SR3.15 Skilled Residence: Green List Work to Residence requirements for 24 months of work in New Zealand (11/08/2023)

SR3.15 Skilled Residence: Green List Work to Residence requirements for 24 months of work in New Zealand

1. Applicants must have worked for at least 24 months in New Zealand in an occupation on Tier 2 of the Green List, on and after 29 September 2021.
2. To be considered as having worked in a Tier 2 Green List occupation, applicants must have met the requirements for their occupation as specified in the Green List for the duration of the 24 month period.
3. For the 24 months of work in New Zealand, applicants must have been working full-time (at least 30 hours a week) in a Tier 2 Green List occupation and held one of the following visas:
   1. any work visa; or
   2. a critical purpose visitor visa with work conditions; or
   3. an interim visa granted while the applicant held a work visa or a critical purpose visitor visa with work conditions and had applied for a further work visa.
4. The 24 months of work must be gained during the 30-month period immediately before the date the residence application is made.
5. Where an occupation has remuneration requirements, the work period will start to be counted when the applicant’s remuneration is at or above the hourly rate specified in Tier 2 of Appendix 13 for that occupation at that time (provided they hold a visa described in (c) above).
6. Where an occupation does not have remuneration requirements, the work period will start to be counted when the applicant’s remuneration is at or above the median wage at that time (provided they hold a visa described in (c) above).
7. The work period (while earning the specified hourly rate) will stop being counted if:
   1. the applicant ceases to hold one of the visas listed in (c) above; or
   2. the applicant changes employment and their new income is below:
      • the median wage at that time; or
      • the hourly rate specified in Tier 2 of Appendix 13 for that occupation at that time; or
   3. the applicant’s remuneration decreases, and the new rate is below:
      • the median wage at that time; or
      • the hourly rate specified in Tier 2 of Appendix 13 for that occupation at that time.
8. A table showing the median wage rate and the wage rates for Green List Tier 2 occupations (Appendix 13) with remuneration requirements in effect across time is set out under SR3.15.1.

   Note: Where remuneration requirements apply, work in New Zealand will not stop being counted if the specified hourly rate in immigration instructions increases, as long as the applicant’s income does not decrease and they have not changed employment.
   For example, a crane operator must be paid an hourly rate of 1.3 times the median wage to count towards residence. An applicant can start counting work experience from 29 September 2021 if they earn $35.10 an hour (1.3 times the median wage in effect at the time). When the wage requirement increases to $35.96 an hour on 4 July 2022, they can keep counting their work if they are still in the same job earning $35.10 an hour.

9. Despite (f) and (g) above, where an occupation does not have remuneration requirements, applicants who hold or held a visa that was applied for before 29 September 2023 are not required to be paid at or above the median wage for any work in New Zealand gained on and after 29 September 2021 for the period they spent holding a visa described in (c) above.
10. For the purposes of these instructions, any parental leave taken can be counted towards meeting the 24 month work requirements.
11. Despite (a) above, where an occupation is removed from the Tier 2 Green List after the applicant has started to count work in New Zealand towards the 24 months required, the work can continue to be counted if:
    1. the applicant remains in the occupation; and
    2. continues to meet the requirements of the Green List as they were listed for the duration of the 24 month period.
12. If an applicant has worked in New Zealand for at least 24 months in the last 30 month period but has not maintained a role in a Green List Tier 2 occupation for the full 24 months, they can still been considered for the grant of residence if they meet the acceptable work in New Zealand requirements for work in New Zealand earning at least twice the median wage for the balance of the 24 months (SR3.20).

Note: The 24 months of work in New Zealand does not have to be gained consecutively and can be a total of different periods, for example two 12-month periods with a gap of six months between. Additionally, it can be made up of different types of work in New Zealand, for example 18 months in a Tier 2 Green List role and six months in a role paid twice the median wage.

SR3.15.1 Wage rates for Green List Tier 2 occupations with remuneration requirements (Appendix 13)

Effective 11/08/2023