Immigration Guide
New Zealand Immigration Guide
A practical, plain-English guide to planning your move, understanding the visa process and identifying the pathways that may be worth exploring.
Immigration outcomes depend on individual facts, evidence and the policy in force when you apply. Use this guide to understand the landscape, then obtain advice for your own circumstances.
This guide explains the new Skilled Migrant Category settings taking effect on 24 August 2026. Applications and expressions of interest before that date may be assessed under the current settings. Draft SMC EOIs will expire when the new form launches.
Welcome to the journey
Moving permanently from one country to another is a major logistical, emotional and financial undertaking. The visa is important, but it is only one part of the move.
What this guide is for
It gives you a clear overview of the New Zealand immigration process, the main temporary and residence pathways, and the planning issues that tend to matter most.
It is designed to help you ask better questions and make better decisions before expectations, expenses and deadlines begin to build.
What it cannot do
It cannot confirm that you qualify. Every application is fact-specific, and apparently small details can change the answer: dates, occupation classification, pay, relationship evidence, health, character and the sequence of applications.
For a personal strategy, speak with a licensed immigration adviser.
Guide contents
About Turner Hopkins
Turner Hopkins Immigration Specialists is a boutique immigration consultancy working with private and commercial clients across temporary, residence, family, skilled and investment categories.
Clear assessment
We begin by identifying realistic options, key risks and the sequence that is most likely to work.
A practical road map
Clients receive a plan that connects job search, temporary visas, residence timing and evidence preparation.
Prompt, accurate advice
Our focus is clear communication, strong policy knowledge and helping clients understand what happens next.
Your immigration team
Paul Janssen
Paul advises across private and commercial immigration matters, with particular depth in skilled, partnership and investor pathways. His focus is practical strategy, clear communication and keeping complex cases moving.
Sejoo Han
Originally from Korea, Sejoo brings first-hand migration experience and advises across a broad range of visa categories. He speaks English, Korean and Tagalog.
Nadia
Nadia joined the team in 2026 and combines immigration expertise with first-hand experience of navigating the New Zealand system. Her approach is practical, careful and empathetic.
What makes a successful move?
Preparation does not remove every surprise, but it reduces avoidable ones. Use the cards below as a planning checklist. The ticks are for your use only and are not saved.
One useful rule
Plan for the end goal, but sequence the immediate steps. A residence strategy may start with a visitor visa, a job search, a temporary work visa, a partnership visa or an investment process. The order matters.
Visa terminology
Immigration language is not designed for casual reading. Search the glossary or browse the key terms below.
Permission to travel to, enter or remain in New Zealand subject to stated conditions. Most visas are issued electronically.
Immigration New Zealand, the government agency that processes visa applications and administers immigration instructions.
A visa granted for a limited period and usually for a defined purpose, such as visiting, studying or working.
A visa allowing the holder to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, subject to any conditions and travel conditions.
A residence-class visa with indefinite travel conditions. It is not a different form of citizenship.
The part of a resident visa that controls travel in and out of New Zealand. Residence may remain valid while the right to re-enter expires.
Rules attached to a visa, such as employer, occupation, location, study provider or course.
An employer approved by INZ to employ workers under the Accredited Employer Work Visa system.
A formal immigration obligation applying only in specified categories. A job offer is not normally the same thing as sponsorship.
The main person assessed against a residence category. Eligible partners and dependent children may sometimes be included.
An initial submission used in some residence categories before INZ invites a full application.
INZ's invitation to submit the full residence application and supporting evidence after an EOI is accepted or selected.
A list of specified occupations with Straight to Residence or Work to Residence pathways, subject to role-specific requirements.
Occupation-classification systems used to assess job skill level and requirements. NOL is progressively replacing ANZSCO for some AEWV purposes, but ANZSCO remains relevant to residence settings.
An assessment by NZQA of an overseas qualification. Some qualifications are exempt, but many require an IQA before points or pathway requirements can be confirmed.
A pay threshold linked to the immigration median wage and used in skilled-residence settings. The rate that applies can depend on when qualifying work started.
The visa process explained
There is no single migration sequence. The right path depends on whether your connection to New Zealand is work, family, study, investment or another specific purpose.
