Work to Residence Accredited Employer: What NZ Employers Must Have for Your Residency Pathway

An accredited employer is only one part of New Zealand's Green List Work to Residence pathway. To apply, you generally need a qualifying Tier 2 job with an accredited employer, 24 months of eligible full-time work in New Zealand within the 30 months before you apply, and the pay, qualification, registration, visa, English, health and character requirements that apply to your case. Accreditation alone does not create a residence entitlement.

If your work visa ends, your job no longer meets the Green List requirements, or your pay drops below the rate that applied when you started counting, further experience may stop counting. Time already counted is not automatically erased, and the 24 months can be completed in stretches within the 30-month window.

Why Accreditation Alone Is Not Enough

Accreditation is one gateway to hiring migrants, but it does not automatically place a job on a residence pathway. For a regular Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), the employer also needs an approved Job Check for the role. The AEWV is a temporary work visa with conditions linking you to the specified employer, role and location.

Work to Residence is a separate resident-visa pathway. A Tier 2 applicant can count qualifying New Zealand work on an eligible work visa, including an AEWV; an AEWV is not the only visa category that can be relevant. If a role is not on Tier 2, an accredited employer may still be able to support an AEWV if that job meets the AEWV rules, but the job does not by itself satisfy the Green List Work to Residence pathway. Other residence pathways have their own requirements.

The practical takeaway: when evaluating a job offer for its residence potential, confirm the employer's accreditation, the specific role and Green List requirements, and the offer's hours, pay and visa details independently.

What Qualifies as a Green List Tier 2 Role

The Green List is divided into two tiers. Tier 1 jobs can support a Straight to Residence application without the Tier 2 24-month work period. Tier 2 jobs can support a Work to Residence application after 24 months of eligible work in New Zealand.

The 2026 Tier 2 list includes examples from construction and civil machinery, education, telecommunications, trades, corrections and agriculture. The exact occupation list and each role's qualification, registration and pay requirements are maintained by INZ and can change, so use the current Green List rather than relying on a sector label.

Your job title does not determine eligibility — the actual role and duties must match the occupation and requirements in the current Green List entry. Green List entries use ANZSCO codes, but a Job Check approval does not by itself prove that the later residence requirements are met. Compare the job description and proposed duties with the current entry before relying on the offer.

The 24-Month Clock: What Counts and What Breaks It

Your work experience can start counting when you hold an eligible visa, are in a job that meets the requirements, and are paid at or above the required rate. You need at least 24 months of eligible work in a Tier 2 role in the 30 months before you apply for the Work to Residence Visa. INZ also describes rules for certain work paid at least twice the median wage; do not assume an ordinary non-Green-List job qualifies without checking those rules.

Several things can interrupt or invalidate that clock:

Employer accreditation changes. If an employer loses accreditation, an AEWV holder already in New Zealand can generally continue working for that employer until the current visa expires. The employer may no longer be able to support new or further visas, and moving to another employer may require a Job Change or a new visa. For the residence application, your current job or job offer must be with an accredited employer when you apply or when INZ decides the application. Do not assume that a change automatically erases or preserves every part of your previous record; keep your evidence and check the current INZ rules.

Role changes. If your main duties or role change and the new job no longer meets the Green List requirements, further qualifying time can stop counting even if you remain with the same employer. A promotion or change of duties may also require a new Job Check or a change to your visa conditions. Check before accepting the change.

Gaps in employment. A gap does not automatically reset the clock. INZ allows the 24 months to be completed in separate stretches within the 30-month window immediately before application. A visa expiry, non-qualifying job or pay below the applicable rate stops further time from counting, and work outside the window cannot be used.

Changing employers. Time with a previous employer can continue to count if the new job is another Green List job and meets the applicable wage requirements. If you hold an AEWV, the new employer must be accredited and have a valid Job Check for the new job; you will generally need a Job Change, a variation of conditions or a new visa before starting. Do not assume that a new employer's accreditation alone makes the new role qualify.

How to Verify an Employer's Accreditation Status

INZ publishes an Accredited Employer List for employers currently accredited to hire migrants. Search by the employer's New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), company name or trading name. The list is updated daily, but some employers choose not to be published, so ask an employer to confirm its status if you cannot find it.

Accreditation is not permanent. Initial accreditation lasts 12 months. A renewal lasts 24 months for Standard or High-volume accreditation and 12 months for Triangular accreditation. If accreditation expires, the employer cannot hire new AEWV migrants or support certain new or further visa applications, but migrants already working for the employer can generally continue until their current visas expire.

Ask the employer directly about its accreditation renewal timeline. If accreditation is due to expire soon, treat that as a risk to future visa support and verify your options before relying on the offer.

The Pay Threshold Matters Too

Green List Tier 2 roles have their own pay requirements for Work to Residence. INZ says the wage rate used for counting experience is the rate specified for the Green List job when you started counting, or the median wage in place at that time if no job-specific hourly rate was specified. The AEWV has separate pay rules, so check both the visa requirements and the Work to Residence wage rates and Green List entry.

Some Tier 2 entries require pay above the median wage, while regulated trades may instead require particular registration or certification. If an offer does not meet the Green List requirement, it may still qualify for an AEWV under the separate AEWV rules, but that work may not count toward Green List Work to Residence.

Your offer, employment agreement and visa records should clearly set out the role, hours and pay, and the job details should match the approved Job Check where one is required. If pay drops below the rate that applied when you started counting, that period may stop counting; if it falls below your visa conditions, it may also create a separate employment or visa compliance issue.

What Happens at the 24-Month Mark

After 24 months of qualifying work, you can apply for the Work to Residence Visa. Approval is not automatic: you submit a separate application to INZ with evidence of the 24 months of eligible work, your current qualifying job or offer with an accredited employer, the Green List requirements for that job, and the applicable English, health and character evidence.

The Work to Residence pathway is separate from the Skilled Migrant Category points system. At application, INZ allows you to be working in the qualifying job or to have a qualifying job offer; you do not necessarily have to still be employed in the role on the day you apply.

You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger, subject to the relationship, English and other requirements that apply to them. If they already have, or are applying for, a relationship-based New Zealand visa, INZ says you must include them in the residence application.

Protecting Your Pathway Before You Start

Before accepting an offer, verify the full chain: the employer's current accreditation, the role and ANZSCO code against the current Tier 2 entry, any qualification or registration requirement, the proposed hours and pay, the Job Check and visa conditions, and the employer's accreditation expiry date. Keep copies of the offer, employment agreement, job description, payslips and other evidence of your work. Re-check the position if the employer, role, location, hours or pay changes.

Green List and visa settings can change. Confirm the current requirements on INZ's pages before relying on a job offer or submitting a residence application.

If you are planning your move to New Zealand through the work to residence pathway — or you have already started and want to make sure your employment setup actually qualifies — the New Zealand Skilled Migrant & Residency Guide walks through the full residence application process, document requirements, and timeline planning for both the Green List and SMC pathways.

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