New Zealand PR Visas: Applying for Residence

New Zealand does not offer a single “PR visa” that anyone can apply for. Instead, you apply for a residence visa under a specific category, and if you are granted one, you may be able to become a permanent resident after meeting conditions. The main residence pathways include the Skilled Migrant Category, Straight to Residence, Work to Residence, and Care Workforce Work to Residence visas. Your eligibility depends on your job, qualifications, and whether you have an offer from an accredited employer. You should identify which residence category fits your situation before you apply, because each has different requirements.

Residence visas that can lead to permanent residence

Several work visas can lead to residence. These are the main ones described in the official official guidance:

Visa	Who it is for	Key feature
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa	Skilled workers who meet points and job requirements	Points-based; can lead to residence
Straight to Residence Visa	People with a job offer from an accredited employer in an eligible role	You can apply directly for residence
Work to Residence Visa	People working for an accredited employer in an eligible role	Work first, then apply for residence
Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa	People working in care roles for an accredited employer	Work first, then apply for residence

These visas all require you to work for an accredited employer. That means your employer must be approved by Immigration New Zealand before you can apply. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a different visa — it lets you work in New Zealand for up to 5 years, but it does not itself lead to residence. If your goal is permanent residence, you need to look at the residence categories, not just the AEWV.

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

The Skilled Migrant Category is the main points-based residence pathway. You need to be a skilled worker and meet the points threshold. The official guidance does not state the current points threshold or the specific points you can claim, so you must check the official Skilled Migrant Category page for the current requirements.

In general, you will need to show that you have the skills, qualifications, and experience for a skilled job in New Zealand. You may also need a job offer or be in skilled employment. The exact requirements can change, so you should verify them on the Immigration New Zealand website before you apply.

Straight to Residence and Work to Residence visas

These two visas are for people who have a job offer from an accredited employer in an eligible role. The difference is timing:

• Straight to Residence Visa — you can apply for residence immediately if you have a qualifying job offer.
• Work to Residence Visa — you work in New Zealand first, then apply for residence after meeting the work and wage requirements.

Both require your employer to be accredited. The official guidance does not list the eligible occupations, wage thresholds, or work duration for these visas, so you must check the official pages for each visa.

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

This visa is for people working in the care workforce, such as aged care or disability support. You must work for an accredited employer in an eligible care role. Like the other residence pathways, the official guidance does not give the specific wage or occupation requirements, so you need to verify them on the official page.

Work visas that do not lead to residence

It is important to distinguish residence visas from temporary work visas. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is a temporary visa that lets you work in New Zealand for between 7 months and 5 years, depending on your job, skill level, pay, and when you applied. It does not lead to residence on its own. If you want to stay permanently, you would need to apply for a residence visa separately.

Other temporary work visas — such as the Specific Purpose Work Visa, Entertainers Work Visa, or country-specific visas like the China Skilled Workers Visa — also do not lead to residence. They are for specific jobs or purposes and have their own conditions.

Requirements for Indian citizens

There is no separate residence application process for Indian citizens. You apply under the same residence categories as everyone else. However, some country-specific work visas exist for other nationalities — for example, the China Skilled Workers Visa is only for citizens of the People’s Republic of China, and the Indonesia Special Work Visa is only for Indonesian citizens. There is no equivalent country-specific residence visa for Indian citizens in the official guidance.

If you are an Indian citizen, your pathway to residence will depend on your occupation, qualifications, and whether you have a job offer from an accredited employer. You should check the Skilled Migrant Category and the employer-accredited residence visas to see which one fits your situation.

What to do next

Before you apply, you need to confirm which residence category you qualify for. Start by checking the official Immigration New Zealand pages for each visa. The official guidance does not give the points threshold, wage requirements, or eligible occupation lists, so you must verify these on the official pages. You should also check whether your employer is accredited, because most residence pathways require it.

If you are not sure which category applies to you, read the full requirements for each residence visa on the Immigration New Zealand website. Do not rely on a summary — the requirements can change, and your application must meet the rules that apply at the time you apply.