The Green List Straight to Residence pathway opened on 5 September 2022 and migrants employed in a role on the Green List may now qualify for a Straight to Residence Visa or a Work to Residence Visa.
Health and medical roles
To assist with the entry of skilled workers to New Zealand, the types of eligible registration have been broadened and references to scopes of practice have been removed.
From 5 September 2022, skill requirements for the Green List for health and medical roles administered by the Medical Council of New Zealand will require:
- provisional general, general, provisional vocational or vocational registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ), or
- a MCNZ letter of “eligibility for registration”.
For all other health and medical roles, registration with the relevant responsible authority is required.
Tier 1 Green List (Straight to Residence pathway) health roles
General Practitioner, Anaesthetist, Psychiatrist, Specialist Physicians not elsewhere classified (nec), Surgeon (General), Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Vascular Surgeon, Urologist, Otorhinolaryngologist, Dermatologist, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Ophthalmologist, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist, Radiation Oncologist, Resident Medical Officer, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, Organisational Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Psychologists nec.
Tier 2 Green List (Work to Residence pathway) health roles
Anaesthetic Technician, Medical Diagnostic (Medical Imaging Technologist), Medical Laboratory Technician, Medical Radiation Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Sonographer, Podiatrist, Registered Nurse (Aged Care), Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health), Registered Nurse (Community Health), Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency), Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability), Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation), Registered Nurse (Medical), Registered Nurse (Medical Practice), Registered Nurse (Mental Health), Registered Nurse (Perioperative), Registered Nurse (Surgical), Registered Nurse (Paediatrics), Registered Nurses nec, Midwife.
Job Checks already approved
By 10 October 2022, a grandparenting clause will be included in Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) instructions for Green List roles. It will allow migrants to qualify under the more generous settings if a requirement is changed after a Job Check has been approved, but before a migrant visa application is completed.
Technology roles to be added
By 10 October 2022, the following digital technology roles will be added to the Green List Straight to Residence pathway:
- Analyst Programmer
- Developer Programmer
- Software Tester
- Software and Applications Programmers not elsewhere classified (nec)
These occupations were previously specified in the digital technology exception to the COVID-19 border restrictions. They have been added to the Green List to give effect to Cabinet decisions.
Applicants must be paid at least NZD $120,000 a year (NZD $57.69 an hour).
Application Fees
The application fee and immigration levy will be between NZD $4,020 and NZD $4,890 depending on whether someone is applying from within New Zealand or another part of the world.
- Band A (NZ): NZD $4290
- Band B (Pacific): NZD $4020
- Band C (rest of world): NZD $4890.
These fees include Goods and Services Tax (GST) and exclude the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
To discuss how we can assist, contact Arno Nothnagel, our NZ Immigration Director: Arno.Nothnagel@absoluteimmigration.com
