New Zealand Green List: Straight to Residence occupations explained

A civil engineer in Abu Dhabi sat across from us last month with her degree certificate, the same one she had attested years ago for her UAE work permit, and asked whether she really had to “do two years on a work visa first” before New Zealand would consider her for residence. She did not. Her occupation sits in Tier 1 of the Green List, so with an offer from an accredited employer and a degree that meets the engineering requirement, she can apply for a Straight to Residence Visa from the UAE. We see the same surprise every week in our Dubai office.

How the Green List works

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) describes the Green List as “a list of jobs that we need people for in New Zealand”, split into skill levels called tiers. The tier is your lane: both reach the residence exit, but Tier 2 has a 24-month stretch of New Zealand work first.

• Tier 1 leads to the Straight to Residence Visa. With a Tier 1 job or offer from an accredited employer, and the role’s requirement met, you can apply for residence now, from outside New Zealand or from inside it.
• Tier 2 leads to the Work to Residence Visa. You come on a work visa (any work visa, including the Accredited Employer Work Visa), work 24 months in a Tier 2 job within the 30 months before you apply, then apply for residence.

Both visas share the same core conditions: aged 55 or younger, good health and character, English, and a job with an accredited employer that is permanent, fixed-term for at least 12 months, or a contract of at least 6 months. Partners and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included. Both cost from NZD 6,450, and INZ reports that it decides 80% of Straight to Residence applications within 3 months. After 2 years in a row on either visa you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

Representative occupations by tier

Our Abu Dhabi engineer’s question, Tier 1 or Tier 2, turned on her exact ANZSCO title, not the title printed on her UAE contract. Here is a sample as at August 2026 with the requirement INZ attaches to each role; check your own title on the official Green List page before you plan anything.

Registration, qualifications and pay thresholds

A registered nurse in Dubai came to us the same week with a very different first step. Her role is Tier 1, but its requirement is registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand, and INZ is blunt about the order: “You must get your registration before you can apply for a visa to work in one of these roles.” Her job hunt could wait; her registration file could not.

Engineers have a shorter path through the paperwork. INZ accepts a Washington Accord accredited engineering degree, and such degrees do not need an International Qualification Assessment (IQA), provided the degree was awarded on or after the date your country became a signatory and appears on that country’s list of accredited programmes. Most other overseas qualifications need an IQA from NZQA, which offers a specific “skill shortage list IQA” for Green List jobs.

Pay thresholds are indexed to the immigration median wage, which rose to NZD 35.00 an hour on 9 March 2026 (from NZD 33.56). INZ confirms Green List requirements update automatically: ICT, electronics and telecommunications roles now need 208% (NZD 72.80), auditors 130% (NZD 45.50), and the Tier 2 percentages are 115% (NZD 40.25), 130% (NZD 45.50) and 150% (NZD 52.50). Teachers must now be on Step 5 of the pay scale, and INZ says the Straight to Residence Visa is meant for experienced teachers, not new graduates.

For the 24-month Work to Residence experience count, the rate that applied when you started counting is what matters (a 5-month grace period covers rises between visa grant and your start date), but you must still be paid the current median wage on the day you apply. A 5-month grace period covers increases between visa grant and your start date. Apply late, though, and work outside the 30-month look-back window is lost.

How the list changed in 2025 and 2026

• 18 August 2025: 10 trades joined Tier 2: Metal Fabricator, Metal Machinist (First Class), Fitter (General), Fitter and Turner, Fitter Welder, Pressure Welder, Welder, Panel Beater, Vehicle Painter and Paving Plant Operator. INZ had said in April 2024 these roles would not be added.
• 9 March 2026: median wage lifted to NZD 35.00; every Green List threshold moved with it. INZ also began recognising 47 more occupations for the Accredited Employer Work Visa under the new National Occupation List, a gradual move away from ANZSCO.
• 24 August 2026: Work to Residence wage rules were aligned with the Skilled Migrant Category, and INZ tightened “genuine employment” for all skilled residence visas, including Straight to Residence. Offers must be “available and ongoing” with a “genuine need to be based in New Zealand”.

