New Zealand Green List jobs: Routes to Residence

Only some New Zealand Green List jobs lead to residence. Tier 1 roles lead to the Straight to Residence Visa, and Tier 2 roles lead to the Work to Residence Visa. Being on the list is not a job offer, so you also need an accredited employer and the right qualification.

Last checked 8 November 2026. This article is part of our guide: New Zealand AEWV guide.

The main difference between the tiers is timing. Tier 1 can lead to residence directly, and the Straight to Residence Visa page describes the stay as indefinite. Tier 2 gives you a work visa first. Residence comes later, once you meet the New Zealand work experience rules in the skilled residence pathways guidance.

Both tiers depend on an accredited employer, meaning one that Immigration New Zealand has approved to hire overseas workers. When you compare New Zealand Green List jobs, check the employer first. If you want the wider picture, read our New Zealand work visa jobs guide before you choose a route.

New Zealand Green List jobs by group and what each needs

When you look at New Zealand Green List jobs, remember that the list names occupations, not employers. Your role must match a listed occupation closely. A job with a similar title can still fail if the duties differ.

I did not check the full official occupation list for this article, so the groups below are general. They do not confirm that any exact occupation is on the list. Check your own occupation before you plan around it.

Each group below covers the usual duties, the pay rule, the deadline and where applicants get stuck.

New Zealand Green List jobs in nursing and allied health

This group covers nursing and related health roles. I could not confirm from an official page whether registered nurse roles sit on Tier 1, so do not assume they do. Health roles may need a registration or practising step before work starts, so ask your employer which step applies to you.

For New Zealand Green List jobs at Tier 1 with no specified pay rate, the Straight to Residence pay floor is NZD $35.00 an hour. That is the median wage for 2025. If your offer states a rate, that rate applies instead.

You must also be 55 years or younger when you apply. The job must run for 12 months or a 6-month contract, counted from your application date. Deadline: I could not confirm a closing date for this group, so plan around the age limit instead.

The catch is timing. If registration is still pending when you apply, the job may not yet meet the rules.

New Zealand Green List jobs in engineering and the built environment

This group covers engineers and related design or project roles. Official guidance warns that Green List roles can carry qualification, registration or pay conditions. Check the requirements for your exact role before you choose a visa.

Pay follows the rule for your specific job. Use the figure in your offer, and compare it with the official Straight to Residence page.

The catch is duties. A site management or project role may not match a listed engineering occupation, so compare your offer with the official occupation description, line by line.

New Zealand Green List jobs in trades and construction licensing

This group covers trade roles such as electricians, plumbers and builders. Check whether your trade appears on the official list first. If it does not, the Skilled Migrant Category trades and technician route may suit you instead.

That route is separate from the Green List. It needs a relevant qualification plus 4 years of post-qualification experience, including 18 months in New Zealand.

Licence or registration conditions may also apply to your trade. Check with the official body for that trade in New Zealand.

The catch is experience. Trade experience counts only when it matches the role description and the time requirements, so keep your work records organised.

New Zealand Green List jobs in technology and ICT

This group covers software, networking and data roles. Job titles such as developer or analyst can cover very different duties. The title alone does not decide eligibility.

The duties must match the listed occupation, and the employer must be accredited. If your role is Tier 1 and the offer has no specified rate, the floor is NZD $35.00 an hour.

The catch is that similar titles can hide different duties. Compare each line of the job description with the official occupation text before you apply.

New Zealand Green List jobs in land-based and scientific work

This group covers roles in agriculture, environmental work and laboratory science. Some of these jobs sit outside major cities. The offer should state the exact work location as well as the duties.

A vague location can cause problems later in the process. Scientific roles may also have strict qualification requirements, so ask for them in writing.

The catch is paperwork. Keep your degree, transcripts and employment letters together, with dates.

Comparing New Zealand Green List jobs by pathway and pay

The table compares New Zealand Green List jobs across the five groups above. Use it to decide which questions to ask first, not as a final answer. The pay column names the rule, not a figure. I could not confirm the Tier 2 pay rule for each occupation.

