Work visas
The Accredited Employer Work Visa is an employer-linked temporary work pathway. Your job offer, the employer's accreditation and the requirements for your role matter.
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New Zealand visas.
A clearer way forward.
Planning to work, study, join your partner or build a future in New Zealand? Start with the right visa information and a clear understanding of the steps ahead.
Explore New Zealand work visas, skilled residence, student and graduate options, partnership visas and family pathways.
Enquire About NZ VisasExplore Visa PathwaysExplore your options
New Zealand visa and residence pathways
Skilled residence
Compare the Skilled Migrant Category with Green List Straight to Residence and Work to Residence options. Each has its own requirements.
Compare skilled pathwaysStudent visas
Understand offers of place, tuition fees, living costs, genuine study intentions and the conditions attached to a New Zealand student visa.
Explore student visasPost-study work
Eligible graduates may qualify for a Post Study Work Visa. The qualification and study completed affect eligibility and work conditions.
Explore graduate optionsPartnership and family
Living together, relationship evidence and the supporting partner's status are important. Temporary partnership visas and residence are different applications.
Explore partnership pathwaysVisitor visas
Plan a holiday or family visit with the right travel permission. Visa-waiver travel and an NZeTA are not the same as applying for a Visitor Visa.
Explore visitor optionsThink beyond the first application
A temporary visa is not a promise of residence
A New Zealand job, course or temporary visa can be part of a longer-term plan, but it does not automatically provide a resident visa. Residence depends on meeting the requirements of a specific category when you apply.
There is also a difference between a Resident Visa and a Permanent Resident Visa. The conditions for travel outside New Zealand need separate attention, even when you can live in New Zealand indefinitely.
Understand Residence PathwaysQuestions worth asking early
- Which visa matches the purpose of my stay?
- Does my job require New Zealand occupational registration?
- Can my partner or children apply, and under which category?
- What work and travel conditions will apply?
- What evidence will be needed for a later residence application?
Useful preparation
Make your next enquiry more productive
Your circumstances
Have a brief summary of your current location, citizenship, visa status and any upcoming expiry date ready. Explain whether your priority is work, study, family or residence.
Your supporting information
For work-related enquiries, note your occupation, qualifications and employment history. For study or partnership enquiries, explain the course or relationship circumstances.
Your next step
Send an initial enquiry without sensitive documents. Before engaging anyone for personalised immigration advice, confirm their New Zealand licence or legal exemption and the agreed scope and fees.
New Zealand migration questions
Do I need a job offer to move to New Zealand?
That depends on the visa. An AEWV and the skilled residence options described here depend on qualifying employment or a job offer, while visitor, study and partnership categories have different foundations. A job offer alone is not a visa approval.
What is the difference between Straight to Residence and Work to Residence?
Straight to Residence is linked to qualifying Green List Tier 1 employment. Green List Work to Residence generally requires qualifying work in New Zealand in a Tier 2 role for 24 months. The occupation-specific conditions and the other visa requirements still apply.
Will studying in New Zealand guarantee residence?
No. A student visa permits approved study. Post-study work eligibility is a separate assessment, and any later residence application must meet the requirements of the residence category.
Can my family come with me?
Possibly, but the route depends on your visa and your family members' circumstances. Some residence applications can include eligible family members. An AEWV does not include them in the same application; separate visas and support requirements apply.
Does Australian migration-agent registration authorise New Zealand advice?
Australian registration is not, by itself, a New Zealand immigration adviser licence. Anyone providing personalised New Zealand immigration advice must hold the appropriate New Zealand licence or qualify for a legal exemption.
Where can I check the official requirements?
Use Immigration New Zealand's current visa pages and the Immigration Advisers Authority's register and licensing guidance. This website is a starting point for general information, not a substitute for an assessment of your circumstances.
Tell us about your New Zealand plans
Start with a short enquiry about your visa goals, current situation and any relevant deadline. Do not send passport, medical or financial documents with an initial enquiry.
Contact Visa Consult NZGeneral information checked against official sources on 18 September 2026. Immigration requirements can change, and no visa or residence outcome is guaranteed.
Official information: Accredited Employer Work Visa · Skilled Migrant Category · Straight to Residence · Work to Residence · Student visas · Post-study work · Visitor Visa · Who can give immigration advice.