New Zealand

Why New Zealand?

New Zealand's Green List names 205 specific roles across healthcare, engineering, construction, ICT, and education where the country has a critical shortage — and for the top tier of those roles (specialist doctors, registered nurses, civil and structural engineers, construction project managers), a full-time job offer from an accredited employer gets you a Straight to Residence application immediately. No waiting period, no separate work-visa step first.

Wages back this up: the minimum wage is NZD $23.50/hour (2026), average blue-collar pay sits around NZD $58,080/year, and median full-time earnings run roughly NZD $70,000–73,000/year — solid numbers by any standard, in a country consistently rated among the world's safest and least corrupt.

Study Routes and Fees

• Bachelor's: NZD $31,000–58,120+/year, depending on field and institution.
• Master's: NZD $35,500–58,050+/year.
• PhD — the standout deal: international PhD candidates who live in New Zealand for their doctorate pay domestic tuition rates, just NZD $7,567–8,037/year — a fraction of the international sticker price, under a dedicated government funding scheme.
• Proof of funds: NZD $20,000/year for living costs, plus a student visa fee from NZD $850.

The Study-to-Residence Route

1. Graduate → Post-Study Work Visa (Level 7+ degrees). Bachelor's degree or higher graduates get up to 3 years of fully open work rights — any employer, any role, no conditions attached. From 16 November 2026, Level 7 Graduate Diploma holders who also hold a Bachelor's qualify too (up to 1 year), and a brand-new Short-Term Graduate Work Visa gives Level 5–7 graduates who don't otherwise qualify 6 months of open work rights to bridge into an Accredited Employer Work Visa.
2. Land a Green List role → Straight to Residence. No prior work period required for Tier 1 roles — just the job offer, NCNZ/professional registration where relevant, and standard health, character, and English requirements.
3. Everyone else → the median wage benchmark. As of March 2026, the general threshold for standard work-to-residence pathways is NZD $35.00/hour — meet it (or the role-specific higher rate) and you're on track.
4. Citizenship in 5 years. You need resident status, 1,350 days of physical presence across those 5 years (minimum 240 days each year, no more than 450 total days away), then apply — no separate "permanent residence first" requirement. A formal citizenship test is coming from late 2027, so applying under today's rules is genuinely better than waiting.