The gap between “engineer” and “IT support” on New Zealand’s Green List is the difference between applying for residence now and waiting years, and it catches people out because both sound like the same kind of technical role. Named engineering disciplines sit on Tier 1 with no salary floor at all. ICT Support Technician, by contrast, was moved to the slower Amber list on 24 August 2026, requiring five years’ relevant experience with two of them in skilled New Zealand work. Almost nobody explains the difference before someone books a flight.
At a glance
- Almost every named engineering discipline — Chemical, Civil, Structural, Electrical, Mechanical, Aeronautical, Environmental, Naval Architect and more — sits on Tier 1 with no salary floor; the gate is a Washington Accord degree, a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, or an Engineering New Zealand CPEng benchmark letter.
- Software Engineer, Developer Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Software Tester and ICT Security Specialist are Tier 1 too — but only above NZD $72.80 an hour, the same bracket as Chief Information Officer and ICT Project Manager.
- Database Administrator and Systems Administrator sit lower, at NZD $70.00 an hour ($145,600 a year); Multimedia Specialist lower still, at $57.75 an hour.
- Since 24 August 2026, ICT Support Technician, ICT Customer Support Officer and Web Administrator are Amber-listed, not Green-listed — a slower route needing 5 years’ relevant experience, 2 of them in skilled New Zealand work.
- No Green List match? The Skilled Migrant Category’s 6-point system is the fallback, built on qualification, occupational registration or income; the current wage threshold is NZD $35.00 an hour.
Engineering: the door with no salary floor
Unlike almost every other Tier 1 role on the Green List, named engineering occupations carry no specific dollar threshold — the standard market-rate requirement applies, and the real gate is your credential. On Tier 1: Chemical, Materials, Civil, Geotechnical, Structural, Electrical, Electronics, Industrial, Mechanical, Production or Plant, Aeronautical/Aerospace/Avionics/Aviation, Environmental, Naval Architect and Marine Designer, and Engineering Professionals not elsewhere classified. Each needs one of three things: a Washington Accord-accredited degree, a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (Level 8 on the NZQCF, formerly the NZQF), or a Level 7-plus qualification paired with a letter from Engineering New Zealand certifying it meets the Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) benchmark. CPEng registration itself also satisfies the requirement.
The same Tier 1 group covers Civil, Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering Technicians (Bachelor of Engineering Technology or NZQCF Level 6 diploma, plus CPEng or Engineering Technologist registration), Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (a CAA licence), and Telecommunications Engineers (CPEng registration or a benchmark letter). Civil engineers moving into site leadership should note Construction Project Manager is also Tier 1, accepting similar qualifications with a CPEng benchmark letter, plus civil engineering registration as a Chartered Professional Engineer or Engineering Technologist.
Software and IT: the same door, a real salary bar
ICT professionals reach Tier 1 through pay, not registration. Chief Information Officer, ICT Project Manager, Analyst Programmer, Developer Programmer, Software Engineer, Software Tester, ICT Security Specialist and related titles share one threshold: NZD $72.80 an hour or above — NZD $151,424 a year on a 40-hour week by our own calculation; Immigration New Zealand publishes only the hourly rate. On a contract for services, the rate rises to $109.20 an hour plus a minimum of 10 years’ relevant work, and no occupational registration is required. Two roles sit lower: Database Administrator and Systems Administrator need $70.00 an hour, or the $145,600 a year Immigration New Zealand publishes directly ($87.50/hr or $182,000/yr on a contract for services); Multimedia Specialist needs $57.75 an hour.
Not every IT title reaches Tier 1 on the same terms, though. The only ICT role on Tier 2 is Telecommunications Technician (24 months’ pay at 1.15 times the median wage, or a NZ Certificate in Telecommunications Level 3); there is no general “software developer” or “IT support” entry there. Since the 24 August 2026 changes, ICT Customer Support Officer, ICT Support Technician and Web Administrator sit on the new Amber list instead, qualifying only for the Skilled Work Experience pathway: at least 5 years of relevant experience, including 2 years of skilled New Zealand work paid at least 1.2 times the Skilled Migrant Category median wage. That is a materially slower route than the one open to a Software Engineer — if your title is support- or admin-tier IT, plan around that timeline, not the headline one.