From the UAE: what this means for you

The Straight to Residence Visa can be lodged from Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Here is the order we recommend.

• Confirm role and tier first. A UAE “project engineer” title may map to Civil Engineer, Construction Project Manager or Building Associate, each with a different tier and requirement. Match your actual duties, using reference letters from former employers, to the ANZSCO description.
• Registration or IQA before the job hunt. Nurses, doctors, teachers and electricians need New Zealand registration before a visa to work in that role. Engineers should check their degree against their country’s Washington Accord accredited-programme list; otherwise apply for the NZQA IQA online.
• English test in person. INZ does not accept at-home tests, so book a test centre. Principal applicants need IELTS 6.5 overall, PTE Academic 58, TOEFL iBT 79, B2 First 176 or OET grade C+ in all four skills, with results no more than 2 years old. Partners and children aged 16 or older need IELTS 5.0 (or equivalent) or can use paid English lessons instead.
• Police certificates and medicals. Everyone aged 17 or older needs police certificates from each country of citizenship and each country where they spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years, under 6 months old when you apply; for most of our readers that is the UAE plus the home country. Everyone aged 15 or older completes a chest X-ray and medical examination, under 3 months old when INZ receives it. Anything not in English needs a certified translation.
• The job offer is the real hurdle. Only an accredited employer’s offer counts. It must pay at least the rate for the role, or the median wage if none is set, and be permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, or a contract of at least 6 months. Since 24 August 2026 INZ looks harder at whether the role genuinely needs to be done in New Zealand.
• Timelines. INZ publishes 80% within 3 months for Straight to Residence; if approved from the UAE, you must arrive within 12 months of the date the visa is issued.

Compare this route with the points-based option on our New Zealand skilled migration page, see the work visa Tier 2 applicants start with on our New Zealand working visa page, or begin with our New Zealand overview. Our credential verification page explains how qualification assessments work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the Straight to Residence Visa without visiting New Zealand?

Yes. INZ states you can apply from outside New Zealand with a Tier 1 offer from an accredited employer, provided you meet the role’s requirement. You must then enter New Zealand within 12 months of the visa being issued.

Does my UAE work experience count toward the 24 months for Tier 2?

No. The 24 months must be worked in New Zealand, full-time, on a work visa, in a Tier 2 job paid at or above the required rate, within the 30 months before you apply. If your job is removed from the list after you start, your time still counts.

What if my occupation is not on the Green List?

The Green List is one of several skilled residence pathways. The Skilled Migrant Category, which added Trades and Technician and Skilled Work Experience pathways on 24 August 2026, may fit instead, and full-time work paid at twice the median wage can count as prior experience toward Work to Residence, but the visa itself still needs a current Tier 2 Green List job or job offer.

What to do next

If you think your role is on the Green List, start with a free eligibility assessment, call our Dubai office on 04 357 7796, or book a 20-minute review through our contact page. We will tell you plainly which tier applies and what registration or assessment comes first. We do not promise outcomes; INZ decides every application on the evidence provided.

Sources

• Straight to Residence Visa — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Work to Residence Visa — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Green List pathway to residence — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Green List roles — jobs we need people for in New Zealand — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• 2026 changes to wage rate rules for work to residence visas — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Final details about changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa and work to residence visas — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• New occupations recognised under the National Occupation List and annual median wage increase — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Ten trades occupations added to the Work to Residence pathway — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Changes to Work to Residence and occupations on the Green List — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• English language requirements for skilled residence visas — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Check if you need an International Qualification Assessment — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026
• Check if you need occupational registration for your job — Immigration New Zealand — accessed 27 Aug 2026

Photo: Ollie Craig via Pexels

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