New Zealand Work Visa for Nurses: The AEWV and Green List Pathway in 2026

New Zealand is actively recruiting overseas nurses, and the immigration pathway for registered nurses is among the most clearly structured in the entire AEWV system. Most general registered nurses qualify for Green List Tier 1 — meaning straight-to-residence eligibility — which is the fastest and most direct immigration pathway New Zealand offers. Despite this, many nurses arrive without understanding the wage threshold they need to meet, the Nursing Council registration process, or the rights they have if an employer attempts to charge them fees they legally do not owe.

This post covers what overseas nurses need to know before accepting a job offer in New Zealand.

The Green List Tier 1 Pathway for Nurses

Registered Nurses (General) appear on the Green List Tier 1, which means a nurse who has a job offer from an accredited employer can apply for New Zealand residence immediately upon arrival — without waiting 24 months as required for Tier 2 roles.

The practical implication: nursing is one of the very few occupations in New Zealand where a skilled migrant can arrive on a work visa and submit a residence application in the same month. There is no mandatory waiting period.

However, two conditions must be met before this pathway opens:

1. The nurse must hold current registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ)
2. The employer must be an accredited employer with an active Job Check Token for a registered nurse role

Meeting both conditions simultaneously requires careful sequencing, because NCNZ registration takes time.

The Nursing Council of New Zealand Registration Process

NCNZ registration is the gating requirement for overseas nurses. Without it, the employer cannot successfully complete the Job Check (the INZ nurse role classification requires NCNZ registration as a qualifying credential), and the nurse cannot hold the registered nurse title in New Zealand.

The process involves:

• Submitting an application to NCNZ with qualification evidence, English language test results, reference letters, and identity documents
• An assessment of whether your overseas qualification is equivalent to New Zealand entry-to-practice standards
• A Competence Assessment Programme (CAP) may be required if your training was assessed as not meeting the required standard
• Once a decision is made, NCNZ issues a decision letter that the employer can use to proceed with the Job Check and that the nurse can include in their visa application

Processing time for NCNZ assessment varies. Straightforward applications from countries with well-established nursing programmes (UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, USA) typically take 8 to 12 weeks. Applications from other countries, including the Philippines and India, may involve additional assessment steps and can take 3 to 6 months.

The practical advice: Start the NCNZ application as early as possible — ideally before you have a specific job offer. Many employers who are actively recruiting international nurses are willing to begin the job offer and Job Check process in parallel with NCNZ assessment, but they cannot proceed to a final Job Token until NCNZ registration is confirmed.

English Language Requirements for Nurses

Nurses applying for both NCNZ registration and the AEWV need to demonstrate English proficiency. NCNZ has its own English requirements, which are generally higher than INZ's AEWV minimum:

• IELTS Academic: 7.0 overall with no band below 6.5
• OET (Occupational English Test): B in all four bands (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking)

The OET was designed specifically for healthcare professionals and is widely used by nurses moving to New Zealand. The test uses healthcare-specific scenarios, which many nurses find more intuitive than the IELTS Academic format.

INZ's own English language requirement for the AEWV (IELTS 4.0 for Level 4–5 roles) is much lower and is generally less relevant for nurses, since Registered Nurse roles are at NOL Level 2 — which is exempt from the AEWV English language requirement entirely. In practice, nurses will meet (and exceed) any INZ English requirement through their NCNZ registration process.

The Wage Threshold for Nurses

For Green List Tier 1 residency eligibility, nurses must be paid at a rate that meets the occupation-specific wage floor set by INZ. As of March 2026, this is aligned with the general immigration median wage of NZD $35.00 per hour for most registered nurse roles.

Nursing pay in New Zealand varies by employer type:

• District Health Boards (DHBs) use the Nursing and Midwifery Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA), which sets pay bands based on experience. New graduate nurses typically start at Step 1 of the MECA scale, with experienced overseas nurses typically entering at a higher step depending on years of experience.
• Private hospitals and rest homes may offer different pay structures, sometimes above MECA rates for specialist roles

It is worth noting that rest home and residential care nurse roles may classify the employer as a care facility rather than a hospital — this can affect which accreditation requirements apply to the employer. Confirm with the employer whether they are accredited specifically for the nursing role you will be filling.

Filipino Nurses: The "No Placement Fee" Requirement

The Philippines is one of the largest sources of internationally trained nurses coming to New Zealand, and Filipino nurses have specific protections under both New Zealand and Philippine law.

The New Zealand Government and the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) have established a framework that prohibits any placement or recruitment fees being charged to Filipino nurses. Any recruitment agency, immigration adviser, or employer who charges a Filipino nurse for a job offer in New Zealand is operating illegally under both jurisdictions.

Despite this, documented cases of illegal fee-charging exist. The KCL Consulting case — where migrant workers were allegedly charged up to NZD $77,000 for job placements — involved healthcare workers from the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The trial is ongoing as of mid-2026.

If you are a Filipino nurse and any party in your recruitment chain has asked you to pay for:

• A placement or "matching" fee
• The employer's accreditation or Job Check costs
• "Administration" fees related to the visa process

These charges are illegal. Report them to Employment New Zealand. You may be eligible for the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV), which provides a free six-month open work right while the matter is investigated.

Bringing Your Family to New Zealand as a Nurse

Registered Nurses at NOL Level 2 can support a partner's work visa at the 80% of median wage threshold — NZD $28.00/hour as of March 2026. This means that as long as you are earning at least $28.00/hour, your partner can apply for an open work visa and work in any role for any employer in New Zealand.

Dependent children can accompany you and attend New Zealand state schools. The additional visa fees and medical requirements for partner and children applications are the same as for any other AEWV-linked family group.

What the Green List Residency Application Looks Like for Nurses

For nurses on the Tier 1 pathway, the residence application can be lodged alongside the AEWV application, or as soon as you arrive in New Zealand with a job offer from an accredited employer.

The residence application requires:

• Evidence of NCNZ current registration
• Job offer from an accredited employer
• Evidence that the role meets the Green List Tier 1 wage threshold
• Standard health and character documentation (same as for the AEWV itself)
• Proof of identity and passport

Processing times for Green List residence applications vary, but INZ processes these applications under a priority stream given the critical shortage status of nursing in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa Guide covers the full AEWV process for healthcare workers, including the NCNZ registration sequencing, the parallel AEWV and residence application strategy, and the specific documentation checklist for nurses — whether you are coming from the Philippines, India, the UK, South Africa, or elsewhere.

See more New Zealand guides →