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Pathway

New Zealand Care Worker Residence Visa

New Zealand Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Eligible care workers age 55 or younger can apply for New Zealand residence after completing 24 qualifying months of local work within the previous 30 months. You also need a current listed care job or offer with an approved employer.

Work history
24 qualifying months in New Zealand during the previous 30 months
Occupation
One of INZ’s specified care roles
Maximum age
55

Summary

This is a residence route for selected care workforce roles after 24 months of qualifying New Zealand work. It requires a current qualifying care job or offer, accredited-employer support, age, English, health, and character checks.

It is a narrow occupation route, not a general visa for every health or care worker. The exact occupation, pay history, work visa history, current job, English, age, health, and character all matter.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The main applicant must be 55 or younger, speak and understand English, and meet health and character requirements. During the qualifying period the applicant must have held a work visa, a qualifying Critical Purpose Visitor Visa, or a temporary status allowed by the rules while another visa application was being decided.

The listed care jobs currently include Māori Health Assistant, Disabilities Services Officer, Residential Care Officer, Aged or Disabled Carer, Nursing Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant, Therapy Aide, Child or Youth Residential Care Assistant, and Diversional Therapist.

At least 24 months of eligible full-time work must fall within the 30 months immediately before applying. The periods do not have to be continuous. Eligible leave counts, and limited time in Tier 2 Green List, transport, or twice-median-wage work can sometimes make up part of the total. The care work must have paid at least NZD 28.25 an hour from 1 July 2022; earlier qualifying work used the historical rate on the official page.

At application, the person must hold or be offered a listed care job with an accredited employer. It must be full-time, permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, and meet the wage threshold applicable to your qualifying work history.

Pay rules

The required pay generally stays at the threshold that applied when you started counting qualifying work, even if you change employers. A five-month grace period can sometimes let you use the rate in place when the visa was granted, if work starts after a wage increase. The work must still fit within the 30-month counting window; changing the occupation or visa can change the required rate.

Applying for residence after New Zealand care work
  1. Check the exact care role and work history Identify the qualifying months, visas, hours, and pay.
  2. Verify the current job and employer Confirm the required hours, contract term, and applicable wage.
  3. Apply with evidence for the full qualifying period Include work, tax, English, health, character, and family records.

Overseas care experience alone does not meet the New Zealand work requirement.

What This Route Allows

The resident visa permits indefinite residence, work, and study. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included if relationship, identity, health, character, and family English requirements are met.

The initial resident visa normally lets you leave and return as a resident for 2 years. These are the visa’s travel conditions. After holding it for 2 years, the holder may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa if the applicable requirements are met.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a first work visa, and overseas care experience alone does not satisfy the 24-month New Zealand requirement. A job that sounds similar but does not match one of INZ's listed occupations is not enough.

It is not safe to count a month without checking the occupation, hours, visa held, and wage paid at that time. Payslips, tax summaries, job descriptions, and agreements should be checked against each other month by month.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the exact occupation and its current INZ classification.
  2. Build a 30-month timeline showing visa status, employer, occupation, hours, pay, and eligible leave for every period claimed.
  3. Check the current job or offer for accredited-employer status, full-time hours, duration, and pay.
  4. Gather employment agreements, job descriptions, payslips, bank records, and Inland Revenue income summaries.
  5. Prepare English, health, police, identity, and family evidence.
  6. Check which wage rate applies to your work history.

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Discussed in these reports

Similar skilled worker pathways in other destinations.

Sources