Job group	Pathway and pay rule	Registration and qualification	Main catch
Nursing and allied health	Tier depends on the listed occupation. Tier 1 with no set rate uses the NZD $35.00 an hour floor (2025).	May need a registration step before work starts.	Registration timing against the job start date.
Engineering and the built environment	Tier depends on the listed occupation. Pay follows the rule for the role.	May need professional registration or a qualification check.	Job duties may not match the listed occupation.
Trades and construction licensing	Check the list first. If the trade is not listed, the separate trades route may apply.	Relevant qualification plus 4 years of post-qualification experience, including 18 months in New Zealand, for the trades route.	Time in New Zealand is required for the trades route.
Technology and ICT specialists	Tier depends on the listed occupation. Tier 1 with no set rate uses the NZD $35.00 an hour floor (2025).	Qualification and experience rules vary by role, so confirm them in the offer.	Similar job titles with different duties.
Land-based and scientific specialists	Tier depends on the listed occupation. Pay follows the rule for the role.	Qualification requirements may apply, so ask for them in writing.	Location and duties must both be stated in the offer.

Read the table with one question in mind: which rule applies to my exact job? A pay rule can add its own condition, so a good wage does not help if the role fails the duties check.

I could not confirm from an official source which Green List roles pay the most. So this article does not rank the groups by pay. The only official pay figure used here is the Tier 1 floor, which applies only when a job has no specified rate.

Where Overseas Applicants Get Stuck on New Zealand Green List jobs

The official pages point to a few checks that catch people out on New Zealand Green List jobs. Here are five checks, with the mistake and the fix for each.

Assuming an overseas degree counts without a check. Fix: ask your employer and your profession’s registration body which check applies. Complete it before you apply.
Applying for a role whose duties do not match the listed occupation. Fix: copy the duties from the official occupation description and compare them with your offer. If they differ, ask the employer to correct the offer or choose another role.
Missing a practising or professional registration. Fix: check early whether your role needs registration, then start the process straight away.
Using an employer that is not accredited. Fix: check the employer on the accredited employer list before you accept. Straight to Residence needs an accredited employer and a job that runs for 12 months or a 6-month contract, as set out on the Straight to Residence Visa page.
Relying on a recruiter’s claim that a job is on the list. Fix: check the occupation yourself on the official Green List guidance, and keep a dated copy of the page.

Job Offers Are Needed but Not Guaranteed

Straight to Residence requires a job or job offer, not only a Green List occupation. The job must be with an accredited employer and sit on Tier 1. It must also run for at least 12 months or a 6-month contract, counted from the date you apply.

Being on the list does not give you a job, a visa or residence on its own. A strong offer letter makes the checks easy, so ask for one that states the job title, duties, pay rate, location, hours and the employer’s full contact details.

Never pay anyone to secure the job. New Zealand employers and their agents may not charge a worker for a job or for recruitment costs. That ban also covers payments routed through a third party.

Requests for processing or placement fees are a warning sign, and so is paying to fast-track an application. Read the warning on too-good-to-be-true job offers before you agree to anything.

Pay rules that apply to your role

Pay is part of the eligibility test, not just a number in the offer. Where a Tier 1 offer has no specified rate, the floor is NZD $35.00 an hour, the median wage for 2025. If the offer states a rate, that rate applies instead, so check it against the official page before you accept.

Immigration New Zealand charges only an application fee. Other costs, such as a medical examination, may still be payable to third parties, so check who you pay before you pay.

Family members and the AEWV

If you plan to bring family, note that a partner and dependent children cannot be named on an AEWV application. AEWV holders may be able to support visas for a partner and children, though not on the AEWV itself.

Whether family can be supported depends on your earnings and the skill level of the job. It can also depend on whether your job appears on the National Occupation List, so check the family pages for AEWV holders before you decide.

