NZ work and skilled migrant visas for Americans

For most Americans, the road to living in New Zealand runs through a job offer from an accredited employer, and then, if things go well, a residence visa a couple of years later.

The short version

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the main work visa. You need a job offer from an accredited employer, pay at the market rate, and either two years of relevant experience or a qualification at level 4 or higher. It can last up to 5 years for most jobs, and fees start at NZD 1,540 (about USD 870) [1][2].
The median wage that drives most residence thresholds is NZD 35.00 an hour (about USD 19.70) from March 9, 2026, based on the 2025 median wage [3][4].
The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) needs 6 points, earned from qualifications, occupational registration or pay, plus a skilled job offer [5].
The Green List has two tracks: Tier 1 roles go straight to residence, and Tier 2 roles qualify after 24 months of work in New Zealand [6].
Changes are coming. On March 8, 2027, 17 occupations come off the Tier 2 Green List and move to SMC pathways [7].

USD conversions in this guide use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (NZD 1 = USD 0.5637), rounded. Immigration rules change often; check each figure on immigration.govt.nz before you apply.

How the system fits together

New Zealand separates temporary work visas from residence visas. You usually start with a work visa tied to one employer, then apply for a resident visa once you meet a skilled residence route. Unlike the US green card process, there's no annual lottery or per-country cap for these routes; it's about meeting the criteria.

Step	Visa	What it gives you
1. Get a job offer	Accredited Employer Work Visa	Work for one accredited employer, up to 5 years [1]
2a. Tier 1 Green List job	Straight to Residence Visa	Residence without waiting [6]
2b. Tier 2 Green List job	Work to Residence Visa	Residence after 24 months on the job [6]
2c. Any skilled job	Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa	Residence with 6 points [5]

The Accredited Employer Work Visa

The AEWV is a three-part process. Your employer gets accredited, then gets a job check approved, and then you apply for the visa itself.

What you need

A job offer from an accredited employer, for at least 30 hours a week [1].
Market-rate pay. AEWV jobs must pay at least the market rate for the job and meet other legal wage rules, such as the New Zealand minimum wage [2]. Immigration New Zealand approves a pay range at the job check stage and sets the actual rate on the visa at the application stage [2]. The old blanket median-wage requirement for most AEWV jobs no longer applies.
Skills. Either at least two years of relevant full-time-equivalent experience, or a qualification at New Zealand level 4 or higher (a bachelor's degree can be in any field). A résumé alone isn't enough; you need evidence such as pay stubs or tax records. Some jobs also require New Zealand occupational registration [1].
English, for jobs at ANZSCO skill levels 3 to 5, with a recent test score [1].
Health and character checks, like every New Zealand visa.

Jobs paying at least twice the median wage are spared extra evidence of skills; the AEWV page listed that threshold as NZD 67.12 an hour (about USD 37.80) when we checked [1].

What the visa lets you do

The visa runs for up to 5 years for most jobs, or 3 years for jobs at skill levels 4 and 5. After the maximum stay you normally have to leave New Zealand for 12 months before applying again [1]. You can work only for the employer, in the job and location on your visa, and you can't hold a second job; changing employers means applying for a variation of conditions, a Job Change, or a new visa [1]. Immigration New Zealand said 80% of applications were processed within 5 weeks when we checked [1].

Your partner and children can't be included in your AEWV. Depending on your pay and job, you may be able to support a partner work or visitor visa and visitor or student visas for your kids [1][2].

The Skilled Migrant Category

The SMC is New Zealand's points-based residence route, but it's far simpler than the old system. You need 6 points, plus a skilled job or job offer with an accredited employer, good health, good character and English [5].

How you earn points

You claim points from one category only: qualifications, occupational registration, or pay. You can't mix them, but skilled work in New Zealand can top up the category you choose [5]. A PhD alone can earn all 6 points, and a registration that took at least two years of training earns points too [5].

The SMC wage threshold

The SMC threshold equals the median wage. Once yours is set, it doesn't change [4].

SMC pay rate from March 9, 2026	NZD an hour	About USD an hour
Base threshold (1×)	35.00	19.70
Skilled Work Experience pathway (1.1×)	38.50	21.70
Amber List jobs (1.2×)	42.00	23.70
3 income points (1.5×)	52.50	29.60
4 income points (2×)	70.00	39.50
6 income points (3×)	105.00	59.20

Source: Immigration New Zealand SMC pay rates [4]. The previous threshold, from August 18, 2025, to March 8, 2026, was NZD 33.56 [4].

The two experience-based pathways

Skilled Work Experience: at least 3 years of relevant experience plus 2 years of skilled work in New Zealand, at ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3, paid at least 1.1 times the threshold [5].
Trades and Technician: a relevant level 4 qualification or higher, at least 2.5 years of post-qualification experience, plus 1.5 years of skilled work in New Zealand at the threshold [5].

Self-employment doesn't count toward either pathway [5].

The Green List: straight to residence or work to residence

The Green List is New Zealand's list of hard-to-fill roles, split into two tiers [6].

Tier 1: Straight to Residence

If you have a Tier 1 job or job offer and meet its qualification, registration and pay rules, you can apply for residence right away, either from outside New Zealand or after arriving on a work visa [6]. Green List jobs without their own pay threshold must pay at least NZD 35.00 an hour [3]. Some have higher bars: ICT, electronics and telecommunications roles require NZD 72.80 an hour (about USD 41.00), which is 208% of the 2025 median wage [3].

Tier 2: Work to Residence

Tier 2 roles need 24 months of work in New Zealand within the 30 months before you apply, on an acceptable work visa such as the AEWV, at or above the required wage throughout [3][6]. You lock in the wage rate in place when you started counting experience, and a 5-month grace period can let you use the rate in place when your work visa was granted [3].

What changes on March 8, 2027

Immigration New Zealand announced on November 3, 2026, that 17 occupations will leave the Tier 2 Green List, mostly trades and technician roles, which will instead use the SMC pathways [7]. People already counting qualifying work experience can still count that time toward the 24 months. Four special education teacher roles move up to Straight to Residence, and Career Counsellors drop off Tier 1 [7]. A broader Green List review is expected in 2027 [7].

The American side: what follows you

A New Zealand work visa doesn't change your US obligations.

Keep filing your US return. Uncle Sam taxes citizens wherever they live. Most Americans in Auckland use the foreign tax credit or the foreign earned income exclusion; a US expat tax preparer can check which suits you.
Report New Zealand accounts. If your foreign accounts total more than USD 10,000 at any point in the year, you file an FBAR, and Form 8938 kicks in for people living abroad above USD 200,000 at year-end or USD 300,000 at any time (single), or double that for joint filers [8].
Get an IRD number soon after you arrive so you're taxed at the right rate.
Think about KiwiSaver later. Work visa holders can't join, but once you're a resident your new employer may auto-enroll you, and that raises US tax questions.

Moving on a work visa is a big step, and our community group for Americans in New Zealand is full of people who've been through AEWV job checks and residence applications.

New Zealand's work and skilled migrant visas: from a job offer to residence