Residence Visa NZ - Apply with Zenith Immigration Solutions

Residence Visa

Contact us to see if you are eligible to apply for a residence visa. This includes a New Zealand residence visa under SMR or Work to Residence under the Green List. Zenith Immigration Solutions is pleased to offer you our expert assistance.
Knowledgeable and highly-trained, we are immigration advisers who provide professional support when it comes to applying for a residence visa NZ. Whatever type of New Zealand resident visa you intend to get, we are ready to act on your behalf and help you fulfil your dream.

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Skilled Migrant Category

You will need:● Suitable qualifications/work experience● A job offer within an occupation of demand (in New Zealand).● 6 points for your Expression of Interest (EOI) to be selected from the pool.● If selected from the pool, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)● The SMZ submissions are made after the receipt of the ITA.

Residence from Work Category

You may apply if:● You currently work for/have a job offer from an Accredited Employer● You have worked in a Tier 2 Green List in-demand occupation for 24 months.

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

You may apply if:● You currently work for/have a job offer from an Accredited Employer● You have worked in a care workforce occupation for 24 months.

Family Stream or Partnership

● Family Stream may suit you if you have a partner, parent or adult child who lives in NZ. You must show the family connection and evidence of the relationship.● Partnership Residence visa may suit you and your partner, though you will need to prove that you are currently living in a genuine and stable relationship.

Straight to Residence

You may apply if:● You currently work/have a job offer from an Accredited Employer● Your role is on Tier 1 of the Green List in-demand occupations.

Transport Work to Residence Visa

You may apply if:● You currently work for/have a job offer from an Accredited Employer● You have worked in New Zealand for 24 months in a transport occupation.

A new points system.

Skilled job or job offer requirements.

The number of applications that will be accepted and processing times.

A Skilled Migrant Category Interim Visa.

New Zealand occupational registration
Qualification (Bachelor’s degree or higher), or
Income from your job or job offer (earning at least 1.5 times the median wage in New Zealand).

Please note: you can only claim points from 1 of the above skill categories. You cannot combine points from multiple skill categories. For example you cannot combine points from your qualification with points from your New Zealand occupational registration.
You can also claim 1 point for each year of skilled work in New Zealand, up to a maximum of 3 points.
The points you claim from skilled work in New Zealand can be combined with points from your New Zealand occupational registration, qualification or income.

At least 30 hours a week.

Either in an ANZSCO Level 1 - 3 occupation and paid at or above the median wage, or in an ANZSCO Level 4 to 5 occupation and paid at or above 1.5 times the median wage.

On a permanent contract or fixed-term contract for at least 12 months.

Character requirements.

Health requirements.

English requirements.

Note: You can include your partner and any dependent children up to the age of 24 in your application. They also must meet our English language, health and character requirements.

You are a citizen of Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom or the United States, and you have spent at least 5 years working or studying in those countries, or in Australia or New Zealand.

You have a qualification similar to a New Zealand level 7 bachelor's degree gained in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, and you studied for at least 2 years in any of those countries to get that qualification.

You have a qualification gained in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States, which is comparable to a postgraduate New Zealand qualification. You must have studied for at least 1 year in any of those countries to get that qualification.

English language test results for principal applicants

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) — General or Academic ModuleOverall score of 6.5 or more

Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) Overall score of 79 or more

Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) Overall score of 58 or more

Cambridge English B2 First (FCE )Overall score of 176 or more

B2 First for Schools (FCE for Schools) Overall score of 176 or more

Occupational English Test (OET)

Paper or Computer Based Test (OET) Grade B or higher in all 4 skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

You need this score in all 4 skills because there is no overall grade for this test.

Claiming points for qualifications

Points available for occupational registration

Points available for income

Non-degree qualifications
If you have a non-degree qualification at NZQF Level 7 or below, you cannot claim points. However if you were invited to apply before 9 October 2023 under the previous visa criteria - you can still use non-degree qualifications at NZQF Level 7 or below to claim points.

Claiming points for skilled work experience in New Zealand

If you are planning to use skilled work experience in New Zealand to claim further points, you must meet the wage threshold throughout the skilled work experience period. For example, if you are claiming 4 points for being paid 2 times the median wage, you must earn this wage during your 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand.
You must provide evidence that you met the wage threshold at both the beginning and end of your skilled work experience period.

Skilled work requirements

The skilled work experience must be:

in a full-time job (minimum of 30 hours a week), and

on a permanent contract, a fixed-term contract for at least 12 months or a contract for services for at least 6 months.

There is also a wage threshold depending on the ANZSCO level of your job:

If your job has an ANZSCO level of 1 to 3 you must earn the median wage or above.

If your job has an ANZSCO level of 4 to 5 you must earn 1.5 times the median wage or above.

Straight to Residence Visa

Your employment qualifies with the following:

you work for an Accredited Employer or you have a job offer from one.

your role is on Tier 1 of the Green List.

you meet the role's requirements, such as median wage or salary threshold, registration, professional membership, or qualifications.

your employment is full-time and genuine.

the role is permanent, or fixed term for at least 12 months, or a contract or contracts for at least 6 months or more.

from August 18 2025, your employment meets the median wage threshold of NZD $33.56.

You can check tier 1 and tier 2 occupation list by clicking here.

Work to Residence Visa

This visa enables you to work, live and study in New Zealand indefinitely. Further, you are able to include your parter and dependent children (24 years and younger) in your visa application.
After 2 years of being on this visa, you are able to apply for a Permanent Residency Visa.

What is required to obtain this visa?

Employment status: You must be working full-time for (or have a full-time job offer from) an Accredited Employer.

