Residence Visas
There are various visas available that can enable you to live in New Zealand permanently. Skilled residence pathways require applicants to be 55 years old or younger at the time of application. You must also meet health and character requirements, and for some visas, demonstrate proficiency in the English language.
Straight to Residence
You can apply for this visa if you work for an accredited employer or you have a job offer from one and your role is on Tier 1 of the Green List.
You can include single, dependent children under 24 years, who do not have any children of their own, and who are only financially supported by you.
Work to Residence
You can apply for this visa if you currently work for an accredited employer and have worked in a Tier 2 Green List role for 24 months.
Care Workforce Work to Residence
You can apply for this visa if you currently work for an accredited employer and have worked in a Care Workforce Sector role for 24 months.
Transport Workforce Work to Residence
You can apply for this visa if you work for an accredited employer and have worked for 24 months in a work-to-residence transport role and met its requirements.
Skilled Migrant Category
This visa is designed for individuals with skills that are essential to New Zealand's economic growth.
To be eligible, you must have a skilled job or job offer from an accredited employer in New Zealand.
To qualify under this category, you will need to accumulate at least 6 points.
You can earn points based on:
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New Zealand occupational registration.
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Your qualification (Bachelor’s degree or higher).
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Income from your job or job offer (earning at least 1.5 times the median wage in New Zealand).
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Skilled work experience in New Zealand.
Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
This visa enables you to gain New Zealand residence if your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident.
If your partner's New Zealand residence is based on their Australian citizenship, permanent residence, or resident return visa, you can only apply if your partner is currently living in New Zealand.
If your partner is a New Zealand citizen and you have been living together outside of New Zealand for five years or more, you may be eligible for a permanent resident visa, provided you meet specific additional requirements.
Not sure if you qualify? Contact us for your free eligibility assessment.
Parent Resident Visa
This visa allows you to live in New Zealand permanently if you have a child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident, meets the income requirement, and agrees to sponsor you.
To apply for this visa, you must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to Immigration New Zealand.
At least 400 EOIs are selected every three months from a queue and by ballot.
Once selected, the EOIs undergo a four-week assessment process. If your EOI is successful, you will then be invited to apply for residence.
As a residence visa, it comes with several requirements, including meeting the health standards.
If you are unsure about meeting all the requirements for this visa, the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa category might be a more suitable option for you.
Parent & Grandparent Visitor Visa
You can apply for this visa if you have children or grandchildren who are New Zealand citizens or residents.
This visa allows you to stay for up to 6 months at a time and for a maximum stay of 18 months in 3 years.
You can only apply for this visa from outside New Zealand and you must be sponsored by your child or grandchild who meet the sponsorship requirements of Immigration New Zealand.
If you are only planning to visit New Zealand once, the General Visitor Visa would be better suited as it has even fewer requirements to meet.
If you are still unsure about which visa category to apply for, contact us for a free initial consultation.
