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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.

The Transport Work to Residence Visa is one of the "sector" residence visas New Zealand created alongside the Green List. It is a resident visa, so it is not a work permit: once granted, the holder can live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. What makes it unusual is that it is built around a short list of transport jobs and a pay rule that looks backwards from the day of the application.

This guide explains how the visa works using Immigration New Zealand's Transport Work to Residence Visa page, its Work to Residence wage rates page, its English language page for skilled residence visas and its fee finder, all read on 9 October 2026. It describes the published rules. It does not say whether any reader's job counts, whether their pay history works, or whether they would meet the requirements. Applying the rules to a person's own facts is immigration advice, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it.

INZ lists the cost as "From NZD $6450". INZ's fee finder does not currently publish a processing time for this visa, so check it there before you plan around a date. INZ's page is the reference.

What the visa is, and what it is not

INZ describes the visa this way: "Apply for this resident visa if you currently have a job or job offer with an accredited employer, and have worked in New Zealand for 24 months in an approved transport job." The holder may live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, and may include a partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in the application. The age limit for the main applicant is 55 or younger when applying; INZ checks the identity document to confirm it.

It is a separate visa from the two Green List residence routes. The Straight to Residence Visa is for Green List Tier 1 roles, and the Work to Residence Visa is for Green List Tier 2 roles. The Transport Work to Residence Visa uses its own list of approved transport jobs and its own wage table. INZ treats them as three different products, each with its own page and the same published cost of NZD 6,450.

The visa is also not a way to enter New Zealand to start a transport job. INZ's rules require the applicant to have already worked in New Zealand for 24 months, which means the person will normally have been in the country on a work visa. The related guides on the Accredited Employer Work Visa and on the Work to Residence Visa explain the temporary side.

The requirements as INZ lists them

INZ's "Who can apply" section says an applicant must:

  • be aged 55 or younger;
  • work in, or have a job offer for, an approved transport job;
  • meet the work experience requirements, including having worked in New Zealand for at least 24 months within the 30 months immediately before applying for residence;
  • have a job, or job offer, with an accredited employer under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) policy, either when applying or when the visa is decided;
  • be in good health and of good character;
  • have a genuine relationship with a partner and dependent children if including them; and
  • speak and understand English.

The job itself must be an approved transport job, permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, paid the required wage rate, and with an employer accredited under the AEWV policy. INZ publishes an accredited employer list and links to it from the visa page.

There is also a visa-history rule. For at least 24 months before applying the applicant must have held a visa that allows work in New Zealand. INZ says it checks its own records for the full 24 months, and it accepts one or more work visas, a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa that allowed work, or an Interim Visa granted when the person applied for another work visa or a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa that allowed work. A gap in work-visa cover is therefore a separate question from a gap in pay.

The approved jobs today: Ship's Master and Deck Hand

INZ's page currently lists two approved transport jobs, each with its own conditions that must be evidenced with the application.

Ship's Master (ANZSCO 231231). On the day of applying the person must be working for, or have a job offer from, a New Zealand employer as a Ship's Master; have worked at least 24 months as a Ship's Master; have been paid at least the median wage for 24 months; and hold either the Skipper Restricted Limits qualification with a 500GT or 3000GT endorsement, or a Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) certificate for the duties of a Ship's Master on a vessel of 500 gross tonnes or more, as recognised by Maritime New Zealand.

Deck Hand (ANZSCO 899211). The same pattern: currently working for, or offered a job by, a New Zealand employer as a Deck Hand; at least 24 months in the job; paid at least the median wage for 24 months; and holding either a Qualified Deck Crew Certificate of Proficiency or a Deck Watch Rating Certificate of Proficiency that entitles the holder to perform Deck Hand duties, as recognised by Maritime New Zealand.

INZ also explains ANZSCO: the code refers to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, which grades jobs from skill level 1 (most skilled) to 5 (least skilled). Whether a particular job title in a particular workplace matches one of these two entries is a factual question that INZ decides from the evidence.

Jobs removed on 7 April 2024, and why they still appear

The page and the wage-rates page both explain that a longer list of road and passenger transport jobs was removed from the approved list on 7 April 2024. The removed jobs are bus driver (731211), truck driver (733111), aircraft refueller (733112), furniture removalist (733113), tanker driver (733114) and tow truck driver (733115).

