A Comprehensive Guide to Long-term Residency in New Zealand
Country Profile:
New Zealand is a sovereign island nation located in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean. The country is primarily composed of the South and North islands.
New Zealand has an advanced market economy, ranked 13th in the 2021 Human Development Index, and fourth in the 2022 Index of Economic Freedom.
Capital: Wellington
Population: 5,268,960 (as of 2024, 120th)
Ethnic Groups: 70.2% European, 16.5% Māori, 15.1% Asian, 8.1% Pacific peoples, 1.5% ME/LA/African
Area: 268,021 km2 (75th)
Offical Language: English
Currency: New Zealand dollar ($) (NZD)
GDP per Captial: $53,809 (32nd)
How To Immigrate To New Zealand:
New Zealand stands as a prominent destination for global immigrants. From 2023 onwards, New Zealand started offering unlimited immigration slots for worldwide applicants, with exceptions for family reunifications and those seeking humanitarian rescue. Main avenues for migration into New Zealand include skilled, investment, and entrepreneurial pathways.
Skilled Immigration:
Starting October 9, 2023, New Zealand underwent significant adjustments to its skilled migration policy. The previously used point system that required 180 points, which had been in place for many years, was officially phased out. In its place is the SMC (Skilled Migrate Category) 6-point system.
The new skilled migration framework has streamlined the application process and removed quota restrictions. However, it has shifted more towards a work-based migration system: skilled migration applicants must have a skilled job or job offer with an accredited employer in New Zealand to apply.
Skilled migration applicants who secure contracts with local employers, if eligible, can directly apply for New Zealand permanent residency. Those who do not meet the criteria can also work locally on various work visas, accumulate work experience, and apply for permanent residency later.
Generally, the basic requirements for applying for a New Zealand skilled migrant permanent visa are: good health, no criminal record, under 55 years of age, an IELTS score of 6.5 (or equivalent English proficiency test), a full-time job contract of more than 12 months provided by a New Zealand accredited employer (working at least 12 hours per week), and a salary that reaches the median wage (applicants for ANZSCO skill levels 4 or 5 positions must earn at least 1.5 times the median wage).
To check whether an employer is accredited by the New Zealand Immigration Department, you can visit: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-application/working-in-nz/check-if-an-employer-is-accredited
Applicants meeting the above criteria can apply for New Zealand permanent residency through one of the following three channels:
1. Skilled Migrant Category Pathway: Achieve at least a score of 6 points based on qualifications, educational levels, income, work experience, etc. Scoring can be in patterns such as:
You can receive 6 points if you have:
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 6 years’ training, or
- a PhD or doctorate, or
- a job or job offer in New Zealand which pays at least 3 times the median wage.
Any 1 of these is worth 6 points and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa with no skilled work in New Zealand.
You can receive 5 points if you have:
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 5 years’ training, or
- a Master’s degree.
Either of these is worth 5 points. You can receive an additional point for 1 year’s skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa. With this, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
You can receive 4 points if you have
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 4 years’ training, or
- an Honours Degree or Post-graduate Diploma, or
- a job or job offer in New Zealand which pays at least 2 times the median wage.
You can receive an additional 2 points for 2 year’s skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa.
With this, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
You can receive 3 points if you have:
- New Zealand registration in a specified occupation, requiring at least 2 years’ training, or
- a Bachelor’s Degree or Post-graduate Certificate, or
- a job or job offer in New Zealand which pays at least 1.5 times the median wage.
You can receive an additional 3 points for 3 year’s skilled work in New Zealand on any work visa.
With this, you will have 6 points, and you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
2. Green List Pathway: If your occupation is on the Green List provided by the New Zealand government, which lists urgently needed occupations, you can directly apply for permanent residency. The Green List contains up to 191 types of occupations, divided into two categories. For a detailed list of Green List occupations, visit: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-application/working-in-nz/qualifications-for-work/green-list-occupations.
If you have a job offer for an occupation on the Tier 1 list and you meet the specified qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you can apply for the Straight to Residence Visa.
If you have a job or job offer for an occupation on the Tier 2 list and you meet the specified qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you will need 2 years’ relevant work in New Zealand on a specified visa.
After this you can apply for the Work to Residence Visa.
3. Care Workforce and Transport Sector Agreement Pathway: If you have a job or job offer for an occupation in a specified sector agreement, and you meet the specified qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you need 2 years’ relevant work in New Zealand on a specified visa.
After this you can apply for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa or Transport Workforce Work to Residence Visa.
