Information checked 11 November 2026. Salary figures are in New Zealand dollars (NZD), before tax.
New Zealand skilled migration from Dubai starts with matching your occupation, qualifications and experience to a suitable visa pathway and a qualifying New Zealand job. The main residence options are the Skilled Migrant Category, Green List Straight to Residence and Green List Work to Residence. Eligible applicants can also use an Accredited Employer Work Visa to work in New Zealand while building the experience required for a residence application. INZ skilled residence overview
For professionals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and across the UAE, the first task is to identify the requirements your profile already meets and the evidence you still need. The Global Axis can help you organise that starting assessment. Explore New Zealand skilled migration support in Dubai
| Visa or pathway | Who should assess it | Main requirement to check |
|---|---|---|
| Straight to Residence | Applicants with a qualifying Green List Tier 1 job or offer | Accredited employer, exact occupation, registration or qualifications, pay and other visa conditions |
| Work to Residence | People building eligible New Zealand experience in a Green List Tier 2 role | Generally 24 months of qualifying work within the 30 months before applying |
| Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) | Applicants who qualify through points, skilled work experience, or eligible trades and technician experience | A qualifying job or offer and the requirements of the selected SMC pathway |
| Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) | Applicants with a suitable offer who plan to work in New Zealand | Accredited employer, approved job check, job requirements and work visa eligibility |
Use the official pathway comparison to identify the route that fits your current circumstances. Some people can assess more than one option. Compare skilled residence pathways
A Resident Visa lets you live in New Zealand indefinitely, with travel conditions attached to the visa. A Permanent Resident Visa provides indefinite travel rights as well. You can usually assess permanent residence after holding a resident visa continuously for at least two years and meeting its conditions, character requirements and a commitment-to-New-Zealand test. For a visa granted offshore, the two-year period starts when you first arrive in New Zealand. One way to show commitment is at least 184 days in New Zealand in each of the two preceding years. Permanent Resident Visa requirements
For New Zealand skilled migration planning, a role linked to residence is a job that can support a visa application when the offer and applicant satisfy the relevant rules. Your employment agreement, occupation classification, registration, pay and experience all matter.
The following occupations are examples on INZ’s Green List. Match the exact role and its requirements before choosing a residence pathway. Official Green List occupations and requirements
The salary table uses Tāhatu’s published most common annual pay bands, except teaching, which uses the Ministry of Education’s trained teacher base salary scale. Figures were checked on 11 November 2026.
| Profession | Published gross annual pay guide | Residence pathway to investigate |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | NZD 83,000–99,000 — Tāhatu nursing pay | Green List Tier 1. Match a listed nursing role and Nursing Council registration requirements. |
| Physiotherapist | NZD 96,000–133,000 — Tāhatu physiotherapy pay | Green List Tier 1. Physiotherapy Board registration is required. |
| Civil engineer | NZD 81,000–154,000 — Tāhatu engineering pay | Green List Tier 1, subject to the listed qualification or professional requirements. |
| Software developer or software engineer | NZD 90,000–154,000 — Tāhatu software pay | Certain listed ICT occupations are Tier 1. Match the occupation code and its specific remuneration requirement. |
| Secondary school teacher | NZD 62,862–105,686 — trained teacher base scale effective 28 January 2026. Ministry pay schedule | Green List Tier 1, subject to Teaching Council registration, practising certificate, pay and other requirements. |
| Electrician (General) | NZD 66,000–107,000 — Tāhatu electrical pay | Green List Tier 2. Check Electrical Workers Registration Board and qualifying work requirements. |
For secondary teachers, the published trained base scale rises to NZD 64,119–107,886 from 28 January 2027. Salary placement depends on qualifications, credited experience and the applicable employment agreement. Confirmed 2027 teacher salary scale
New Zealand skilled migration uses visa-specific pay rules. For example, the published Green List threshold for the relevant ICT group, including Software Engineer, is NZD 72.80 an hour. At 40 paid hours a week for 52 weeks, that equals NZD 151,424 annually. Your actual contract hours determine the hourly calculation. INZ Green List pay requirements
Teaching also requires careful salary assessment. INZ explains that Straight to Residence is designed for eligible teachers earning at least the median wage. Applicants at earlier career stages can assess a suitable work visa while building experience and pay. Straight to Residence teaching guidance