They still matter because INZ lets some past work count. The visa page says work in those jobs counts towards the 24 months if, before 7 April 2024, the person started working in one of them on any work visa, received an AEWV to work in one, applied for an AEWV for one and was successful, or signed an employment agreement and started work within one month of signing it or of being given a non-AEWV visa, such as a Partner of a Worker Work Visa. The wage-rates page words the last condition differently, saying work must have started within four weeks of the visa being granted or the agreement being signed. Because the two INZ pages are not worded identically, anyone relying on the transition rule needs to read both and ask INZ or an adviser how they apply together.

INZ attaches job-specific conditions to the removed roles. For passenger bus drivers: at least 24 months as a passenger bus driver in New Zealand, paid at least NZD 28 an hour for 24 months, holding a class 2 New Zealand driver licence with a passenger endorsement, and working either for an employer that has signed the All Parties Memorandum of Understanding on Improving Driver Terms and Conditions for the region, or as a school bus driver on a Ministry of Education-funded service or a service directly contracted to a school. For truck driver, aircraft refueller, furniture removalist, tanker driver and tow truck driver: 24 months driving a class 4 or class 5 vehicle, paid at least the median wage for 24 months, holding a New Zealand class 4 or 5 driver licence.

How the 24 months are counted

INZ's rule is that the applicant must have worked in New Zealand in an acceptable transport job for at least 24 months in the 30 months before applying, and been paid at least the wage rate in place for the job when counting started.

When counting starts. INZ says work experience can be counted from the start of the job if the person is paid the required wage rate. If the pay is below the rate at the start, counting can begin later, when pay is raised to the required rate.

What the required rate is. During the work experience the person must have been paid at least the median wage in place at the start of the 24 months, or NZD 28 an hour for a bus driver. That is not necessarily today's median wage. INZ's Table 3 on the wage-rates page lists the current and previous rates:

  • 9 March 2026 (current): NZD 35.00, bus driver NZD 28
  • 18 August 2025 to 8 March 2026: NZD 33.56, bus driver NZD 28
  • 28 February 2024 to 17 August 2025: NZD 31.61, bus driver NZD 28
  • 27 February 2023 to 27 February 2024: NZD 29.66, bus driver NZD 28
  • 4 July 2022 to 26 February 2023: NZD 27.76, bus driver NZD 28
  • 29 September 2021 to 3 July 2022: NZD 27.00, bus driver NZD 28

The wage page adds a grace period: a person may be able to use the rate in place when the work visa was granted, if they were earning at least that rate within five months of the visa being granted and were earning at least that rate within the 30-month eligible period before applying.

What counts as work. Annual, bereavement and other leave the person is legally entitled to, such as parental leave, can be counted. The person can also spend some of the 24 months in a job that is not an approved transport job, provided it is a Green List Tier 2 job, an approved care workforce job, or a job that paid at least twice the median wage at the time.

Changing jobs during the count: INZ's worked example

INZ gives one worked example of a job change, which is quoted here with its attribution. Stan started work as a Ship's Master in April 2024 and was paid NZD 31.61 an hour, the median wage in April 2024, so he started counting then. In September 2025 he changed employer and his new job paid NZD 30.00 an hour. That was below the NZD 31.61 in place when he started counting, so his work experience stopped being counted. In December 2025 his pay rose to NZD 31.61, so counting started again. INZ says Stan can apply in September 2026, with 24 months made up of 17 months between April 2024 and September 2025 and 8 months between December 2025 and September 2026.

The general rule behind the example, as INZ states it: work experience continues to count after a job change as long as the new job pays at least the rate that applied when counting started; it stops counting if the new job pays less; and it can start counting again once pay is back at or above that rate. The wage page also says that someone applying for a different type of visa or job may need to meet a new wage rate.

Two things follow for anyone reading the rule, without any conclusion about a particular person. First, the benchmark is fixed on the day counting started, not the day of the job change and not the day of the application. Second, the arithmetic depends on exact dates and exact pay, which is why INZ asks for pay slips, bank statements and an Inland Revenue summary of earnings.

English, health, character and family

English. INZ's page lists this visa among the skilled residence visas for which English must be shown, and says a higher standard applies than for other residence visas. The main applicant has two ways to show it: citizenship, study and qualifications, or a test. For citizens of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, INZ's rule requires at least five years working or studying in one of those countries, Australia or New Zealand. 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 two years while studying, can also be used, or one year for level 8 or above. For a test, INZ's table sets the minimum for the main applicant at IELTS overall 6.5, TOEFL iBT 79, PTE Academic 58 or B2 First 176, taken in person at a test centre with a result no more than two years old. A partner or child aged 16 or older has lower scores (IELTS 5, TOEFL iBT 35, PTE Academic 36) or can pay for English lessons in New Zealand. The main applicant cannot use the lessons option. Children under 16 have no English requirement.

