New Zealand has six main visa types: student, work, visitor, family, resident, and business or investor visas.
The New Zealand visa types available today number over 100 individual products, but they all sit inside six categories. Start with the route that matches your reason for coming.
Choosing between the different New Zealand visa types is one of the most important decisions in your immigration journey. At Choose New Zealand, our Licensed Immigration Advisers help individuals, families, and employers identify the right pathway and prepare applications that meet Immigration New Zealand's requirements from the outset.
| Visa category | Who it suits | Leads to residence? |
|---|---|---|
| Student Visa | International students enrolled with an approved NZ education provider | Indirectly, via post-study work |
| Work Visa | Migrants with a job offer, graduates, partners, and working holidaymakers | Yes, for some categories |
| Visitor Visa | Tourists, family visitors, and short-term business visitors | No |
| Family Visa | Partners, dependent children, and parents of NZ citizens or residents | Yes, for some categories |
| Resident Visa | Skilled workers, Green List occupations, and family-sponsored applicants | Yes — this is residence |
| Business / Investor Visa | Entrepreneurs and investors establishing or funding NZ businesses | Yes |
If you plan to study in New Zealand, a student visa lets you study full-time at an approved education provider for the duration of your course. Most student visa holders can work up to 25 hours per week during term time.
You generally need an Offer of Place from an approved provider, evidence of roughly NZD $20,000 per year for living costs, proof of tuition payment, and health and character clearances.
More on student visasWork visas are the most varied of all the New Zealand visa types. Which one fits depends on your skills, your circumstances, and whether you already hold a job offer.
The Essential Skills Work Visa closed permanently to new applications on 4 July 2022 and was replaced by the AEWV. Existing holders can use their visa until it expires.
Residence sits at the top of the New Zealand visa types hierarchy, and there are several skilled pathways to reach it. Each has its own criteria around occupation, wage, qualifications, and New Zealand work experience.
Read our full guide to the 2026 SMC changes
More on resident visasFamily visas allow New Zealand citizens, residents, and some visa holders to bring family members to New Zealand.
Partnership applications need strong evidence of a genuine, stable, and credible relationship. This is one of the most commonly declined categories, so careful preparation matters.
Visitor visas cover tourism, family visits, and short-term business — generally for up to nine months within an 18-month period.
Citizens of visa-waiver countries do not need a visitor visa, but must obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before travelling. Most other nationalities must apply for a visitor visa in advance.
These categories are for entrepreneurs and investors contributing capital, skills, and innovation to the New Zealand economy.
Employers must be accredited by Immigration New Zealand before hiring migrant workers.
Once accredited, a Job Check must be completed before a migrant can apply for their AEWV. We support employers through accreditation, job checks, and renewals.
Employer servicesSome cases need specialist handling. We assist with:
These matters are time-sensitive and evidence-heavy. Early advice significantly improves outcomes.
Visa complicationsNew Zealand has more than 100 individual visa products, but they fall into six main categories: student, work, visitor, family, resident, and business or investor visas. Each category contains multiple sub-types with different eligibility criteria, conditions, and durations.
It depends on your purpose, whether you hold a job offer, your occupation and qualifications, and your long-term goals. Applying under the wrong category is a common cause of refusal, so a professional assessment before you apply is worthwhile.
No. The Essential Skills Work Visa closed permanently to new applications on 4 July 2022 and was replaced by the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). Existing holders can use their visa until it expires, but all new applications must use the AEWV pathway.
The Skilled Migrant Category, Straight to Residence, Work to Residence, Care Workforce and Transport pathways, partnership residence categories, and investor visas can all lead to residence. Student and visitor visas do not lead directly to residence, though study can support a future skilled pathway.
You are not legally required to use one. However, only Licensed Immigration Advisers and lawyers may legally give New Zealand immigration advice. A licensed adviser can identify the right category, prepare your evidence properly, and flag risks before you apply.
Processing times vary considerably by visa type, application volumes, and how complete your file is. Immigration New Zealand publishes an online processing times tool with current estimates. Applying well before your intended travel date is always advisable.
In many cases yes — for example, moving from a student visa to a post-study work visa, or from a work visa to residence. Each change has its own criteria and timing considerations, so plan transitions carefully to avoid gaps in your visa status.