Assess
Identify occupation, age, qualifications, registration, pay requirements and the residence destination.
Find the right job
For most skilled routes, secure qualifying New Zealand employment or a qualifying offer.
Temporary visa
Use the appropriate work and family visas while any required New Zealand work period is completed.
Residence
Apply immediately where available, or once the required points and work experience have been accumulated.
A Tier 1 Green List role may allow the applicant to move directly to residence, removing some intermediate steps.
Identify the relationship
Partner, dependent child, parent residence or a long-term parent visitor option.
Check the supporting person
Confirm citizenship or residence, sponsorship history, income and location requirements.
Build the evidence
Relationship, living-together, financial, family, health and character evidence.
Sequence applications
Temporary and residence applications may need to be combined or filed in a particular order.
Choose the route
Active Investor Plus, Business Investor or Parent Retirement.
Trace the funds
Document ownership and the lawful source or acquisition of nominated funds.
Structure the investment
Complete due diligence and confirm the proposed investment meets the visa rules.
Transfer and maintain
Move funds through a lawful banking trail and comply with investment and presence conditions.
Age
Most skilled residence and the Business Investor route require the principal applicant to apply before turning 56. Temporary work visas generally do not use the same age limit.
Health
Health evidence depends on the visa, intended stay and personal history. Residence assessments are generally more demanding than temporary visa assessments.
Character
Police certificates and disclosure requirements vary. Any conviction, charge, deportation or immigration issue should be identified early.
English
English requirements differ across residence, work, partner and business categories. Test validity and acceptable evidence also vary.
The job search
For many skilled applicants, the job is the central link between a temporary visa and residence. The aim is not simply to secure any role, but to secure the right role on the right terms.
Make the first page do the work
- Keep the CV concise and lead with recent, relevant experience.
- Make contact details, qualifications and current role easy to locate.
- Use achievements and outcomes, not a wall of routine duties.
- Reorder and tailor the content for each position.
Cover letters
Address the employer, mirror the language of the role and explain why your experience solves the problem they are hiring for. A generic letter is easy to spot.
Prepare, but stay human
- Research the employer and the role.
- Prepare examples that demonstrate your skills.
- Arrive early, dress appropriately and check online technology in advance.
- Do not rush to fill every silence.
- Ask sensible questions of your own.
Expect more than one conversation
An initial culture and fit discussion may be followed by a technical interview, a practical task or a meeting with the wider team.
Job boards
Seek and Trade Me Jobs cover a large share of advertised roles. Use them both to apply and to identify employers in your sector.
Keep your profile current, research hiring managers and use professional networks rather than waiting for advertisements alone.
Direct contact
New Zealand is a small market. Industry associations, recruiters, former colleagues, friends and family can all open a useful conversation.
Check the visa facts, not only the salary
An employment agreement should clearly identify the parties, role, duties, work location, hours, pay, term and other employment conditions. For immigration purposes, also check employer accreditation, job-check status, occupation classification, required registration and whether the role meets the intended residence pathway.
A role can be commercially attractive but unsuitable for the visa strategy because of duties, hours, duration, location, pay structure or occupation classification.
Temporary visas
Temporary visas often create the bridge to work, study, family life or future residence. They are separate applications with their own requirements and conditions.
Visitor Visa
Visitor visas allow a temporary stay for tourism, family visits and other genuine visitor purposes. The applicant must have plans to leave, sufficient funds or sponsorship, and a credible reason for the visit.
You may look for employment while visiting, but you cannot work for a New Zealand employer without the appropriate work rights.
Remote work is different
Visitor visas applied for on or after 27 January 2025 generally allow remote work for an overseas employer or overseas clients. The work must not be for a New Zealand business or client.
Accredited Employer Work Visa
The AEWV is the main employer-linked work visa. The applicant needs a full-time offer of at least 30 hours a week from an accredited employer with an approved job check.
No general median-wage gate
The general AEWV median-wage requirement was removed in March 2025. The job must still meet the relevant market rate, minimum wage and any visa-specific threshold.
Skills still matter
Qualification, experience, occupational registration and English requirements depend on the role and skill level.
