More people are packing bags, businesses are chasing skills, and politicians are haggling over who should call Aotearoa home.
New Zealand will loosen residency rules to tap global talent, as record numbers of citizens head for the exits and growth stutters. Ministers say the shift gives employers a fighting chance to hold on to proven workers, while critics fear the door opens wider without a plan to stop a trans-Tasman drain.
Two new residency pathways aim to plug gaps
From mid-2026, the government plans two routes to residence designed for people already working in New Zealand or with skills in short supply. One pathway targets skilled roles, where applicants must meet experience and salary thresholds. The second focuses on trades and technical roles, with qualification, work experience and wage requirements.
Economic growth minister Nicola Willis argues businesses have struggled to secure residence for candidates whose capabilities are scarce locally. Immigration minister Erica Stanford says the changes are built to help firms retain experienced staff who have already demonstrated their value on the job. The trades route recognises practical expertise gained outside universities, responding to pressure in industries that prize hands-on competency.
From mid-2026, skilled staff and tradespeople can seek residence via two streamlined routes if they meet experience, qualification and pay thresholds.
| Pathway | Target roles | Key criteria | Planned start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled work experience | Professional and highly skilled positions | Relevant years of experience and minimum salary threshold | Mid‑2026 |
| Trades and technicians | Qualified trades and technical occupations | Recognised qualifications, work experience and wage threshold | Mid‑2026 |
Why the timing matters
New Zealand is losing citizens at a pace not seen before. Between July 2024 and July 2025, 73,400 New Zealanders left, while only 25,800 returned to live, official figures show. The departures coincide with shrinking GDP, leaving businesses short of people and policymakers seeking ways to stabilise the labour market.
For every New Zealander returning home, nearly three left over the past year, creating both economic pressure and political heat.
Ministers have already adjusted other settings. In January, visitor rules widened to welcome remote workers, including influencers paid by overseas employers. In February, the government loosened the Active Investor Plus programme—often called the golden visa—to attract wealthier migrants. Business New Zealand welcomed the new residency pathways as a way to retain skills. Infrastructure NZ backed the direction but urged an earlier start date, arguing projects cannot wait through 2026.
Coalition friction and the Australia pull
The changes have split the governing bloc. New Zealand First invoked an ‘agree to disagree’ clause, labelling the plan unfocused. Party leader and foreign minister Winston Peters argues New Zealand risks acting as a stepping stone to Australia: the country trains and upskills people, then watches them cross the Tasman. Stats NZ reports that of the New Zealand citizens who moved to Australia in 2024, 35% were born outside New Zealand, underscoring the churn of naturalised citizens and permanent residents.
Australia’s larger labour market, salary differentials and established pathways for New Zealanders remain powerful magnets. That competition raises a basic question: can looser residence rules, backed by higher wages and clearer prospects, persuade people to build a life on the New Zealand side?
Risks for employers and migrants
Employers face a balancing act. Raise pay to meet thresholds and retain staff, or risk losing trained people to a neighbour offering more money and scale. Migrants must weigh stability, housing costs and career progression. A delayed start date means at least a year of limbo for candidates who might need certainty now.
Who might benefit first
While the government has not published a detailed list of roles, employers report persistent shortages across several fields. The pathways appear designed to capture workers whose value is easiest to prove through experience and qualifications.
- Skilled roles: engineering, ICT, health, finance and specialist manufacturing often rely on global recruitment.
- Trades and technicians: construction, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and infrastructure maintenance need practical credentials.
- Regional employers: towns far from major cities frequently struggle to fill vacancies without residency certainty.
What employers and candidates can do now
A mid‑2026 launch leaves a window to prepare applications and evidence. Firms and workers who plan early will move fastest when settings open.
- Audit roles against likely thresholds: document job descriptions, salary bands and progression plans.
- Capture evidence of experience: gather references, project logs, trade tickets and industry certifications.
- Review pay against market rates: build a pathway to meet or exceed wage and salary benchmarks.
- Plan retention: offer training, mentoring and relocation support to reduce churn before visas arrive.
- Track policy updates: eligibility lists, salary floors and recognition of overseas qualifications may shift.
How this fits the broader migration reset
The government’s recent moves form a pattern: remote workers to boost tourism spend and regional economies, investor visas to attract capital, and now residence routes to underpin long-term skills. The question is whether these tracks align sufficiently to lift productivity while easing living costs and pressure on services.
The investor settings could complement the trades pathway if capital and capability meet on the same projects, such as housing and transport upgrades. But sequence matters. If the new routes arrive after another year of departures, employers may face a deeper hole to fill, pushing wages higher and squeezing smaller firms.
Key facts to watch
Criteria details—how many years of experience, what salary and wage thresholds, and which qualifications count—will determine who qualifies on day one.
Applicants should expect English language and character requirements to remain, along with checks on genuine work and compliant employment conditions. Employers sponsoring candidates will need clean labour practices and transparent pay. If thresholds rise with inflation, both sides should budget for annual adjustments.
A practical example
Consider a qualified electrician recruited on a full-time contract in a regional town. If their overseas qualification is recognised and their pay meets the wage threshold, the trades and technicians route could provide residence once the work experience requirement ticks over. The employer can help by documenting on-the-job competency, providing accredited training where needed, and structuring pay reviews to stay above the line.
For a software engineer on a high-skilled contract in a city, the skilled work experience route may be stronger. A clear record of projects, leadership responsibilities and a salary at or above the stated floor would be evidence of contribution. Both candidates benefit from an early assessment of credentials, a tidy timeline of roles, and proof of continuous, compliant employment.
Thinking beyond visas
Visas help people settle; community factors keep them. Employers who support partners into work, help with schooling and housing searches, and offer flexible arrangements often report higher retention. Cities face affordability constraints, so regional placements that come with support packages may win candidates who would otherwise look to Australia.
People weighing a move across the Tasman should compare not just headline pay but commuting time, rent, local networks and career headroom. If New Zealand firms pair the new residency routes with credible pay offers and development plans, they can cut the temptation to leave—especially for migrants who value stability and a clear path to belonging.
Two pathways sound sensible, but is mid‑2026 too late when 73,400 have already left? Employers can’t wait another year of limbo. If wage thresholds chase inflation while Australia pays more, this feels like a stop‑gap. What’s the plan to tackle housing and childcare alongside residncy settings?