Since 24 August 2026, SMC has three pathways. Applicants generally need to be 55 or younger, have qualifying full-time employment or an offer from an accredited employer, and meet English, health and character requirements. An accepted Expression of Interest (EOI) leads to an invitation to submit the residence application. Current SMC Resident Visa requirements
For this New Zealand skilled migration route, you need six skilled resident points. You can claim points from one of three bases — a recognised qualification, eligible occupational registration or income. Where needed, eligible skilled work in New Zealand can provide an additional one to three points. Confirm how your overseas qualification is recognised and how much New Zealand work your points calculation requires. SMC points and qualification changes
The standard pathway requires at least five years of directly relevant work experience, including two years of qualifying skilled work in New Zealand. The relevant work must meet the ANZSCO skill level 1–3 requirements. The New Zealand experience normally needs pay of at least 1.1 times the applicable SMC wage threshold. Skilled Work Experience pathway rules
Occupation restrictions also apply. Amber List roles have an additional New Zealand experience requirement, including five years of relevant eligible work in New Zealand and two years at 1.2 times the applicable threshold. Red List occupations are excluded from the two newer pathways. SMC occupation restrictions
This route requires an eligible occupation, a relevant qualification comparable to NZQCF Level 4 or above, and at least four years of directly relevant post-qualification experience, including 18 months of qualifying skilled work in New Zealand. Confirm both the occupation list and the recognition of your training. Eligible trades and technician occupations
For work starting under the current rates from 9 March 2026, the following figures help explain the thresholds.
| SMC situation | Hourly amount |
|---|---|
| Base SMC wage threshold used for many ANZSCO skill level 1–3 jobs | NZD 35.00 |
| Standard Skilled Work Experience pathway at 1.1 times the threshold | NZD 38.50 |
| Amber List Skilled Work Experience requirement at 1.2 times the threshold | NZD 42.00 |
| Trades and Technician pathway at the base threshold | NZD 35.00 |
Income-based points and jobs at other skill levels have additional pay requirements. INZ also applies wage timing and grace-period rules to qualifying experience. Use the current wage table for your own work dates. SMC wage thresholds
You can assess this route while living in Dubai if you have an eligible Tier 1 job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. Check the occupation’s qualifications, registration and pay conditions, as well as the visa’s age, English, health and character requirements. Eligible family members may be included. Straight to Residence Visa
For this New Zealand skilled migration route, you generally need 24 months of eligible work in New Zealand within the 30 months before applying. You need qualifying Tier 2 employment, the required wage and an eligible current job or offer. Record the dates, hours and pay for the work you intend to count. Work to Residence work and wage rules
INZ has announced that 17 occupations will leave Tier 2 on 8 March 2027. Examples include Motor Mechanic, Panel Beater, Vehicle Painter, Welder and several fitter roles. Applicants in these occupations can assess the relevant SMC pathway and its qualification, experience and wage rules. Eligible workers who have already started accumulating qualifying experience before the change can use the announced transitional arrangements. March 2027 changes and transition rules
Four specified special education teaching occupations will move to Tier 1, and Career Counsellor will leave Tier 1. For a New Zealand skilled migration plan starting in 2027, check the occupation rules against your intended application date. 2027 Green List occupation changes
An Accredited Employer Work Visa allows you to work for an approved employer in the job covered by the visa. The offer must provide at least 30 hours a week, have an approved job check and meet the required market pay and job conditions. You must meet the applicable skill, experience, qualification and registration requirements. AEWV job and applicant requirements
For a New Zealand skilled migration plan requiring local experience, check how the proposed job will satisfy the later residence rules before accepting it. Confirm the employer’s status using its legal name or NZBN. Some accredited employers choose to keep their listing private, so obtain confirmation from the employer if necessary. INZ accredited employer checker
SMC and the Green List residence visas can include an eligible partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger. Each family member must meet the relevant relationship, dependency, health, character and English conditions. For your New Zealand skilled migration assessment, provide your family’s details at the start. SMC family inclusion
Partner and child applications use their own visa categories. The visas you can support depend on your job and pay. These are examples for eligible ANZSCO skill level 1–3 or NOL-listed jobs.