Health. Everyone included needs a chest X-ray and medical examination, with exceptions for children: aged 10 or younger need a medical examination but no X-ray unless INZ or the panel physician asks; aged 11 to 14 need both, with a blood test only if requested. Results must be less than three months old when INZ receives them.

Character. Everyone aged 17 or older needs police certificates less than six months old, from each country of citizenship and each country where they spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years, even if the 12 months were not in one stay. INZ says certificates must show criminal records from any time, not only the last 10 years, and that a conviction or security risk may stop a visa being granted.

Family. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included. If a partner or child already holds, or is applying for, a work, student or visitor visa based on the relationship, INZ says they must be included in the residence application.

Fee, documents and how the application runs

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 within New Zealand, showed an application cost of NZD 6,450 each time. INZ describes it as the charge for processing, says "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. The page includes no processing-time line in the finder output, so the speed of a decision is not something INZ published on that day.

The documents INZ lists are a passport copy or acceptable photo, chest X-ray and medical evidence, police certificates, evidence of English, evidence of an approved transport job and of 24 months of work, evidence of a job offer or existing job with an accredited employer, and certified English translations of anything not in English. For the job and work experience, INZ asks for documents showing the work done, the pay, the dates, the average weekly hours, the locations and employer contact details. Examples it gives: an employment agreement or fixed-term contract, licences and certificates required for the job, a letter describing the job and pay, pay slips or bank statements, a job description, and a summary of earnings from Inland Revenue. The employment agreement must include the clauses New Zealand employment law requires. Documents from employers should be on letterhead and signed by an authorised person.

The steps INZ gives are: gather documents, submit and pay in the applicant's online account, wait for a decision, and check the status online. A person already in New Zealand must hold a valid visa while waiting; INZ suggests applying for a new temporary visa if the current one might expire, and says it may grant an Interim Visa so the person stays lawful. The related guide on interim visas explains that.

After approval

The visa is issued as an eVisa. A resident visa holder can work in any job for any employer and study anywhere in New Zealand for any length of time. Travel conditions run for two years from the date the holder first arrives as a resident, or from the date the visa is issued if already in New Zealand. After that, INZ says, a person needs either a Permanent Resident Visa or an extension of travel conditions, and a holder who is outside New Zealand when the travel conditions expire loses the visa. After holding the Transport Work to Residence Visa for two years in a row, the holder can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. INZ also says that for most people, five years living in New Zealand as a resident may allow a citizenship application, with no need for a Permanent Resident Visa first.

The permanent resident visa rules are in the related guide.

One more point connects to families. A partner on a Partner of a Worker Work Visa whose supporter holds an AEWV in a level 4 or 5 job covered by a transport sector agreement faces a specific pay test set by reference to these Work to Residence rules. That test is explained in the guide to the Partner of a Worker Work Visa.

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 Transport Work to Residence Visa?

INZ describes it as a resident visa for people with a job or job offer from an accredited employer who have worked in New Zealand for 24 months in an approved transport job. It lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely and include a partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger.

Which transport jobs are approved?

INZ's page currently lists Ship's Master (ANZSCO 231231) and Deck Hand (899211), each with qualification and pay conditions. Bus driver and several road transport jobs were removed from the list on 7 April 2024, though some earlier work in them can still count under INZ's transition rules.

How much does the Transport Work to Residence Visa cost?

INZ's page and fee finder showed NZD 6,450 on 9 October 2026, including a non-refundable immigration levy. INZ does not refund the application cost if the application is declined.

What pay rate applies to the 24 months?

At least the median wage in place when the person started counting their work experience, or NZD 28 an hour for a bus driver. INZ's Table 3 lists the median rates by date; NZD 35.00 has applied since 9 March 2026.

Does leave count towards the 24 months?

INZ says annual, bereavement and other leave the person is legally entitled to, such as parental leave, can be counted. Some months in a Green List Tier 2 job, an approved care workforce job, or a job paying at least twice the median wage can also count.

Can the main applicant use English lessons instead of a test?

No. INZ says principal applicants for skilled residence visas cannot use the English lessons option. Partners and dependent children aged 16 or older can pay for lessons instead of reaching the test score.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.