Duration of employment: You must have (or be offered) a full-time/permanent/at least 12-month fixed-term job.

Green Tier: You have worked within New Zealand for 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 in-demand job.

Age: You must be 55 years or younger.

English standard: You must be able to speak and understand English.

Overall character: You must be of upstanding moral character (police certification may be required as proof) and of decent health (a chest X-ray and medical examination may be required).

From August 18 2025, your employment meets the median wage threshold of NZD $33.56.

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

With this visa, you are able to work and live in New Zealand permanently. You are also able to include your partner and/or children in your visa application.
Further, after two years on this visa you will be able to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

What is needed to obtain this visa?

Employment: You have a job or job offer from an Accredited Employer that is full-time, permanent or a 12-month fixed term contract for an occupation within the care workforce.

Visa: You must have had a work visa for at least 24 months before you apply.

Duration: You have worked in NZ for 24 months in an approved care workforce occupation.

Language: You must speak and understand English.

Overall profile: You must be of upstanding moral character (this may require certification from the police) and of decent health (this may require a chest X-ray and medical examination).

Age: You must be 55 years or younger.

Familial proof: If you are including your partner/children, you must provide proof of a genuine relationship with them.

Transport Work to Residence Visa

This visa enables you to live, work and study permanently within New Zealand. You are also to include your partner and dependent children in this application.

Further, after 2 years on this visa, you will be able to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

What is needed to obtain this visa?

Employment: You have a job or job offer from an Accredited Employer that is full-time, permanent or a 12-month fixed term contract for an occupation within transport.

Visa: You must have had a work visa for at least 24 months before you apply.

Language: You must speak and understand English.

Overall profile: You must of upstanding moral character (this may require certification from the police) and of decent health (this may require a chest X-ray and medical examination).

Age: You must be 55 years or younger.

Familiar proof: If you are including your partner/children, you must provide proof of a genuine relationship with them.

I would love to show my appreciation to Sukhpreet and Ravish for supporting my partner’s resident visa journey. During the application preparation and process, there is no pressure and worries as they have given us all information that we need for documents. Ravish is always happy to give me an update on my partner’s application status. We definitely recommend our friends and families to Zenith for their visa applications here with Zenith!

thousand lêSatisfied client of Zenith Immigration Solutions

If your partner is already in New Zealand, or you and your partner are applying for a visa to come to New Zealand together, you may be eligible for a New Zealand resident visa based on your partnership.

How is a relationship defined according to Immigration New Zealand (INZ)?

Living circumstance: The couple must be residing within the same household.

Age: The couple must be 18 or older (or have the consent of your parents/guardians if the couple are aged 16 or 17).

Status: The relationship can be a legal marriage, a civil union or a de facto relationship.

Familiarity: The couple must have met each other before applying for the visa.

Seriousness: The relationship must be stable and genuine.

Prohibition: The couple cannot be close relatives.

How is a relationship proven as stable and genuine?

Proving your relationship with your partner is legitimate and long-lasting can be tricky as a lot of proof is required. Such proof includes:

Relationship authenticity: This can include things like marriage certificates, your children's birth certificates, jointly owned things (such as bank accounts, assets, credit cards), photographic proof that you have been together, records of communication (such as chat logs) and letters of support that endorse you and your partner's relationship.

Living circumstances: This shows you and your partner have been living together for a decent amount of time. This can include things like proof of joint ownership (like a home loan), rental agreements/receipts, documentation showing a joint address, or joint utility accounts (like a power bill).

What if my partner and I haven't always lived together?

This can be the case for some, particularly those who are part of a long distance relationship. Under such circumstances you will likely be asked to provide:

Explanation: You will need to provide reason as to why you and your partner have lived separately to explain your unique circumstance.

Longevity and distance: You must show how long you've lived separately.

Communication: You must show how you were able to communicate at a distance in order to maintain your relationship.

What doesn't count as proof of a relationship?

Spending time in each other’s homes while you each maintain your own home.

Sharing accommodation while on holiday.

Flatmate arrangements.

Supporting Partner: character requirements

Your partner must provide a police certificate from any country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years. This applies to whether the time was spent in one or more visits. Your partner will not meet our character requirements if they have any convictions for domestic violence or sexual offences. If your partner does not meet INZ‘s character requirements, INZ will consider whether they are eligible for a character waiver.

Eligible supporting partner

To be eligible to support your resident visa application, your partner must not:

have supported a successful residence application for more than one previous partner

have supported a successful residence application for a previous partner in the last 5 years

have included a previous partner in a successful residence application in the last 5 years

have been included as a partner in a successful residence application in the last 5 years

be liable for deportation, or have their deportation liability suspended.

Parent Category Residence Visa

The Parent Resident Visa restarts on 12 October 2022 with reduced requirements for sponsors. We resume selecting existing expressions of interest (EOIs) on 14 November 2022.
New EOIs to be selected by ballot Any EOIs we receive from 12 October 2022 go into a ballot. The first random selection from the ballot is in August 2023, then every 3 months after that. There is no rush to submit an EOIEOIs that have not been selected from the ballot expire after 2 years. This means there is no rush to submit an EOI now. If you submit it closer to the ballot selection in August you can maximise the amount of time it stays in the ballot before expiring.
From May 2023 EOIs can be submitted online on the Immigration New Zealand website. 500 visas will be available each year for EOIs selected by ballot.
Existing EOIsExisting EOIs — these are EOIs we received before 12 October 2022 — will be selected in the date order INZ received them. INZ will begin selecting them on 14 November 2022 and continue to select them every 3 months after that.
If you have an existing EOI in the queue INZ will contact you and give you the opportunity to update or withdraw it.