Green List Work to Residence Visa Assistance — New Zealand

Where both routes are plausible, we work through the practical differences before a pathway is chosen, rather than after an application has been lodged on the wrong one. That generally involves mapping the role against the current Tier 1 and Tier 2 lists, reviewing the qualifying work history, and looking at the wage and registration settings that apply to each pathway. The Skilled Migrant Category is sometimes a third option worth weighing. We set out the differences in practical terms and let you decide which conversation to have with Immigration New Zealand first.

Requests for further information on the qualifying work period are one of the more common queries on Tier 2 files, particularly where there have been visa transitions, role changes, or periods between visas. If we are on the file, we prepare the response within the timeframe Immigration New Zealand gives, draw the evidence together in the form and order it is likely to be assessed against, and make sure the explanation ties back to the qualifying-work framing used in the application. We do not make promises about the outcome of a request, but a coordinated response generally reduces the risk that the file stalls or turns into a series of back-and-forth exchanges.

Employer accreditation changes — whether a renewal that is pending, a refusal, a restructure, or a change of ownership — can determine whether the residence file is lodgeable at all. Our approach is to check the accreditation position at key points in the timeline, coordinate with the employer’s HR or legal contact where appropriate, and plan the lodgement timing around what is known rather than assumed. Where the accreditation position is likely to change mid-application, we discuss the options with you before anything is lodged so the decision is made with the risk visible.

Yes. The recent expansion moved several construction and engineering roles onto Tier 2 with role-specific wage treatment rather than the general median wage rule. That changes the evidence pack in practical ways — the wage history across the qualifying period needs to line up with the role-specific rule, and the employer support letter needs to address that directly. We have worked with files that sit inside that change and can take you through what it means for your application in an initial discussion, without reproducing wage figures that should be checked against current Immigration New Zealand guidance at lodgement.

Yes. Most Green List Work to Residence files we work on are family files. Partner inclusion usually involves relationship evidence and partner English language or support evidence; dependent child inclusion involves age, maintenance, and relationship documentation. We prepare the family sections of the application alongside the principal applicant’s file so the evidence is consistent across everyone included. Partner English evidence in particular often needs attention earlier in the process than applicants expect, and we can flag that in the first review.

Green List composition and wage rules update periodically, and a change between lodgement and decision is always possible. We prepare files against the current settings and keep the key evidence — employment agreement, payslips, support letter — in a form that can be refreshed if a change occurs. If a change affects your application while it is in progress, we review how it applies, advise on next steps, and communicate with Immigration New Zealand where needed. We do not predict policy changes, and we do not treat stability of settings as something to rely on.

Green List Work to Residence matters often sit alongside other decisions — reviewing an employment agreement before it is relied on for the residence file, advising on property-purchase timing around residence status, or considering family arrangements that become relevant once residence is in place. Where those questions come up, we can coordinate them alongside the immigration matter rather than treating the residence file as a standalone. This does not change how the residence application itself is prepared; it just means the wider picture is covered by the same firm where that is useful to you.

An initial discussion is usually a scoping conversation rather than a full legal opinion. We look at the role, the employment history, the employer’s accreditation position, and the family situation, and identify where the file is likely to be straightforward and where it is likely to need more work. You should come away with a clearer view of whether the Tier 2 pathway is the right route, what the likely evidence focus will be, and what the next practical step is. We are transparent about scope, likely fees, and whether our involvement is likely to change the file materially.