Which route fits your situation
The table maps common situations to the routes New Zealand actually has in this dataset. Where a row says no route is tracked, that is a statement about the 8 routes on this page, not a ruling that nothing exists. Check the official pages before you rule anything out.
| Your situation | Route that fits | Permanent residence |
|---|---|---|
| You have an offer from an employer based in New Zealand |
| Can lead to PR |
| You keep your US employer and work remotely |
| Not directly |
| You are retired and living on pension or investment income | No dedicated passive-income route is among the ones tracked here. A route in another category may still fit, but it will come with its own conditions. | Not applicable |
| You are investing capital or buying into a business |
| Can lead to PR |
| You are enrolling at a university, college or language school | No study route is among the ones tracked here. Institutions can usually tell you exactly which permit their international students hold. | Not applicable |
| You are the spouse or close family of a citizen or resident |
| Can lead to PR |
Routes on this page that none of those situations covers: Visa waiver entry with an NZeTA, USA Working Holiday Visa.
Every route at a glance
One row per route, in the order they are set out below. The costs are the official government fees recorded in the data. They exclude translations, apostilles, medicals and legal help, which together often come to more than the fee itself.
| Route | Category | Valid for | Official cost | Permanent residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa waiver entry with an NZeTA | Visitor | Up to 3 months per visit, NZeTA valid 2 years | From NZD $17 (about USD $10) for the NZeTA; the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is charged alongside it | Not directly |
| Visitor Visa with remote work permitted | Digital nomad | Up to 9 months in an 18-month period | From NZD $441 (about USD $261) | Not directly |
| Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) | Work | Up to 5 years (3 years for lower-skilled roles) | From NZD $1,540 (about USD $911) | Counts toward it |
| Straight to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 1) | Work | Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years | From NZD $6,450 (about USD $3,815) | Counts toward it |
| Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa | Work | Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years | From NZD $6,450 (about USD $3,815) | Counts toward it |
| USA Working Holiday Visa | Other | 12 months; a further 3 months is available only after 3 months of seasonal horticulture or viticulture work | From NZD $770 (about USD $455) | Not directly |
| Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa | Family | Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years | From NZD $5,360 (about USD $3,170) | Counts toward it |
| Active Investor Plus Visa | Investment | Resident visa; permanent residence after 3 years (Growth) or 5 years (Balanced) | From NZD $27,470 (about USD $16,248) | Counts toward it |
Route by route
The facts in each panel come from the New Zealand data and the official page beside it. The paragraph underneath describes how routes of that class usually work, wherever they are issued, so you know what the application will ask for before you open the form.
Visa waiver entry with an NZeTA
- Valid for
- Up to 3 months per visit, NZeTA valid 2 years
- Official cost
- From NZD $17 (about USD $10) for the NZeTA; the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is charged alongside it
- Permanent residence
- Not directly
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. US citizens and US nationals are on New Zealand's visa waiver list, so no visitor visa is needed for stays under three months. You must request an NZeTA before travel, hold an onward ticket or funds to buy one, and show at least NZD $1,000 per month of stay (NZD $400 if accommodation is prepaid).
Typical of visitor routesVisitor entry is not residence. It permits a limited stay, does not permit local work, and the clock is usually enforced across a rolling period rather than per entry. Many countries also require a residence application to be filed from outside their territory, so arriving as a visitor and switching status inside the country is often not possible. In New Zealand this covers one route tracked here. It does not lead to permanent residence on its own.
Visitor Visa with remote work permitted
- Valid for
- Up to 9 months in an 18-month period
- Official cost
- From NZD $441 (about USD $261)
- Permanent residence
- Not directly
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. New Zealand has no dedicated digital nomad visa, but visitor visa conditions were changed to allow remote work for an employer or client based outside New Zealand. You cannot work for a New Zealand business or client. You must intend to leave at the end of your stay and show funds or a sponsor. Staying long enough to trip the 183-day tax residence test creates New Zealand tax obligations.
Typical of digital nomad routesNomad and remote-work permits are built around income earned outside the country. Expect to evidence a minimum monthly income or savings balance with bank statements and contracts, hold private health cover for the whole period, and produce a criminal record check. They usually do not allow you to take local clients or a local job, and whether the years count toward permanent residence varies more than any other route type. In New Zealand this covers one route tracked here. It does not lead to permanent residence on its own.
