New Zealand Green List: Direct Residency Path for Tech Workers

New Zealand is offering a new direct pathway to residency for many technology workers, with changes to its Green List that took effect in December 2025 and are already shaping migration plans for software engineers, ICT managers, and other specialists around the world. The government has confirmed that a group of top‑level information and communication technology roles now qualify for residence from day one, as long as workers meet strict pay, age, and skill rules and have a job offer from an approved employer.

At the centre of the shift is the Straight to Residence Visa, a category that lets Tier 1 Green List tech workers apply for residence as soon as they secure a full‑time job with an Accredited Employer. In practice, this means a qualified software engineer or ICT security specialist can move straight into the New Zealand residence system, without first spending several years on temporary work visas. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, that makes New Zealand one of the few advanced economies offering such a clear route for tech workers to move directly from overseas job offer to permanent status.

Which ICT roles qualify for the direct pathway

The government has set out a defined list of Tier 1 ICT occupations that benefit from this direct pathway to residency. The list includes:

• ICT managers
• Software engineers
• Telecommunications engineers
• ICT security specialists
• Systems analysts
• Network engineers
• Database administrators
• Other ICT professionals classified under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations

Officials say these roles reflect the highest skill levels in the sector and match areas where employers have reported long‑running shortages.

How the Straight to Residence Visa works

For migrants, the appeal is simple: if they are offered one of these Tier 1 Green List jobs by an accredited firm and can show they meet all the visa rules, they can lodge a Straight to Residence Visa application either from overseas or from within New Zealand.

Key practical advantages:

• No stand‑down period
• No requirement to first work for a set number of years in the country
• No need to move through several different temporary visa types before applying for residence

Eligibility requirements — what applicants must meet

The direct pathway is fast but comes with tight conditions. Applicants must meet several core requirements:

• Age: 55 years old or younger
• Employment: Hold a full‑time job offer from an Accredited Employer
• Qualifications: Usually at least a bachelor’s degree in a directly relevant field; in some cases a recognised professional registration or certification is required (notably for ICT security specialists and other regulated positions)
• Role fit: Skills and daily tasks must match the Green List role description — job titles alone are not enough
• Language, health & character: Satisfy English language ability (e.g., IELTS or TOEFL, or other accepted evidence of English‑medium study/work), pass health checks and police character checks
• Family: Partners and dependent children can be included in the residence application if they meet health and character standards

Pay threshold

Pay is a major filter. To use the direct pathway, Tier 1 ICT workers generally need to earn at least twice the New Zealand median wage — officials set the threshold at about NZD $110,000 per year in 2025 for this policy. The wage rule:

• Ensures the scheme is limited to highly skilled, well‑paid positions
• Protects local workers from being undercut
• Is reachable for many mid‑career senior roles but may be difficult for early‑career graduates

Employer role and accreditation

Only Accredited Employers can support Green List applications. Accreditation means the business has been approved by Immigration New Zealand to hire staff from overseas and must follow rules on pay, working conditions, and settlement support.

Implications for employers:

• Tech companies must gain or maintain accreditation to use the Straight to Residence Visa
• For smaller start‑ups this can add paperwork, but many see accreditation as necessary to compete for scarce engineers and specialists

Tier 2 ICT roles and the Work to Residence route

The government has kept a separate track for lower‑level but still skilled Tier 2 ICT jobs. Examples include:

• ICT support technicians
• ICT customer support technicians
• ICT sales representatives

These Tier 2 roles do not qualify for the Straight to Residence Visa. Instead, eligible candidates may use a Work to Residence route which requires:

1. Holding a qualifying Tier 2 Green List role in New Zealand
2. Working in that role for two years
3. Then applying for residence

Officials argue the two‑step route lets the country assess how well migrants settle while still offering a long‑term option. For many help‑desk and support staff, Tier 2 may be more generous than policies elsewhere, but it clearly prioritises Tier 1 professionals.

Practical differences and planning advice

The system creates sharper differences between ICT workers who meet the Green List rules and those who do not. Examples:

• A network engineer on a salary above the threshold, working for an accredited employer, can move quickly into residence planning.
• A similar engineer on a lower salary, or in a non‑accredited company, may need to rely on general work visas with less certain routes to residence.

Immigration advisers recommend migrants ask detailed questions about:

• Salary levels
• Job descriptions and daily tasks
• Employer accreditation status

Official resources and warnings

Prospective migrants are urged to check the official Green List roles – jobs we need people for in New Zealand and conditions on Immigration New Zealand’s website. The agency publishes detailed occupation descriptions, qualification standards, and pay thresholds.

Official Green List page (do not modify):
Green List roles – jobs we need people for in New Zealand

Lawyers warn that relying only on informal summaries or old job ads can lead to planning around out‑of‑date rules.

Important: The Green List and wage thresholds are regularly reviewed. A role that qualifies for a Direct Pathway to Residency today could be moved to Work to Residence in future, or removed from the Green List if shortages ease.

Strategic context and implications

The December 2025 changes come as New Zealand faces ongoing shortages in its digital workforce and competes for experienced engineers globally. By tying the Direct Pathway to specific Green List roles and clear salary bands, the government aims to:

• Give employers and migrants more certainty
• Bring in senior engineering and security talent quickly
• Address union and local worker concerns about wage pressure

For overseas candidates, planning will typically require:

• Lining up job offers that meet the median‑wage multiple
• Preparing degree and professional registration evidence
• Booking English‑language tests
• Applying through Immigration New Zealand’s online system, potentially securing both job and residence approval before arrival (processing times vary)

Immigration advisers report interest from tech workers across Asia, Europe, and North America. Candidates weigh the Straight to Residence route against other options (e.g., Canada or parts of Europe), balancing the benefit of direct residence in an English‑speaking country against the high salary threshold.

Final takeaway

The broader message from Wellington is that New Zealand wants to draw in top‑tier tech talent while controlling the pace and type of migration. The Straight to Residence Visa for Tier 1 Green List ICT roles is a powerful recruitment tool for companies in a tight global market, but it favours those who can show:

• High pay
• Strong qualifications
• A clear match to the government’s identified needs

Workers and employers who are close to meeting the requirements are being advised to act promptly rather than assume the same settings will still be in place years from now.