"Work to Residence" isn't a single visa category — it's three separate pathways, each with its own occupation list, wage requirements, and rules. If you've been researching one of them, it's worth knowing how the other two compare, because the right pathway for you depends heavily on which sector you work in.
Here's how the Green List Tier 2, Care Workforce, and Transport Sector pathways stack up, based on Immigration New Zealand's confirmed operational instructions.
What all three pathways have in common
Regardless of which pathway applies to you, the core structure is the same:
You need to have completed 24 months of qualifying work in New Zealand, within the 30 months immediately before you apply for residence. This doesn't need to be continuous — you can complete it in separate stretches, for example two 12-month periods with a gap in between.
You must hold a work visa or critical purpose visitor visa with work conditions at the time you apply, and the same type of visa throughout your 24-month work period.
You must be 55 or younger when you apply, and meet the standard health, character, and English language requirements.
The wage rate you need to meet is generally the one in effect when you started counting your 24 months — not necessarily the rate when you apply — with a grace period if your work visa was granted up to 5 months before you started that job.
Where the pathways genuinely differ is the occupation list and the wage rate itself.
Green List Tier 2: Work to Residence
This is the most well-known of the three. It covers a wide range of skilled trades and technical occupations on Tier 2 of the Green List.
Most Tier 2 occupations require at least the median wage ($35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026), but several trades carry their own elevated thresholds:
Telecommunications Technician, Civil Machinery Operator, Panel Beater, and Vehicle Painter require the median wage plus 15% ($40.25 from 9 March 2026).
Crane Operator, Metal Fabricator, Pressure Welder, Welder, Fitter (General), Fitter and Turner, Fitter-Welder, and Metal Machinist (First Class) require the median wage plus 30% ($45.50).
Building Associate requires the median wage plus 50% ($52.50).
If you don't complete the full 24 months in a single Tier 2 occupation, you may still qualify if you make up the balance with work paid at twice the median wage ($70.00 from 9 March 2026) — and the two types of work in New Zealand can be combined, for example 18 months in a Tier 2 role plus 6 months at the higher rate.
Care Workforce: Work to Residence
This pathway is specifically for occupations on the Care Workforce sector occupation list — covering roles such as personal care assistants and similar caregiving positions.
The wage rate has been stable for some time: $28.25 an hour, in effect since 1 July 2022. This is notably lower than the Green List or median wage thresholds, reflecting the specific structure of this sector.
As with the other pathways, if you can't maintain a Care Workforce role for the full 24 months, you can make up the balance with time in a Green List Tier 2 role, a Transport Sector role, or work paid at twice the median wage.
Transport Sector: Work to Residence
This is the most specific of the three, currently covering a small number of named transport occupations, each with its own qualification or licensing requirement on top of the wage threshold:
Ship's Master — paid at least the median wage, and holding either a Skipper Restricted Limits Certificate of Competency (500GT or 3000GT endorsement) or an equivalent STCW certificate recognised by Maritime New Zealand.
Deck Hand — paid at least the median wage, and holding a Qualified Deck Crew Certificate of Proficiency or equivalent Deck Watch Rating certificate.
A small number of other transport roles — including Bus Driver, Truck Driver, Aircraft Refueller, Furniture Removalist, Tanker Driver, and Tow Truck Driver — were previously eligible and may still count toward your 24 months if you started counting work in one of these roles before it was removed from the list, or if you held a relevant visa application or job offer before 6 April 2024.
Choosing between pathways if you've changed roles
If your work history spans more than one of these sectors — say, 18 months in a Tier 2 Green List trade and 6 months in a Care Workforce role — the instructions allow you to combine different types of qualifying work toward your 24 months, provided each period meets the requirements that applied to it at the time.
This flexibility matters if you've changed jobs or sectors during your time in New Zealand. Don't assume a change of role resets your clock to zero — it may not.
What you should do now
Check which of the three pathways your current or recent occupation actually falls under, since the wage thresholds vary significantly between them.
If your occupation isn't on the relevant list any more, check whether you started counting your work before it was removed — you may still be protected.
If you've worked across more than one sector, add up your qualifying periods across all three pathways before assuming you need to start again.
Final thoughts
The three Work to Residence pathways exist because different sectors face different labour market pressures, and INZ has tailored the wage and occupation requirements accordingly. Knowing which pathway actually applies to your role — and what the real wage threshold is — is the first step to planning your residence application properly.
Not sure which pathway fits? Use our Green List Matcher to check your occupation's tier and wage requirement.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our licensed immigration advisers to confirm which Work to Residence pathway applies to you and how close you are to the 24-month mark.