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
- Valid for
- Up to 5 years (3 years for lower-skilled roles)
- Official cost
- From NZD $1,540 (about USD $911)
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. A full-time job offer from an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand, in a role that passes the job check and pays the specified rate for that occupation. You need either two years of relevant experience or a relevant qualification at level 4 or above, plus health and character clearance. English requirements apply to lower-skilled roles.
Typical of work routesEmployer-sponsored routes normally start with a signed offer, not with you. The employer usually has to prove the role was advertised or that it sits on a shortage list, and the permit is tied to that job, so changing employer generally means notifying the immigration authority or filing again. Time held on a work permit is the kind that most often counts toward permanent residence. In New Zealand this covers 3 of the routes tracked here. All of them build toward permanent residence.
Straight to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 1)
- Valid for
- Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years
- Official cost
- From NZD $6,450 (about USD $3,815)
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. For people working in, or holding a job offer for, a Tier 1 occupation on the Green List, such as many medical specialists, engineers, and secondary school teachers in shortage subjects. You must be 55 or younger, work for an accredited employer, meet the pay rate set for the occupation (at least NZD $35.00 an hour where no higher rate is specified), and pass health, character and English requirements.
Typical of work routesEmployer-sponsored routes normally start with a signed offer, not with you. The employer usually has to prove the role was advertised or that it sits on a shortage list, and the permit is tied to that job, so changing employer generally means notifying the immigration authority or filing again. Time held on a work permit is the kind that most often counts toward permanent residence. In New Zealand this covers 3 of the routes tracked here. All of them build toward permanent residence.
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
- Valid for
- Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years
- Official cost
- From NZD $6,450 (about USD $3,815)
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. A six-point system. You claim 3 to 6 points from one of qualifications, occupational registration or income, and can add up to 3 points for skilled work already done in New Zealand. You must be 55 or younger and hold or have an offer of skilled work with an accredited employer of at least 30 hours a week, plus health, character and English requirements.
Typical of work routesEmployer-sponsored routes normally start with a signed offer, not with you. The employer usually has to prove the role was advertised or that it sits on a shortage list, and the permit is tied to that job, so changing employer generally means notifying the immigration authority or filing again. Time held on a work permit is the kind that most often counts toward permanent residence. In New Zealand this covers 3 of the routes tracked here. All of them build toward permanent residence.
USA Working Holiday Visa
- Valid for
- 12 months; a further 3 months is available only after 3 months of seasonal horticulture or viticulture work
- Official cost
- From NZD $770 (about USD $455)
- Permanent residence
- Not directly
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. US citizens aged 18 to 30 who normally live in the USA and have not previously held a New Zealand working holiday visa. You need at least NZD $4,200 in funds, full medical insurance for the whole stay, and genuine plans to leave. You cannot take a permanent job.
Typical of other routesRoutes outside the standard categories carry their own conditions and are the most likely to change between one application cycle and the next. Read the official page in full before you build a plan around this one. In New Zealand this covers one route tracked here. It does not lead to permanent residence on its own.
Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
- Valid for
- Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years
- Official cost
- From NZD $5,360 (about USD $3,170)
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. Your partner must be a New Zealand citizen or resident, must complete a partnership support form, and must not have supported another partner's residence application in the past five years. You must have lived together in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months. Processing is slow, with 80 percent finished within about seven months.
Typical of family routesFamily routes turn on the sponsor’s status rather than yours, so the sponsor usually has to meet an income or housing standard. The bottleneck is civil documents: marriage, birth and sometimes divorce certificates, apostilled and translated by an approved translator. Relationships that are genuine but poorly documented fail more often than relationships that are questioned. In New Zealand this covers one route tracked here. It is one of the routes here that builds toward permanent residence.
Active Investor Plus Visa
- Valid for
- Resident visa; permanent residence after 3 years (Growth) or 5 years (Balanced)
- Official cost
- From NZD $27,470 (about USD $16,248)
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. Growth category requires a minimum NZD $5 million into direct investments, managed funds or philanthropy for 36 months, with only 21 days required in New Zealand across that period. Balanced category requires NZD $10 million for 60 months across a wider list including listed equities, bonds and property development, with 105 days required, reducible by up to 42 days by adding Growth-category investment.
Typical of investment routesInvestment routes exchange capital for residence, and the paperwork is mostly about the money rather than about you: proof of legal source, a traceable transfer trail, and a holding period before you can sell or withdraw. Thresholds and qualifying assets move frequently, and several governments have narrowed or closed these programmes at short notice, so the official page is the only version worth trusting. In New Zealand this covers one route tracked here. It is one of the routes here that builds toward permanent residence.
