Fast-track Residence for "Green list" jobs
A new, fast tracked residence pathway will be available for people who come to New Zealand on a work visa from 4 July 2022 and apply for residence from September 2022. This residence application can also be applied for from offshore, from September. Eligible migrants include those who work or have a job offer in New Zealand in an occupation on the "Green List". The list is split between occupations which qualify for "straight to residence" and occupations which offer a 2-year pathway to residence.
As an additional benefit, employers won't need to provide proof of advertising for these occupations when applying for a job check in anticipation for a work visa application.
Note that each occupation includes a list of requirements that need to be met by the applicant, in order to qualify, such as occupation registration (if applicable) and/or relevant qualification and/or sufficient work experience.
These occupations include:
- Construction Project Manager
- Project Builder
- Quantity Surveyor
- Surveyor
- Chemical Engineer
- Civil Engineering Technician
- Civil Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Electronics Engineer
- Electrical Engineering Technician
- Electronic Engineering Technician
- Environmental Engineer
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Industrial Engineer
- Materials Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Production or Plant Engineer
- Structural Engineer
- Engineering Professionals (Not Elsewhere Classified)
- Telecommunications Engineer
- Telecommunications Network Engineers
- General Practitioner
- Anaesthetist
- Psychiatrist
- Specialist Physicians Not Elsewhere Classified
- Surgeons (Including General Surgeons Cardiothoracic Surgeon Neurosurgeon Orthopaedic Surgeon Otorhinolaryngologist Urologist And Vascular Surgeon)
- Other Medical Practitioners (Including Dermatologist Obstetrician And Gynaecologist Ophthalmologist Diagnostic And Interventional Radiologist And Radiation Oncologist)
- Resident Medical Officer
- Medical Laboratory Scientist
- Clinical Psychologists & Psychologists Physicist (Medical)
- Orthoptist
- Veterinarian
- Other Spatial Scientist Environmental Research Scientist Food Technologist
- ICT Managers ($120,000)
- Software Engineer ($120,000)
- ICT Security Specialist ($120,000)
- Multimedia Specialists ($95,000)
Work to residence pathway
Eligible migrants in the following occupations will be able to apply for residence after two years working in New Zealand under:
- Anaesthetic Technician
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Medical Imaging Technologist
- Medical Radiation Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Sonographer
- Podiatrist
- Audiologist
- All Registered Nurses (including but not limited to Aged Care)
- Midwife
- Teachers - Secondary with specialisations and registered ECE
- Automotive Electrician
Diesel Motor Mechanic (including Heavy Vehicle Inspector) - Electrician (General) - registered
- Plumber - registered
- Dairy Farm Managers
Any person paid at least twice the median wage will also be able to apply for residence after 2 years.
How about everyone else?
People whose role does not feature on these lists may still be eligible to apply under the Skilled Migrant Category.
