Work Visas in New Zealand

How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist

The dominant work route is the Accredited Employer Work Visa, and it is built on three separate checks: the employer must hold accreditation, the individual job must pass a job check, and the applicant must then pass a check of their own skills and character. Pay is normally expected at or above the published median wage, which is the single number that drives most decisions in the system.

The three checks, in order

New Zealand does not test the applicant first. It tests the employer first, then the job, then the person, and all three must clear before a visa is issued.

Employer accreditation. The company applies to Immigration New Zealand and commits to employment-law compliance, minimum standards of treatment, and settlement support. Accreditation is granted for a period and must be renewed, and it can be revoked, which affects everyone the employer sponsors.

The job check. The specific role is assessed for genuineness, terms, and pay. For roles paid below the relevant benchmark, or outside listed exemptions, the employer generally has to advertise domestically and show that no suitable New Zealander was available.

The migrant check. Only now is the applicant assessed, on skills and experience relevant to the role, English where required, health, and character.

Why the median wage matters more than anything else

The published median wage is used as a reference point across the system: it influences whether a job check requires advertising, how long a visa can be granted for, and whether income can be used to claim points toward residence.

The figure is updated periodically, and the update applies to new applications rather than retroactively. This produces a recurring problem — a salary that comfortably cleared the benchmark at the time of a first visa may sit below it at renewal, so a pay review often has to be negotiated before an extension is lodged.

Some sectors have operated under agreed exceptions or transitional arrangements, and these change. The current position for a particular occupation should be read on the Immigration New Zealand page for that visa rather than assumed.

Routes that are not employer-tied

• Working Holiday Scheme. Available to young people from a long list of partner countries, generally at ages 18 to 30 and to 35 for some nationalities, for around a year and longer for a few. It is an open work right and by far the simplest way in for those who qualify by age.
• Partner of a worker or student. Partners of some visa holders can obtain open work rights, though the conditions have been narrowed and now depend on the principal holder's occupation and pay.
• Post-study work visa. Granted after qualifying study in New Zealand, and open rather than tied to one employer for most holders.
• Specific purpose or event visas. Narrow, time-limited categories for defined work such as a contract, a secondment, or an event.
• Active Investor Plus. An investment route rather than a work route, but it confers residence and therefore unrestricted work rights.

Approximate application costs

Official sources

• Accredited Employer Work Visa
• Employing migrants — accreditation and job checks
• Working Holiday visas

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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