New Residence Pathways for New Zealand in August 2026

Immigration New Zealand has signalled the introduction of two new visas from August 2026. These pathways focus on skilled workers in New Zealand, specifically their work experience or trade-based roles.

Helen Strange is a Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser at Aims Global Immigration & Education Services, a Trusted Partner of IELTS. She explains how these pathways create an opportunity for thousands of migrants and their families to achieve residence in New Zealand.

New Zealand has always offered several residence pathways for skilled workers, including the Green List & Skilled Migrant Category. Eligibility has typically been based on factors such as employment, qualifications, wage rates and work experience in New Zealand. The new pathways detailed here open up residence to workers who may not have been able to reach the criteria of the existing visas available.

All resident visas for skilled workers have an English language requirement – regardless of the category you apply through.

Gaining residence is an important milestone as it gives migrants long‑term stability, allowing them to plan for a future in New Zealand. Understanding residence requirements early, particularly English language expectations, helps migrants prepare and, vitally in 2026, be ready as soon as the new pathways open.

The two new residence pathways are:

Skilled Work Experience: This pathway will require applicants to demonstrate at least five years of relevant work experience, including a period of suitable employment in New Zealand.

Trades and Technicians: The second pathway is designed for migrants working in roles on the Trades and Technicians list, who hold a relevant qualification and have already been working in New Zealand.

It’s important to note that the full policy for these pathways is not yet released, and eligibility can only be confirmed once this detail is available from Immigration New Zealand.

The Skilled Work Experience pathway is for migrants already working in skilled occupations (ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3) who have at least 5 years of experience in their role, 2 of which are in New Zealand paid at or above a certain amount, and have directly relevant experience in their field. For example, professional roles where you have hands-on experience rather than formal higher education. This pathway applies to all occupations in those ANZSCO skill levels (except those on the Red List – see below for more on this).

The Trades and Technician pathway is for migrants working in specified trades and technician occupations. These are hands-on, skilled roles in areas such as construction, engineering, automotive, electrical work, and other technical fields. New Zealand has a shortage of skills in these industries.

This pathway requires a qualification and a period of post-qualification work experience, again with time spent working in New Zealand. There will be a set salary requirement here, too.

The Red and Amber lists relate specifically to the two new pathways. If a role is on the Red List, you cannot apply under either option. Residence may be possible under the current pathways of Green List and Skilled Migrant Category, if eligible. If your role is on the Amber List, you can apply under the Skilled Work Experience pathway, but you will have additional criteria to meet.

While these pathways present a promising opportunity, English language requirements will remain a critical component. Immigration New Zealand has indicated that the required English language thresholds will remain consistent with current residence visa requirements.

For many migrants, achieving the required English score can be one of the more challenging aspects of the residence process. Early preparation is essential. Structured preparation tools, such as the Full IELTS Mock Test, can help you understand the test format, identify areas for improvement, and build the confidence needed to achieve the required scores.

As demand for English language testing is likely to increase once these pathways open, those who begin early will be better positioned to meet the requirements and move forward with confidence. For many, achieving the necessary English score will be a crucial step toward securing residence and building a long-term future in New Zealand.

Book IELTS for residence pathways

In New Zealand, the primary visa applicant, their partner, and dependent children aged 16 and over must all speak and understand English. Below are the IELTS requirements for New Zealand's Residence Pathways:

Immigration New Zealand also accepts IELTS One Skill Retake for visa applications. IELTS One Skill Retake lets you retake one component of the test (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking) without having to re-sit the whole test, to give you a unique opportunity to improve your score.

IELTS is trusted and recognised by Immigration New Zealand. You can take IELTS General Training test, which means you don’t have to sit an Academic English test. IELTS is the only English language test that offers this.

Helen Strange, Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser at Aims Global Immigration and Education Services, has spent over a decade supporting migrants and employers to navigate New Zealand’s immigration system.

Aims Global is New Zealand’s leading Licensed Immigration Advisers & Experts, helping businesses across the country and migrants from around the globe for 21+ years. With a global presence, a multilingual team speaking 10+ languages, and staff across New Zealand and multiple countries, they’ve served 18,000+ clients worldwide, operating seamlessly across time zones.

Legislation about immigration changes frequently. It’s important to check the New Zealand Immigration website for changes that may apply to you. If you are interested in New Zealand student visas, work visas, or permanent migration, you need to lodge an application. You may want to consider getting support from a licensed immigration adviser.