Active Investor Plus Visa:
Starting September 19, 2022, New Zealand introduced the Active Investor Plus Visa, replacing the previous Investor 1 and Investor 2 visas. Applicants must invest a minimum of 15 million NZD or the weighted equivalent, and maintain this for over four years. After these four years, they can apply for permanent residency.
Acceptable investments carry different weightings toward the NZD $15 million investment threshold. You can invest in a combination of these. Direct investments into a private business will receive the highest weighting (3x). This means that a investor could meet the required investment amount by investing NZD $5 million into direct investment.
The detailed investment weighted equivalent is as follows:
Note: Real estate investments aren’t recognized.
Both primary and secondary applicants must meet basic criteria such as good health, a clean criminal and business bankruptcy record, and basic English proficiency (e.g., an IELTS score of 5 in all sections or equivalent).
The visa application process is a three-step process:
1. Application: Submit the investment application on the New Zealand Immigration website, pay a visa fee of 7,780 NZD, and provide all necessary documents.
Documents include: a photo for both primary and secondary applicants, passport copies, proof of assets and their sources, medical certificates, no-criminal record certifications, proof of relationship between primary and secondary applicants, the filled INZ 1242 form, and any other supportive documents (up to 10).
2. Approval: Once the investment visa application is provisionally approved, both primary and secondary applicants get a 12-month work visa to handle investment matters. The primary applicant must transfer all application investment amounts to a New Zealand bank within 6 months, open a dedicated account, and complete one of the following three investment options:
At least 1 million NZD in publicly traded stocks or charitable investments.
Or, at least 500,000 NZD in managed or venture funds.
Or, a minimum of 100,000 NZD in direct business investments.Upon completion, both applicants can obtain a 5-year residence visa.
3. Renewal and Permanent Residency: Investors must complete a minimum investment of 7.5 million NZD within the first 18 months after the work visa is issued; complete all required weighted investments within the first 36 months and ensure all investments are maintained for at least 48 months.
After securing the investment visa and residing in New Zealand for 4 years, staying at least 117 days annually, both applicants can apply for permanent residency.
Spouse, parents, and financially dependent children under 24 can also settle in New Zealand as co-applicants.
Entrepreneur Work Visa:
New Zealand’s start-up visas consists of the Entrepreneur Work Visa and the Global Impact Work Visa.
For the Entrepreneur Visa, applicants must meet several criteria: they should have relevant business experience, a basic proficiency in English (a minimum score of 4 in listening, speaking, reading, and writing on the IELTS or equivalent English test scores), invest more than 100,000 NZD in New Zealand (this amount can be reduced if investing in the high-tech sector or businesses with massive commercial potential). Applicants must score over 120 points on a scoring table that considers factors like age, investment amount, business experience, business location, and the business’s benefit to New Zealand. Additionally, they shouldn’t have any bankruptcy records in the past five years and must present a credible business plan.
For detailed criteria on the entrepreneurial immigration scoring table, please refer to: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/entrepreneur-work-visa
The general process for this program is:
1. Gather the necessary materials, pay an application fee of 3,920 NZD, and submit the application online.
2. Wait for the visa to be approved, which typically takes about 10 months.
3. Upon approval, you’ll first receive a short-term visa valid for 12 months. Within this duration, the applicant should commence their business operations. After this, they can obtain an entrepreneurial residence visa valid for about two years, which can be extended for at least another year upon expiry.
4. Permanent Residency: After conducting local business operations for two years and residing in New Zealand for at least 183 days each year, visa holders can apply for permanent residency. If within these two years, the applicant invests over 500,000 NZD and creates at least three jobs, they can apply for permanent residency ahead of schedule.
Naturalization:
For most New Zealand visas, the primary applicant’s spouse and unmarried children under 24 can co-apply as secondary applicants to settle in the country together.
After living in New Zealand for a full 2 years, foreigners can apply for permanent residency.
After legally residing in the country for 5 years (with at least 1,350 days of residency within those 5 years and no less than 240 days each year), and demonstrating good moral character and basic English proficiency, foreigners can apply for New Zealand citizenship.
Passport Power:
New Zealand is the only major country in the world that offers the Indefinite Returning Residence Visa. Under this “Returning Visa” policy framework, permanent residents can live outside of New Zealand for an extended period while retaining their original nationality. They can return to New Zealand and reside there permanently at any time without the constraints of immigration checks.
New Zealand acknowledges dual citizenship, and its passport is tied for 7th place globally. Its citizens have free access (either visa-free or with a visa on arrival) to 187 countries and regions around the world.
Useful Links:
New Zealand Immigration：https://www.immigration.govt.nz/