| Family option | Current pay condition for this scenario |
|---|---|
| Partner of a Worker Work Visa | NZD 28.00 an hour or more |
| Dependent Child Student Visa or Child of a Worker Visitor Visa | NZD 58,240 a year or more |
Green List, higher-paid and some transitional cases have separate rules. Where both parents hold AEWVs, their incomes may be combined for the dependent-child threshold. Full AEWV family eligibility rules
Your partner needs a visa that permits work before taking employment. The application requires evidence of a qualifying relationship and an eligible supporting partner. Partner of a Worker Work Visa
A qualifying Dependent Child Student Visa is available for children aged 19 or younger attending primary or secondary school. Children may be treated as domestic students, which affects school tuition fees. Tertiary study has separate visa and fee rules. Dependent Child Student Visa
Residence class visa holders are eligible for publicly funded health services. Work visa holders and their family members should check their individual eligibility, including the permitted length of stay. Some services involve charges and clinical access criteria. Public healthcare eligibility · Ministry of Health eligibility settings
Prepare your New Zealand skilled migration checklist for the specific visa, including the following where required.
Overseas qualification assessment depends on the qualification and how you will use it. NZQA offers different assessment services, including Teaching IQAs and Standard IQAs. Check the applicable service before applying. NZQA overseas qualification assessments
The Global Axis can help you organise the preparation process from Dubai. Your New Zealand skilled migration plan should identify the next evidence or eligibility requirement you need to complete. Speak with The Global Axis about your profile
Eligible applicants with a qualifying Tier 1 job offer can assess Straight to Residence from overseas. Some SMC points applicants can also qualify with enough points without local work experience. Experience-based routes require the specified New Zealand work. Compare residence pathways
The skilled residence routes covered in this guide require qualifying New Zealand employment or an offer. An AEWV also requires an eligible employer’s offer. You can begin checking your occupation, qualifications and registration while searching for work. Skilled Migrant Category · AEWV requirements
Relevant UAE work may contribute to the overall experience requirements when it meets the pathway rules. The Skilled Work Experience and Trades and Technician pathways also require the specified work period in New Zealand. SMC experience requirements
The principal applicant for SMC, Straight to Residence and Work to Residence must generally be 55 or younger. Assess the age requirement for the residence visa you intend to apply for. INZ residence pathway guidance
For skilled residence, the principal applicant can meet the test requirement with IELTS overall 6.5 or an accepted equivalent. Other evidence may qualify under INZ’s rules. Professional registration can have its own English standard. Skilled residence English requirements
Since 1 June 2026, the AEWV English requirement generally covers ANZSCO and NOL skill levels 3, 4 and 5, subject to exemptions. If using a test, IELTS overall 4.0 or an accepted equivalent meets the minimum standard. AEWV English instructions
Eligible partners can apply for an appropriate work visa, and qualifying children can apply for a dependent student visa. On an AEWV plan, first check the principal worker’s job and income against the family-support rules. AEWV family visa options
You can generally apply after holding a resident visa continuously for at least two years and meeting all applicable conditions, including the commitment requirement. Your resident visa lets you live in New Zealand indefinitely during that stage, subject to its conditions. Permanent Resident Visa
Check the 8 March 2027 Green List changes, your occupation’s current residence route, salary thresholds, registration requirements and family rules. INZ has also scheduled a possible AEWV extension mechanism for 2027 to help eligible migrants complete SMC work experience, with eligibility and process details to follow. 2027 Green List changes · Announced SMC-related AEWV extension
Use the processing estimate on the official page for your visa when you apply. Time spent finding an employer, obtaining registration, preparing evidence and completing qualifying work comes before the final residence assessment. Skilled Migrant Category visa information
Bring your occupation details, qualifications, work history and family plans to an initial consultation. The Global Axis Immigration Services LLC can help you identify the next steps and organise your documents for the appropriate process.
Book your free eligibility assessment · Message The Global Axis on WhatsApp
The Global Axis Immigration Services LLC
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Call or WhatsApp +971 50 306 4316 · info@theglobalaxis.com
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Contact us today to address all your immigration related inquiries and take the first step toward achieving your global aspirations
Contact us today to address all your immigration related inquiries and take the first step toward achieving your global aspirations