Family rights vary
Partners and children apply separately. Support eligibility and work or study rights depend on the worker's role, skill level and pay.
International students
An international student usually needs an offer of place, tuition funding, living-cost evidence and a genuine study plan. Work rights depend on the programme and visa conditions.
Dependent children
Some dependent children of eligible work-visa holders can study at state schools as domestic students. Eligibility is not automatic and depends on the supporting parent's visa and role.
Partner work visa
May provide open work rights where the supporting person's visa and the relationship meet the relevant requirements.
Partner visitor visa
Can allow a partner to live together in New Zealand where work rights are unavailable or not needed.
Child visas
Dependent children may need visitor or student visas. School-fee status depends on the supporting parent's visa.
Parent Boost Visitor Visa
This long-term multiple-entry visitor visa can allow eligible parents of New Zealand citizens or residents to visit for up to five years, with the possibility of a second visa.
It is not a residence pathway. Sponsorship, health, insurance and financial requirements apply, and applicants must be outside New Zealand when applying.
Useful where residence is not immediate
For some families, Parent Boost offers meaningful time together while the Parent Resident ballot or another longer-term plan is considered.
Specific Purpose Work Visa
For a defined project, event, secondment or specialist purpose.
Post-study Work Visa
For eligible graduates who complete qualifying New Zealand study.
Working Holiday
Available to eligible citizens of participating countries, with age and duration limits.
Resident visas
The main residence streams are skilled migration, family and investment or business. Select a stream to see the principal routes.
The SMC will have three pathways: the revised Points-based pathway, Skilled Work Experience, and Trades and Technician. Green List residence remains a separate skilled-residence route.
Green List pathways
Straight to Residence
For a qualifying job or offer in a Tier 1 Green List occupation. Role-specific registration, qualification and pay requirements must be met.
Work to Residence
For a qualifying Tier 2 role after 24 months of acceptable New Zealand work, normally completed within the 30 months before applying.
Care and transport
Separate work-to-residence settings exist for specified care workforce and transport occupations, subject to their own requirements.
Skilled Migrant Category
You need six points and a qualifying skilled New Zealand job or offer. Claim three to six points from one skill category - occupational registration, qualification or income - and add New Zealand skilled work experience if required.
Occupational registration
Three to six points, depending on the training and experience required for an eligible New Zealand registration.
Income
Three points at 1.5 times the median wage, four at 2 times, and six at 3 times. The current reference rates are $52.50, $70.00 and $105.00 an hour.
NZ work top-up
From 24 August: one year gives one point, 18 months gives two, and two years gives three.
Qualification points from 24 August 2026
| Qualification | Points | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 6 | No supporting bachelor's required |
| NZ master's - at least 30 weeks full-time study | 6 | Bachelor's degree required |
| NZ master's | 5 | No supporting bachelor's required for the 5-point claim |
| Overseas master's | 5 | Bachelor's degree required |
| NZ honours degree, PGDip or PGCert | 5 | Bachelor's degree required |
| NZ bachelor's degree | 5 | Recognised NZ qualification |
| Overseas honours degree, PGDip or PGCert | 4 | Bachelor's degree required |
| Overseas bachelor's degree | 4 | IQA or exemption normally required |
This is a separate residence pathway based on a strong work history rather than points.
- A current job or offer in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation.
- Pay of at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold.
- At least three years of directly relevant work experience.
- An additional two years of qualifying skilled work in New Zealand.
- Red List and ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 occupations cannot use this route.
They require the 1.2-times wage threshold and substantially more New Zealand-based experience. Self-employment cannot be counted as directly relevant experience under the new pathway.
- Employment or an offer in an occupation on the eligible Trades and Technician list.
- Pay of at least the SMC wage threshold.
- A relevant level 4 or higher qualification.
- At least 2.5 years of relevant post-qualification work experience.
- An additional 1.5 years of post-qualification skilled work in New Zealand.
New Zealand qualifications generally need at least 120 credits, including qualifying prerequisite combinations. Overseas qualifications do not have the 120-credit requirement but normally require an IQA. Self-employment cannot be counted.