Checking New Zealand Green List jobs Against the AEWV

The Green List is not the same as the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), so a listed job is not automatically an AEWV route. The AEWV is a work visa that Immigration New Zealand lists as able to lead to a resident visa. Its conditions are separate, so check them on the Accredited Employer Work Visa page.

The AEWV has its own rules. The job must offer at least 30 hours of work a week. Applicants for jobs at ANZSCO skill levels 3 to 5 must show they can speak and understand English. ANZSCO is the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations.

A stay can last up to five years. The length depends on the job, its skill level, the pay and when you apply. Immigration New Zealand says that 80% of AEWV applications get a decision within five weeks. Use that as a planning guide, not a promise for your own case.

Start by searching your occupation on the official Green List guidance, then confirm that your duties match the listed occupation. Immigration New Zealand reviews the list from time to time, so the version in force when you apply matters. I could not confirm how often that review happens, so do not rely on an old copy.

Re-check the list on the day you submit, and note the date you checked.

Verifying Employers, Agents and Registers

Check each party before you commit money or time. Use official sources, not links sent to you in a chat app.

Employer: check that the employer is on the accredited employer list, as the AEWV page explains.
Registration: check your profession’s registration on the official register in New Zealand, and keep the reference number.
Agent: check that the adviser is a licensed immigration adviser or a certified New Zealand lawyer. Immigration New Zealand gives this advice to anyone using an adviser.

Walk away if you see any of these red flags. Each one is a reason to stop and check with Immigration New Zealand or a licensed adviser before you pay anything.

Any request for a processing or placement fee before a job offer.
Promises of guaranteed residence or a guaranteed place on the list.
Pressure to pay for a place on the list or to fast-track your visa.
Offers you cannot confirm on an official register.
Agents who work through apps rather than approved routes. Immigration New Zealand advises using approved pathways instead.

Use the official Immigration New Zealand scam guidance to compare any offer you receive.

Next Steps for Your Green List Job Search

Check your occupation on the skilled residence pathways guidance, and note the date you checked.
Confirm your qualification and registration needs with your employer and the body that registers your profession, before you apply.
Check the employer on the accredited employer list, using the Accredited Employer Work Visa page.
Keep records of your work experience, qualifications and employment letters, with dates and reference numbers.
Check the starting cost, listed from NZD $6450, and the age limit of 55 years or younger on the Straight to Residence Visa page, then re-check the list on the day you apply.

Frequently asked questions

Is nursing on the Green List?

I could not confirm this from an official page, so do not assume nursing is on the list or on Tier 1. Check the official Green List guidance for the exact occupation title and tier. If nursing appears there, also check the registration conditions for your role, because Green List roles can carry registration requirements.

Do I need a job offer to use the Green List pathway?

Yes, for the Straight to Residence route. You need a job or job offer with an accredited employer in a Tier 1 role. The job must run for at least 12 months or a 6-month contract from the date you apply. The pathway suits people with a job in an in-demand occupation, but an occupation match alone is not enough.

Does being on the Green List guarantee a visa?

No. Being on the list only means the government sees an occupation as in demand. You still need a suitable job or job offer, an accredited employer, the right qualification or registration, and the pay and job term the route requires. Even then, Immigration New Zealand decides your application, so treat the list as a starting point.

Can I get residence in New Zealand through the Green List?

Yes, but only through a route that fits your job. Tier 1 roles lead to the Straight to Residence Visa, which the official page describes as an indefinite stay rather than a temporary permit. Tier 2 roles lead to the Work to Residence Visa, but you must first meet the New Zealand work experience requirements. Your job also has to be with an accredited employer.

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

Tier 1 roles lead to the Straight to Residence Visa. The job must be with an accredited employer and run for at least 12 months or a 6-month contract. You must be 55 years or younger when you apply. Tier 2 roles lead to the Work to Residence Visa, and you must meet New Zealand work experience requirements first.

New Zealand Green List Jobs: Roles That Can Lead to Residence