Which routes actually go somewhere
Whether a permit renews forever or accumulates toward settlement decides what a decade in New Zealand is worth at the end of it. These are the routes on each side of that line.
Builds toward permanent residence
- Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) · Up to 5 years (3 years for lower-skilled roles)
- Straight to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 1) · Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years
- Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa · Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years
- Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa · Resident visa, indefinite; Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years
- Active Investor Plus Visa · Resident visa; permanent residence after 3 years (Growth) or 5 years (Balanced)
Temporary or renewable only
- Visa waiver entry with an NZeTA · Up to 3 months per visit, NZeTA valid 2 years
- Visitor Visa with remote work permitted · Up to 9 months in an 18-month period
- USA Working Holiday Visa · 12 months; a further 3 months is available only after 3 months of seasonal horticulture or viticulture work
A residence permit and tax residence are decided by separate tests, and it is common to trip the second without intending to. New Zealand sets its own rule for when you become taxable there, and the US carries on taxing its citizens wherever they live. How US citizens are taxed in New Zealand →
Most residence applications require proof of health cover from the day the permit starts, before you are inside the local system. What healthcare access looks like in New Zealand →
How the New Zealand route mix compares
New Zealand has 8 tracked routes, 5 of which build toward permanent residence. Across the 15 countries on this site the median is 7 tracked routes and 4 that lead to settlement. The table counts routes by category, so if one specific door is the one you need, you can see which destinations have it.
| Category | New Zealand | Portugal | Spain | UK | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor | 1 | 1 | None | 1 | None |
| Work | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Digital nomad | 1 | 1 | 1 | None | 1 |
| Retirement | None | 1 | 1 | None | 1 |
| Investment | 1 | 1 | None | 1 | 1 |
| Study | None | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Family | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Ancestry | None | None | None | None | 1 |
| Other | 1 | None | 1 | None | None |
A category with no tracked route is a gap in this dataset for that country, not proof that no such permit exists. Each count is only as complete as the government pages listed on that country's own guide.
How the process usually sequences
The order below is typical rather than specific: it holds for most residence routes in most countries, and the official page for your route governs wherever the two differ. What varies between countries is the length of each stage, not usually its existence.
Where New Zealand sits in this
Of the 8 routes tracked for New Zealand, 3 need an employer or sponsor to start the process and 5 you can begin yourself. 5 of them build toward permanent residence.
Pick the route and read its official page end to end
Nearly every rejected application was filed under the wrong category or against last year’s requirements. The route decides the document list, the fee and where you file, so it is the only decision that is expensive to get wrong.
Order civil documents early
Birth and marriage certificates, a criminal record check and, where relevant, degree certificates usually need an apostille and a certified translation. This step is administrative and typically the longest one, because it depends on record offices rather than on you.
Assemble the money and cover evidence
Most residence routes want bank statements covering several consecutive months, a signed employment or income document, and proof of health cover valid from the day you arrive. Statements that skip a month or arrive as screenshots are a common reason files are sent back.
File the application, usually from outside the country
Residence applications are commonly lodged at the consulate covering your US address, or through a government portal that still ends in a consular appointment. Slots can be the binding constraint on your timeline, so book before the file is perfect rather than after.
Attend the appointment and give biometrics
Fingerprints and a photograph are taken at the appointment or shortly after, and the original documents are checked against the copies you submitted. Fees are normally paid at this point and are rarely refundable if the application fails.
Wait for the decision, then collect the entry visa
The decision arrives as a visa sticker or approval letter that lets you travel. It usually carries its own window in which you must enter, which is why booking flights before approval is a gamble rather than a plan.
Arrive and register locally
Most countries expect a local registration within days or weeks of arrival: an address registration, a tax or social security number, and often a local bank account. Several of these steps depend on each other, so the order they are done in matters more than the effort each one takes.
Collect the residence card and diarise the renewal
The physical permit is issued after registration, sometimes at a separate appointment. Renewal windows open before expiry and close on the day, and continuous lawful residence is what later counts toward permanent residence or naturalisation, so a lapsed permit can reset a clock you have been building for years.
Nothing in that sequence is a substitute for the instructions on the official page for your route. Treat it as a checklist for planning your months, not as the requirements themselves.
Residency questions about New Zealand
Can an American just move to New Zealand?
No. US citizens can visit visa-free for up to three months with an NZeTA, but living there requires a visa. The realistic routes are a job offer from an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand, a Green List occupation that qualifies for Straight to Residence, partnership with a New Zealand citizen or resident, or a working holiday visa if you are aged 18 to 30. There is no retirement visa.
