dependent children aged 16 or older have lower scores (IELTS 5, TOEFL iBT 35, PTE Academic 36).

The principal applicant cannot use the option of paying for English lessons; partners and dependent children aged 16 or older can. There are no English requirements for children under 16.

Health, character and family

Health. INZ requires good health for the applicant and everyone included. Anyone aged 15 or older needs a chest X-ray and medical examination. Children aged 10 or younger need a medical examination but no chest X-ray unless INZ or the panel physician asks. Children aged 11 to 14 need both, with a blood test only if requested. Evidence must be less than 3 months old when received. Certificates issued within the last 3 years for an earlier application may not need repeating.

Character. Anyone included aged 17 or older provides police certificates less than 6 months old when applying. They must come from countries of citizenship and from any country where the person spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years, even if not in one stay, and must show criminal records from any time, not only the last 10 years. INZ states that a criminal conviction or security risk may stop a visa being granted.

Family. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included, with documents proving the relationship, such as marriage and birth certificates. INZ states that if a partner or dependent child already holds or is applying for a work, student or visitor visa based on the relationship with the applicant, they must be included in the residence application.

Fee, timing and the application

INZ's fee finder, queried on 9 October 2026 for Indian, UK and Philippines passport holders applying from their own country (and for an Indian passport holder applying from New Zealand), showed an application cost of NZD 6,450 and 80% of applications completed within 3 months. INZ describes the cost as the charge to process the application, states "We do not refund application costs if we decline your application", and says a non-refundable immigration levy is included. Payment is online by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay. Fees vary by passport and place of application, so the finder is the reference.

INZ's application steps are: gather documents, submit the application and pay the fee, wait for a decision, and check the application status in the applicant's account. After applying online, INZ says, an applicant does not need to send a passport or other documents unless INZ asks.

The documents INZ lists are a copy of the passport, one acceptable photo, chest X-ray and medical evidence, police certificates, evidence of English, evidence of the Tier 1 job offer or job with an accredited employer and that the role requirements are met, and certified translations of anything not in English. For family, relationship documents, identity proof, photos, and (where needed) police certificates, medical evidence and English evidence or paid lessons.

A person in New Zealand must have a valid visa while the application is processed. INZ advises that if the current visa might expire during processing, the person should also apply for a temporary visa to work, study or visit; INZ may grant an Interim Visa if the current visa expires before a decision.

After approval

The resident visa allows work in any job for any employer and study anywhere in New Zealand, indefinitely. The visa is recorded as an eVisa. An applicant outside New Zealand must arrive within 12 months of the visa being issued, completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, which can be submitted from 24 hours before travel.

Travel conditions last 2 years from first arrival as a resident, or from the date the visa is given if already in New Zealand. INZ says travel after that requires either a Permanent Resident Visa or an extension of travel conditions, and a holder outside New Zealand when travel conditions expire loses the visa. After holding the Straight to Residence Visa for 2 years in a row, a Permanent Resident Visa can be applied for. INZ also says that for most people, 5 years as a resident may allow a citizenship application, with no need for a Permanent Resident Visa first.

INZ's entry warnings apply: entry permission can be refused for failing character requirements, for a change of circumstances since the visa was issued, or for refusing to give a photo, fingerprints or an iris scan.

Why Green List applications still call for care

INZ's pages make the rules look clear, but three points commonly need an individual's papers to be read closely. The first is the tier: a role being on the Green List is not enough; Tier 1 and Tier 2 lead to different visas. The second is the role's own conditions: INZ says requirements can include a specific registration, professional membership, qualification or pay rate, and a role's listing says which. The third is the pay test: the rate specified for the role, or the median, must be met on the employment agreement for the job.

Whether a given job, qualification and employer meet those tests is a question for a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer. They must give a written agreement setting out services and fees before work starts, and the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register shows who is licensed.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or pathway fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

What is the Straight to Residence Visa in NZ?

INZ describes it as a resident visa for people with a job or job offer from an accredited employer in a Green List Tier 1 job. It lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely and include a partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger.

How much does the Straight to Residence Visa cost?

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 6,450 on 9 October 2026 for the passports queried, including a non-refundable immigration levy. The fee is not refunded if the application is declined. Check INZ's finder for the passport and place of application concerned.

How long does the Straight to Residence Visa take?

INZ's page and fee finder showed 80% of applications completed within 3 months on 9 October 2026. INZ updates processing times, so the live page is the reference.

What is the difference between Green List Tier 1 and Tier 2?

INZ says Tier 1 jobs allow an application for a Straight to Residence Visa, and Tier 2 jobs allow an application for a Work to Residence Visa. The Work to Residence Visa requires 24 months of work in a Tier 2 job in New Zealand in the 30 months before applying.

How much must a Tier 1 job pay?

At least the rate specified for the Green List Tier 1 job, or NZD 35.00 an hour (INZ's figure for the 2025 median wage) if no rate is specified for the job.

Is the Straight to Residence Visa for new graduate teachers?

INZ says no: for Tier 1 teaching roles, Straight to Residence is designed for experienced teachers paid at the median wage and is not intended for newly graduated teachers or those early in their careers.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.