If you are an Engineer or a Construction Professional considering moving to New Zealand, there are many different visa types you might be eligible for.
Below you will find some general information about different visa types you might be able to obtain. Please note this is a Guide only and Users of this Guide are strongly encouraged to consult with a registered migration agent before taking any course of action related to information, ideas or opinions expressed in this Guide.
Working Holiday Visa holders
The Working Holiday Visa enables Engineers and Construction Professionals from several countries to work in New Zealand for up to one year or up to 23 months for those living in the UK and Canada. This is generally for young individuals aged 18-30, or 18-35, depending on the working holiday scheme. View the link below to check whether your country of origin is eligible.
Working Holiday Visas | Immigration New Zealand
The upgrade of the New Zealand and UK Working Holiday/Youth Mobility Scheme will come into effect as of July 2023. Both countries have agreed to extend the age of eligibility, maximum stay, and the length of time individuals can work. This will allow more New Zealand and UK citizens to travel and work in each other’s countries for a longer period of time.
The upgraded Youth Mobility scheme will allow New Zealand citizens aged between 18 to 35 to work and live in the UK for up to three years. The same applies to the UK Working Holiday Scheme, where citizens of the UK aged between 18 to 35 are allowed to work and stay in New Zealand for up to 3 years. View the link below to find out more information.
NZ/UK Working Holiday/Youth Mobility Scheme | Immigration New Zealand
New Recovery Visa
The New Recovery Visa (a Specific Purpose Work Visa) is a six-month visa that allows employers to sponsor migrants to New Zealand for a specific event (e.g. emergency responses, repairing infrastructure, immediate clean-ups, etc.). Applications are currently processed within a week, and a $700 fee will be refunded for successful applicants.
This visa was introduced after the Auckland flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island of New Zealand in early 2023. This visa closed in September 2023 and is not accepting new applicants.
Work to Residence Visa
Work to Residence Visa is for individuals who have been offered a full-time position and want to move permanently to New Zealand. This visa is commonly tied to those with skills that adequately expand in demand with an accredited employer. The duration is 30 months and those aged 55 and below.
From March 2023, the Work to Residence Visa pathway will be further expanded to include skilled civil machine operators and motor mechanics.
The Skilled Migrant Visa
The Skilled Migrant Visa is most suitable for individuals who have been offered a job and have the qualifications, skills and experience New Zealand is looking for. An expression of interest claim must point to your skills and job offers. Only when you gain an adequate number of points will you be advised to apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa.
As of the 28th of February 2024, the new median wage of $31.61 an hour will come into effect. This indicates that most wage thresholds indexed to the median wage will be updated. These include the wage thresholds in the Green List, the Skilled Migrant category, and the work to residence pathway.
Other visa types for your partner/children
Partners can apply for a temporary work or visitor visa to be with you in New Zealand. However, they will need to meet specific requirements such as stability, accommodation, and health requirements and be able to support your application).
Children are eligible to apply for a student or visitor visa. Remember that they must have a student visa to attend primary, intermediate, and secondary school.
Accredited Employer Work Visa program
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) Program has opened the third and final stage, allowing migrants to apply for a work visa to come and work for an accredited employer in New Zealand. This is a temporary work visa if you acquire the skills and qualifications for the job from your accredited employer.
There is a major constraint on businesses accessing skilled labour globally, so the AEWV will play a massive role in filling up the professional work shortages in New Zealand. Hence, the AEWV is at the heart of the Government’s Immigration rebalance, focusing on providing the skills New Zealand needs and that all migrants are treated fairly.
This temporary visa is valid for up to three years if you are paid above the median wage of NZ $29.66 per hour or if you are paid below the median salary for up to two years. Furthermore, depending on the job, the minimum salary requirement will apply and change with the median wage annually. Remember that this visa ties you to the accredited employer for three years, so if your work or other situation changes, you must qualify for an AEWV.
If you have a child, you can support their student or dependent visa if you earn at least NZ $43,322.76 annually. From December 2022, most partners of temporary visas will be granted visitor visas. However, they must qualify for an Accredited Employee Work Visa if they would like to work. The New Zealand Government is always aware of whether the partner is a primary household earner. Hence, all partners are allowed to work less than 30 hours weekly, as responsibilities such as childcare and other duties are considered.