How long does it take to get permanent residence and citizenship?
A resident visa lets you live, work and study indefinitely from the day it is granted. After holding it for two consecutive years and meeting the commitment requirements you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which removes travel restrictions. Citizenship generally requires five years of residence. Under Active Investor Plus, permanent residence comes after three years under Growth or five under Balanced.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand for a US employer?
Yes, within limits. Visitor visa conditions permit remote work for an employer or client based outside New Zealand, on a visitor visa of up to nine months in an 18-month period, costing from NZD $441. You cannot work for a New Zealand business. Watch the tax line: more than 183 days in any 12-month period makes you a New Zealand tax resident, and the four-year transitional exemption does not cover foreign employment income.
Is there a cheap investment or golden visa route to New Zealand?
No. The only investor route is Active Investor Plus, which requires a minimum of NZD $5 million invested for 36 months under the Growth category or NZD $10 million for 60 months under the Balanced category, plus an application fee from NZD $27,470. Older, cheaper investor categories have been closed. There is no property-purchase route, and non-residents face restrictions on buying existing homes.
Official pages and sources
Every route on this page was read from a government source. These are the pages behind them, unduplicated, so you can check the current fee and document list yourself.
- Visa waiver entry with an NZeTA: official requirements
- Visitor Visa with remote work permitted: official requirements
- Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): official requirements
- Straight to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 1): official requirements
- Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: official requirements
- USA Working Holiday Visa: official requirements
- Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: official requirements
- Active Investor Plus Visa: official requirements
Wider sources for this country
What these numbers are. The headline figures were re-derived from primary sources during review. Some category indices could not be matched to a published statistic and are reasoned estimates, marked as such in the list below. Where a source entry says a value is derived, estimated or crowd-sourced, that is exactly what it is: no international body publishes a like-for-like index for every category, and private insurance premiums are not published at all in most countries. Rent figures are national market averages, so a capital city will run above them. How the dataset is built.
- Stats NZ, National population estimates: at 30 June 2026. Provisional estimated resident population 5,357,300, up 36,400 (0.7 percent) over the year. — accessed September 4, 2026
- ACC, Understanding levies if you work or own a business: earners' levy NZD $1.52 per $100 of liable income excluding GST, equal to about 1.75 percent including 15 percent GST. ACC applies minimum and maximum liable income thresholds, so very high earners pay less than 1.75 percent of total pay. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Inland Revenue (IRD), Tax residency status for individuals: 183-day rule with backdating, permanent place of abode test, and the 325-day rule for ceasing residence. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, Accredited Employer Work Visa: up to 5 years based on the job offered, from NZD $1,540, can lead to a resident visa. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, Straight to Residence Visa: Green List Tier 1 job or job offer with an accredited employer, aged 55 or younger, at least NZD $35.00 an hour where no higher rate is specified, from NZD $6,450, 80 percent processed within 3 months, Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: six-point system with 3 to 6 points from qualifications, occupational registration or income plus up to 3 for New Zealand work experience, aged 55 or younger, from NZD $6,450. Expressions of interest are open and free to submit. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, Active Investor Plus Visa: applications are open. Growth NZD $5 million over 36 months with 21 days required in New Zealand; Balanced NZD $10 million over 60 months with 105 days, reducible by up to 42 days with additional Growth-category investment. Fee from NZD $27,470. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, USA Working Holiday Visa: ages 18 to 30, up to 12 months, at least NZD $4,200 in funds and full medical insurance for the length of stay required, fee from NZD $770. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, Working Holiday Extension Work Visa: a further 3 months, available only after at least 3 months of seasonal planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing work in the horticulture or viticulture industry. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, Visitor Visa: up to 9 months in an 18-month period, from NZD $441, and you may work remotely for a business overseas. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, NZeTA: from NZD $17, valid 2 years for travellers, allows stays of up to 3 months per visit; visitors must show at least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 a month if accommodation is already paid for. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Immigration New Zealand, Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: at least 12 months living together required, fee from NZD $5,360, 80 percent processed within 7 months, Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Federal Reserve, H.10 Foreign Exchange Rates (release of 31 August 2026): NZD 0.5915 US dollars per New Zealand dollar on 28 August 2026. All NZD to USD conversions in this profile use this rate. Weekly rents are converted to monthly by multiplying by 52 and dividing by 12. — accessed September 4, 2026
Keep going on New Zealand
← Back to the full New Zealand guide · US vs New Zealand, side by side →