New Zealand
What are you trying to do in New Zealand?
By Ava Sanchez-Neal, Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA 200900809) · About Ava · Information checked 8 October 2026
These pages cover New Zealand visas. You don't need to know the name of the visa to start. Pick what you want to do, or where you are now, and go to the page that covers it.
Start with what you want to do
- Work. Some work visas need a job offer. Others don't. Start with work visas. If an accredited employer has offered you a job, read about the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).
- Study. See student visas.
- Join your partner. See partnership visas. If you want to work while you're with your partner, see partner work visas.
- Bring your parents. See parent visas.
- Make New Zealand home. Start with residency pathways. The Skilled Migrant Category is a residence visa for people who have skills New Zealand needs. Green List roles are jobs New Zealand needs people for. A temporary visa doesn't guarantee residence.
- Invest or run a business. See the investor visa guide.
- Hire a migrant worker. Hiring on an AEWV has three separate steps: employer accreditation, the job check and the worker's visa. Start with employer accreditation.
- Visit. See visitor visas.
Already in New Zealand?
Check two things on your visa: the expiry date and the conditions. Your conditions say what you can do while you're here, including what work you can do.
If you've applied for residence, the residence guide covers what to check about the visa you hold now.
Visa ending soon, or not sure what your visa allows? Tell me what's happening.
Sending a message doesn’t extend your visa.
Finished or finishing study?
Read the Post-Study Work Visa page on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website.
Something gone wrong?
Received a letter from INZ? Had a visa declined? Facing a deadline? Tell me about the letter or deadline. Include the date on the letter, or the date of the deadline.
Keep the whole letter. Sending a message doesn't stop or extend a deadline INZ has set.
Questions people ask first
Do I need to know which visa I need?
No. Start with what you want to do and pick the page that covers it.
Do I need an immigration adviser?
No, you can apply yourself. Anyone who gives you immigration advice on your application must be a licensed immigration adviser or exempt from being licensed (INZ explains who can give advice).
How long will it take?
INZ has a processing time tool that shows how long an application may take. Your application can take longer than that estimate.
Can this page tell me if I qualify?
No. It only points you to the page that covers your situation. A licensed immigration adviser can assess your situation. INZ makes the decision on your visa application.
Still not sure where you fit?
Everything on this page is general information. INZ decides applications, and I can't guarantee an outcome.
More New Zealand immigration resources
- The Accredited Employer Work Visa How the AEWV Generally Works
- Ongoing AEWV Employer Obligations Staying Compliant After Accreditation
- The AEWV Job Check What Employers Need to Know
- The AEWV Employer Toolkit Request Your Accreditation & Job Check Toolkit
- Which Employer Accreditation Do I Need? Standard, High-Volume or Triangular
- Frequently Asked Questions Answers for Migrants & Employers
- The Green List Pathway to Residence Straight to Residence & Work to Residence
- New Zealand's National Occupation List How the NOL Generally Works
- Plan your New Zealand immigration pathway with current information
- Moving to New Zealand from the US How the Main Pathways Generally Work
- Bringing Parents to New Zealand Resident, Retirement & Visitor Options
- Partner Work Visas For Partners of New Zealanders, Workers & Students
- The Skilled Migrant Category How NZ Residence Generally Works
- Changes to the Skilled Migrant Category What's Generally Changing from 24 August 2026
- Skilled Migrant Category Points Reference
- NZ Median Wage Comparison Calculator
- Visiting New Zealand How Visitor Visas Generally Work
- Wage Rates for NZ Work Visas How Wage Thresholds Generally Work