Wage timing becomes more predictable
From 24 August 2026, the relevant SMC wage threshold will generally be the rate in force when qualifying skilled work began, rather than a later, higher rate at the residence stage. A limited grace rule can use the rate in force when the work visa was granted if employment begins within five months.
Do not choose the pathway by name alone
The occupation, duties, pay history, qualification, dates and age runway all need to line up. An early assessment can identify the shortest credible route and the employment conditions that must be protected.
Official references: Skilled residence pathways · 2026 SMC changes
Partner of a New Zealander
Residence generally requires at least 12 months of living together in a genuine and stable relationship with an eligible New Zealand citizen or resident partner.
Temporary partner visas may be available before the 12-month residence threshold is reached.
Parent Resident Visa
A two-stage EOI and ballot process. The eligible child sponsor must meet residence-history and income requirements, including the applicable threshold for two of the three relevant tax years.
Parent Retirement
Requires an adult child living in New Zealand, NZD $1 million invested for four years, NZD $500,000 settlement funds and annual income of at least NZD $60,000.
Dependent Child
Residence may be available to an eligible dependent child of a New Zealand citizen or resident. Age, relationship and actual dependency require careful evidence.
Invest in and operate a business
The Business Investor Work Visa is for experienced business people purchasing and actively operating an established New Zealand business.
- NZD $1 million: standard pathway, residence after three years.
- NZD $2 million: fast-track application after 12 months, with continuing business conditions.
- At least NZD $500,000 reserve funds.
- Age 55 or younger, business experience, English, health and character.
Invest in New Zealand assets
Designed for investors rather than owner-operators.
- Growth category: at least NZD $5 million.
- Balanced category: at least NZD $10 million.
- Acceptable New Zealand investments and a documented lawful source of funds.
- Different investment periods, asset classes and New Zealand presence requirements apply.
Source of funds is not an afterthought
Investor cases often turn on whether ownership, accumulation and transfer of funds can be demonstrated through a complete documentary trail. Investment advice and immigration advice should be coordinated early.
Other visa terms you will hear
Some common labels are informal, incomplete or used incorrectly. Here is what they usually mean.
Tourist visa
Usually means a general Visitor Visa. The formal visa and its conditions matter more than the casual label.
Open work visa
An informal description for a work visa not tied to one employer. Partnership, post-study and working-holiday visas can have open work conditions.
Specific Purpose Work Visa
A visa for a defined project, event, secondment or specialist reason rather than general employment.
Guardian Visitor Visa
May allow a parent or legal guardian to accompany and care for an international student child.
NZeTA
A travel authority, not a visa. It is used by eligible visa-waiver travellers and some transit passengers.
Dependent visa
Not one visa category. It is a shorthand description for partner or child visas linked to a supporting person.
Final thoughts
A migration plan has many moving parts. The smaller practical tasks matter because they reduce pressure when a visa, job or travel deadline arrives.
Prepare the practicalities
- Pet import planning
- Employment, rental and credit references
- Banking and New Zealand phone access
- Medication and supporting letters
Protect your evidence
- Keep colour scans of important documents
- Store them securely online
- Keep copies of every visa submission
- Have a trusted contact who can obtain documents at home
Leave room to adapt
Rules change, jobs change and family circumstances change. A good strategy has a clear direction without assuming every step will happen exactly as first planned.
How we view the process
Good immigration work is not simply form filling. It is the combination of policy analysis, evidence, timing, clear communication and a plan that remains workable when circumstances change.
View our introduction videos
Your next steps
The best sequence is simple to describe, even where the underlying policy is not.
Assessment
Confirm the credible visa options, the obstacles and the evidence or work experience still required.
Research and plan
Turn the visa advice into a practical plan covering job search, family visas, costs, documents, relocation and timing.
Take the leap
Once the route is viable and the preparation is done, move decisively through each application stage.
Ready to turn the guide into a personal strategy?
Complete the Turner Hopkins assessment questionnaire. One of our advisers can review your circumstances and identify the pathway and sequence that deserve closer attention.
Policy references
Official sources used for the policy updates in this edition. Requirements and thresholds can change, so check the current pages before relying on a figure.