As of the 27th of February 2023, the new median wage of $29.66 an hour will come into effect. The median wage is the minimum pay threshold for most occupations under the AEWV, indicating that applications submitted from the 27th of February 2023 must meet the new thresholds.
Click here to find out the new wage threshold rate that started from the 27th of February 2023.
Further Changes to AEWV – 26th Jun 2024
From 26 June 2024, people holding an AEWV in roles at Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) levels 4 and 5 without a pathway to residency are no longer able to support work, visitor or student visa applications for their partners and dependent children.
Partners and dependent children will still be able to apply for a visa in their own right to come to New Zealand, such as an Accredited Employer Work Visa or an international student visa, provided they meet the requirements.
The government has made this change to align with the broader suite of changes to the AEWV scheme earlier this year, and returns the settings to similar ones under the previous Essential Skills Work Visa.
The change will not impact:
- people that already hold visas as a partner or dependent child, or
- AEWV holders working in ANZSCO level 4 and 5 roles with a pathway to residency, such as the Green List, sector agreements with residence pathways, and
- those earning at least 1.5 times the median wage threshold for the Skilled Migrant Category.
People who have an application as a partner or dependent child in progress will also not be affected. Those applications will be considered against the requirements that were in place on the date they applied.
Last Update: 01st July 2024
AEWV application process
Your employer will lead the Accredited Employer Work Visa application process. They must check whether the migrant will meet the skills and experience specified as part of the role, apply for accreditation under the new system, and apply for a job check to ensure New Zealanders cannot accomplish the position being filled. Afterwards, the employer will request the migrant to apply for a visa.
Before the accredited employer can hire a migrant worker elsewhere, three checks are required. These system tests include employer, job, and migrant worker checks.
Longer processing times
Currently, there are extended processing durations for Accredited Employer Work Visa applications. Extended timeframes are a result of modifications made to the application assessment procedure, with some taking up to six weeks to finalise. Moreover, additional documents are now being requested for applicants who have not thoroughly submitted their paperwork.
The employer check
The Employer Check replaces three current employer schemes. This will include approval before an employer hires a worker on an Essential Skills Work Visa (ESWV), accreditation as a Talent Accredited Employer, and Labour Hire employers’ accreditation for essential skills work visas. Only accredited employers can hire a migrant worker on the AEWV and must be held by the direct employer named on the migrant worker’s contract agreement.
The job check
This job check will ensure that the job pays the market rate, the terms and conditions comply with the New Zealand employment laws, and that the employer has done the required labour market examinations. Multiple job checks can be included in one job check application if the description and details are all the same and covered by the same employment agreement. There are a few criteria and components that the job checklist must acquire. It must meet the wage threshold, the job conditions must comply with the employment standards, it must be advertised to New Zealanders before hiring a migrant, the job must have a minimum 30-hour week, the minimum to maximum expected pay rate, and the skills required.
The Migrant Worker check
This final stage is where the migrant work applies for the Accredited Employer Work Visa. The migrant must present evidence that they meet the INZ’s character, have personal identification, and meet the skills and experience as part of the employer’s job check application. If you have previously shown your expertise and skills, you will not require to provide evidence again. Keep in mind that these include fees and must be paid by the accredited employment for the recruitment.
The only exception when the migrant pays is when applying for the visa, airfare to come to New Zealand, and immigration advice if you decide to retrieve help through an Immigration agent. Also, this agreement between the migrant and the accredited employer must clearly show the permanent occupation’s location, pay, and working conditions.
With New Zealand borders finally open, student and visitor visa applications are also available, making it more straightforward for migrant workers to bring their families to New Zealand.
With 230 new Immigration Officers on board for Immigration New Zealand, it will be expected that they meet the demand with all the ongoing recruitment and training of staff. It will be relatively quick as Immigration New Zealand is targeting to process accreditation checks within ten working days, job checks within ten workdays, and migrant checks within 20 working days.
The criteria in the link below will provide you with all the relevant information you need to know to meet the Accredited Employer Work Visa requirements.
Information about: Accredited Employer Work Visa | Immigration New Zealand
This link below also helps you better understand applying for the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Accreditation for the AEWV | Immigration New Zealand
Check if an employer is accredited
Immigration New Zealand launched an accredited employer search tool that assists skilled migrants in verifying the accreditation status of employers. You can use this tool to check if an employer is currently accredited or not if you:
- Are applying for a visa that requires you to work for an accredited employer
- Already hold a visa that requires you to work for an accredited employer and are looking to change jobs.