| Occupation | Green List tier / visa | Salary threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Engineers (Chemical, Civil, Structural, Electrical, Mechanical, Aeronautical, Environmental, Naval Architect, etc.) | Tier 1 — Straight to Residence | None; standard market rate |
| Software Engineer, Developer/Analyst Programmer, Software Tester, ICT Security Specialist, CIO, ICT Project Manager | Tier 1 — Straight to Residence | $72.80/hr (contract: $109.20/hr + 10 yrs) |
| Database Administrator, Systems Administrator | Tier 1 — Straight to Residence | $70.00/hr or $145,600/yr |
| Multimedia Specialist | Tier 1 — Straight to Residence | $57.75/hr |
| Telecommunications Technician | Tier 2 — Work to Residence | 1.15x median wage (24 months) or NZ Certificate Telecoms L3 |
| ICT Support Technician, ICT Customer Support Officer, Web Administrator | Amber list — Skilled Work Experience pathway | No floor; needs 1.2x SMC median wage during qualifying NZ work |
Getting registered: CPEng, the benchmark letter, and EWRB
CPEng status requires a Washington Accord-accredited qualification or demonstrated equivalent knowledge, a competence assessment against international standards, commitment to the CPEng Code of Ethical Conduct, and reassessment every 6 years; Engineering New Zealand membership is not required to apply. You submit a draft application for informal feedback, then formally apply; a peer panel assesses it and recommends a decision to the Competence Assessment Board.
Only need a benchmark letter for a visa? Engineering New Zealand’s credential check assesses whether your qualification is Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accord-accredited: free for members, NZD $460 including GST for non-members, 7 to 10 business days. No accord match? An equivalent knowledge assessment, using study, further learning and work experience, produces the same letter in 6 to 8 weeks. Electrical engineers also need registration and a practising licence with the Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB), separate from CPEng.
If you’re not Green-Listed: the Skilled Migrant Category
Not every engineer or IT professional matches a Green List title exactly. The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is the fallback, from NZD $6,450, for applicants aged 55 or younger, needing 6 points from one of qualification, occupational registration or income (categories cannot be combined), topped up with up to 3 more points from skilled New Zealand work experience.
CPEng does double duty here: registration points scale with the years of training the registration requires, up to 6 points for a 6-year registration, so a chartered engineer can claim points through registration instead of the degree alone. Income points scale off the current SMC wage threshold of NZD $35.00 an hour — 6 points at 3 times ($105.00/hr), 4 points at 2 times ($70.00/hr), 3 points at 1.5 times ($52.50/hr), a bar Tier 1 software engineers already clear at $72.80/hr.
From the UAE: what this means for you
Engineers should start with the credential check (NZD $460 for non-members, 7–10 business days) before the job search, to see whether the longer equivalent knowledge assessment is needed; electrical engineers should flag the EWRB step early. Software engineers and developers should check any offer against $72.80 an hour before assuming Tier 1 applies, remembering contract-for-services work needs $109.20 an hour plus 10 years’ relevant work. Database and Systems Administrators should check for $70.00 an hour or $145,600 a year; Multimedia Specialists for $57.75 an hour. If your role is ICT Support Technician, ICT Customer Support Officer or Web Administrator, budget for the Amber list’s Skilled Work Experience pathway instead of a Software Engineer’s Tier 1 timeline.
Most readers need a work visa before residence. The Accredited Employer Work Visa costs from NZD $1,540 (80% processed within 8 weeks), granting up to 5 years for skill level 1 to 3 jobs. You do not need separate skill-requirement evidence if your job meets Green List Tier 1 requirements or the relevant occupational registration, and English evidence is not required for the visa itself at skill level 1 or 2 — where most Engineer and Software Engineer roles sit.
Our New Zealand skilled migration and working visa pages cover the general mechanics; our Green List guide, Skilled Migrant Category points guide and credential verification page go deeper.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a Chartered Professional Engineer to use the Tier 1 engineering pathway?
No. A Washington Accord-accredited degree, a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, or a Level 7-plus qualification with an Engineering New Zealand benchmark letter all satisfy it. Full CPEng registration also qualifies.
Are all IT jobs treated the same on the Green List?
No. Software Engineer, Developer Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Software Tester and ICT Security Specialist are Tier 1, gated on pay above NZD $72.80 an hour. ICT Support Technician, ICT Customer Support Officer and Web Administrator are Amber-listed since 24 August 2026, a slower pathway needing 5 years’ experience with 2 years of skilled New Zealand work.
My IT title isn’t on the Green List at all — is there another route?
Yes, the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: 6 points from qualification, occupational registration or income, topped up with skilled New Zealand work experience if needed. Many senior IT salaries already clear the income-points thresholds without a Green List match.
What to do next
The right pathway depends on your exact job title, qualification and pay — not the general label “engineer” or “IT”. Request a free eligibility assessment, call our Dubai office on 04 357 7796, or book a 20-minute review through our contact page. We do not promise outcomes; Immigration New Zealand decides every application on its own evidence.
Sources
- Green List pathway to residence — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Appendix 13: Green List occupations — Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Further changes to the Skilled Migrant Category to come into effect in August 2026 — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Accredited Employer Work Visa — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Pay rates for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) — Engineering New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Working in New Zealand — immigration information for engineers — Engineering New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
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