New Zealand has expanded its Green List of high-demand jobs, offering skilled professionals a faster route to residency under two visa pathways, Straight to Residence and Work to Residence, to eligible applicants.
This update, rolled out in April 2025, is part of New Zealand’s strategic effort to attract global talent to sectors facing critical skill shortages.
With this move, professionals in industries such as aviation, ICT, engineering, and corrections can now qualify for faster residency processing.
The Green List is a government-compiled inventory of occupations facing long-term shortages or considered essential to national development. It offers skilled workers in these roles simplified pathways to residency.
These pathways are designed to remove delays for migrants with skills New Zealand urgently needs
According to Immigration New Zealand, there are two primary visa options for eligible professionals:
While most of the added roles fall under the Straight to Residence category, Corrections Officer was added under the Work to Residence category in May 2025.
According to the immigration authority, the Straight to Residence Visa allows eligible migrants to bypass the requirement of working in New Zealand before applying for permanent residency.
Key benefits include:
This route still leads to permanent residency, but with a time-based requirement.