🇳🇿 New Zealand visa and immigration options

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

New Zealand's main sponsored work visa. Requires a job offer from an employer holding current Immigration New Zealand accreditation, and the specific role must pass a Job Check.

Processing time

Varies; check current Immigration New Zealand processing-time indicators for the AEWV.

Typical costs

Applicant costs are roughly NZD 1,540 plus medical exams (NZD 350-600) and police certificates — commonly NZD 2,000-2,300 total.

Government fees

Employer-side accreditation and Job Check fees (roughly NZD 775-4,060 depending on employer type) are the employer's responsibility, not the applicant's. Confirm current amounts on immigration.govt.nz.

Work and study rights

Work is tied to the sponsoring accredited employer and the specific role covered by the Job Check.

Family

Partner and dependent children may be eligible to accompany you, subject to current family-visa settings.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa', 'url': 'https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/accredited-employer-work-visa'}

Fee Paying Student Visa

For studying a course longer than 3 months at an approved New Zealand education provider. Requires an offer of place, sufficient funds, and health/travel insurance.

Processing time

Varies by country of application; check current Immigration New Zealand processing times.

Typical costs

Visa fee plus proof of funds — commonly at least NZD 20,000/year for living costs on top of tuition, plus mandatory health and travel insurance.

Government fees

Confirm current amounts on immigration.govt.nz.

Work and study rights

Most student visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week during term and full-time during scheduled holidays, subject to current conditions.

Family

Partner and dependent children may be eligible to accompany you depending on your course level and length.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration New Zealand - Fee Paying Student Visa', 'url': 'https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/fee-paying-student-visa'}

Active Investor Plus visa

New Zealand relaunched its investor visa category in April 2025 as the Active Investor Plus visa, with two tiers: a 'Growth' category requiring a larger investment in more direct/higher-risk local investments, and a 'Balanced' category allowing a larger total investment with more in lower-risk assets. The reformed program removed the English-language…

Processing time

Varies; confirm current processing times on immigration.govt.nz.

Typical costs

This is a significant-capital investor route by design; both tiers require multi-million NZD investment commitments, with the exact current thresholds and split needing direct confirmation given the 2025 program redesign.

Government fees

Application fees and the specific investment thresholds for each tier are set by Immigration New Zealand and have changed with the 2025 relaunch — confirm current figures directly on immigration.govt.nz before planning around any specific number.

Work and study rights

Grants residence with full work rights once approved.

Family

Partner and dependent children can generally be included.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration New Zealand - Active Investor Plus Visa', 'url': 'https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/active-investor-plus-visa'}

Partnership or Parent Resident Visa

The Partnership Resident Visa is for spouses, civil union, or de facto partners of a New Zealand citizen or resident who can show a genuine and stable relationship. The Parent Resident Visa lets a parent, grandparent or legal guardian of a New Zealand citizen/resident join them, subject to sponsor income requirements and an annual cap of 2,500 places; the…

Processing time

Varies by category; parent visas are additionally constrained by the annual quota and can take significantly longer than partnership visas.

Typical costs

NZD $5,000-6,000+ in government fees depending on category, plus medical exams and police certificates.

Government fees

Fees are indexed and change; confirm current amounts on immigration.govt.nz.

Work and study rights

Both visas grant full work and study rights on grant.

Family

Partners can generally be included in a Parent Resident Visa application.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration New Zealand - Partner and family visas', 'url': 'https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/partnership-resident-visa'}

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

New Zealand's main points-based skilled residence route. IMPORTANT: this program changed on 24 August 2026 — just before this assessment was generated — moving from a single points system to a set of separate residence pathways built around work experience and trade qualifications rather than points alone.

Processing time

Varies; check current Immigration New Zealand processing times, especially given the recent structural change to this category.

Typical costs

Residence-category government fees are substantially higher than temporary-visa fees, historically in the NZD 6,000+ range for the principal applicant alone — confirm the current figure post-reform.

Government fees

Partners and dependent children attract additional fees. Confirm current amounts on immigration.govt.nz given the August 2026 changes.

Work and study rights

A Skilled Migrant Category resident visa grants full work and study rights on grant.

Family

Partner and dependent children can generally be included in the same application.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category (SMC)', 'url': 'https://www.immigration.govt.nz/smc'}

New Zealand citizenship by grant

Residents can apply for citizenship by grant after being present in New Zealand for at least 1,350 days in the 5 years before applying, with a minimum of 240 days present in each of those 5 years, while holding a resident visa without conditions. New Zealand allows dual citizenship.

Processing time

Varies; check current Department of Internal Affairs processing times.

Typical costs

Roughly NZD $470 per adult applicant.

Government fees

Confirm current amounts on the Department of Internal Affairs site.

Work and study rights

Citizenship adds a New Zealand passport and removes any remaining visa-status restrictions.

Family

Each family member applies individually, though children can sometimes be included on a parent's application.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Department of Internal Affairs - New Zealand citizenship', 'url': 'https://www.govt.nz/browse/passports-citizenship-and-identity/nz-citizenship/apply-for-nz-citizenship/'}

Visit New Zealand (NZeTA or Visitor Visa)

Visa-waiver nationals need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before travel; other nationalities need a Visitor Visa. Most visits are capped at 3 months (6 months for UK nationals).

Processing time

NZeTA: most approved within 72 hours, often much faster.

Typical costs

Roughly NZD $117-123 total (NZeTA plus IVL) for visa-waiver nationals; visitor visa fees are higher for those needing a full visa.

Government fees

whether you need a visa at all, an electronic travel authorisation, or nothing beyond a valid passport depends entirely on your specific nationality — this varies enormously by country and changes periodically. Always check the destination's official…

Work and study rights

Does not permit work; short (up to 3 month) study is allowed in some cases.

Family

Each traveller, including children, needs their own NZeTA or visa.

Important: whether you need a visa at all, an electronic travel authorisation, or nothing beyond a valid passport depends entirely on your specific nationality — this varies enormously by country and changes periodically. Always check the destination's official visa-requirement checker for your exact passport before booking travel.

Sources reviewed: {'title': 'Immigration New Zealand - NZeTA', 'url': 'https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/nzeta'}