New Residence Pathways Announced
Heres what you need to know
Immigration New Zealand has announced two new Residence Pathway on the 23rd of September 2025.
- Skilled Work Experience pathway
- Trades and Technician pathway
The government has made these changes to assist local employers to retain talent in their workforce. Employers have expressed that it has been difficult to retain talent as it has been difficult for individuals to obtain residence in NZ.
Requirements:
Skilled Work Experience Pathway: This is for individuals that have worked in a skilled role, that is ANZSCO skill level 1 – 3 for at least 5 years, with 2 years NZ experience and have been paid at least 1.1 times the median wage.
Trades and Technician Pathway: This is for individuals who work in specific skilled roles recognised by INZ (INZ will publish the list in of qualifying occupations in 2026). Individuals under this pathway will need to have a relevant level 4 qualification to the role and have at least 4-years post qualification skilled worked experience. 18 months of the experience claimed must be NZ experience and they have been paid at or above median wage.
INZ has also announced the following changes to existing schemes:
· There will be a change in the current point system and that points will be increased for NZ University – level qualifications. This may mean that if you have a master’s degree, you may qualify for straight to residence.
· For most qualifications it will require at least 3 years of work experience in the role. However, INZ have announced that they are looking to reduce experience requirements to only requiring 2 years.
· At this moment, if you are looking to apply for residency, you are required to meet the current median wage, and your wage will need to increase in accordance to the median wage that is published annually. With the new change that is coming in place, applicants will only need to maintain the same median wage throughout their period of their New Zealand work experience.
The changes will come into effect in August 2026 and full policy details will be announced.
For further updates and information please keep an eye out on our website in the coming year or feel free to contact us.