The visas that require you to work for an accredited employer include the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), Partner of a Worker Work Visa and Straight to Residence Visa.
How to use the accredited employer tool
You will need certain information to identify the employer. This may be their:
- New Zealand Business Number (NZBN)
- Company name or trading name
The New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) is a 13-digit number, and all numbers must be entered in the search field. If you are searching by an employer’s company or trading name, you must enter at least the first three characters.
Click here to search for an accredited employer.
If you cannot find the employer listed in the search tool, check with the employer to find out if they are accredited, as some companies choose not to be published in the search results.
The database is updated as employers join the accreditation programme or renew their accreditation status. The information is updated weekly.
90-day trial period
The New Zealand Government is extending the 90-day trial period to all employers except Accredited Employers Working Visa (AEWV) holders. This will give businesses the confidence to hire new people and increase workplace flexibility. It will also provide greater opportunities for employees.
Starting from 29 October 2023, accredited employers will no longer have the authorisation to enforce a 90-day trial period within employment contracts for AEWV holders. This is regardless of whether applications were filed before or after 29 October 2023. Job checks and AEWVs approved before the date will remain unaffected by the new regulation and can continue as planned.
Your employer must provide you with a guide document that will help you settle in New Zealand within your first month of employment. This should contain practical advice and tips to make your move to New Zealand smoother.
Last Update: 15 December 2023
Green List
A new streamlined pathway to residency is being provided through the Green List to attract highly skilled migrants to New Zealand, as these positions are globally hard to fulfil. Doing this will support the sectors in demand to transition to more productive ways of operating for New Zealand, rather than relying on lower-skilled workers. Altogether, it will support economic growth and the pressures on infrastructure and encourage employers to offer competitive wages.
When going through a job check, it is required to show evidence that the employer has advertised the job to New Zealanders before hiring a migrant. However, if the role is on the Green List, no evidence is required for proof of advertising if the requirement for the part matches the migrant’s skills and experiences.
The Green List is shorter and more focused than the Regional Skills Shortage List. Many of the roles on the Long-Term Skills Shortage List are on the Green List. These fields of industries are hard to fill, including construction, engineering, trades, health workers, and tech.
The green list provides two pathways for residence – a fast track or work to residence path. Eligible migrants working in these occupations or paid twice the median wage will have clear pathways to residency.
Construction and Engineering roles on the current Green List involve:
- Chemical Engineer
- Civil Construction Supervisor
- Civil Engineer
- Civil Engineer Technician
- Civil Machine Operator
- Construction Project Manager (Roading and Infrastructure/Foreman)
- Crane Operator
- Electrical Engineer
- Electrical Engineering Technician
- Electronics Engineer
- Electronic Engineering Technician
- Engineering Professionals
- Environmental Engineer
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Industrial Engineer
- Materials Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Production or Plant Engineer
- Project Builder
- Quantity Surveyor
- Safety Engineer
- Structural Engineer
- Surveyor (Spatial Science Technician/Hydrographic Technician/Land Surveyor
- Telecommunications Engineer
- Telecommunications Network Engineer
Click on the link below to see what prerequisites migrants need for each role.
Green List occupations | Immigration New Zealand
This is also useful: Skill Shortage List Checker
The Green List is always in constant review and will be reviewed in mid 2023.
New Skilled Residence pathways
The New Zealand Government announced three new residence categories that will make it easier for employers to hire migrants for high-skilled and hard-to-fill vacancies.
The new residential pathways are ‘Straight to Residence’, ‘Work to Residence’, and ‘Highly Paid’. From the 5th of September 2022, the Straight to Residence pathway will be open for people to apply. From the 29th of September 2023, the Work to Residence and Highly Paid residence pathways will be available. However, you must have worked for 24 months minimum in New Zealand.
More information about the three new skilled pathways is available on the Immigration New Zealand website here: New residence categories announced | Immigration New Zealand
Last Update: March 2023
Disclaimer: Any posted material is not intended to be immigration advice and does not purport to represent all requirements for a successful application or applications. No person should act on the basis of the material contained in any post without obtaining advice relevant to their situation, and without considering and taking professional advice where necessary. For more information visit: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/
