The New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa (PR Visa) allows eligible resident visa holders to live in New Zealand indefinitely, travel freely in and out of the country without restriction, and enjoy full work and study rights without any conditions. If you have held a New Zealand Resident Visa for at least two continuous years and meet the required conditions, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residency.
This visa provides long-term security and flexibility for migrants who are committed to making New Zealand their permanent residence.
Work to Residence Category
If you have worked in New Zealand for at least 24 months in an eligible occupation, you may qualify to apply for a permanent resident visa.
Family Category
If you are a partner, dependent child, or parent of a New Zealand citizen or resident
Must Hold a Resident Visa First
You must hold a New Zealand resident visa and meet all required conditions to apply for a permanent resident visa.
A permanent resident visa removes travel conditions attached to your original permanent resident visa.
A New Zealand permanent resident visa allows you to:
Live and stay in New Zealand permanently
Travel anywhere in New Zealand freely
Work in New Zealand for any employer
Study without restrictions
Include eligible family members in your application
Access public healthcare and education (if eligible)
This visa is ideal for skilled migrants who want to settle permanently and continue to work in New Zealand long term.
To apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
Resident Visa Holders (Minimum 2 Years)
To be eligible for permanent residency in New Zealand, you must:
Hold a valid New Zealand resident visa.
Have held that Resident Visa for at least two continuous years
Have met all the conditions attached to your Resident Visa (such as employment or investment requirements, if applicable)
Meet Resident Visa Conditions
If your resident visa had specific conditions (such as working for a particular employer, living in a certain location, or investment conditions), you must show evidence that you have met those requirements.
If you did not meet the conditions of your resident visa, it may affect your eligibility for a New Zealand permanent resident visa.
Show Commitment to New Zealand
You must prove you genuinely plan to live and work in New Zealand permanently. Immigration New Zealand recognizes five ways to prove your commitment. You only need to meet one of them.
The most common method is the time spent in New Zealand requirement:
You must have stayed in New Zealand for at least 184 days in each of the last 2 years.
Immigration authorities verify this using official travel
Other ways to show your commitment include:
Tax residence status
Investment in New Zealand
Business establishment
Establishing a permanent base in New Zealand
The type of evidence required depends on the method how you choose to prove your commitment.
Good Character Requirement
All applicants, including family members included in the application, must meet New Zealand’s good character requirements.
You must continue to meet the good character requirements under New Zealand immigration law. Serious criminal convictions or being considered a security risk, your application may be declined.
To apply for this visa, you must:
Be aged 55 or younger
Have a full-time skilled job offer from, or be currently working for, an accredited employer
Achieve at least 6 Skilled Residence points based on your skills and work experience in New Zealand
Meet the required health standards
Have a genuine relationship with your partner and dependent children, if including them
Be able to speak and understand English.
If you meet these conditions, you can apply for a permanent resident visa.
This means you cannot mix points from different main categories (for example, your qualification and your salary). You must choose the one category where you get the highest points.
If you still need more points to reach 6, you can add points from your work experience in New Zealand.
Here is the step-by-step detail on how those 6 points are calculated.
Step 1: Pillar A—Choose ONE Skill Pillar (3–6 Points)
Look at the three tables below. Find the single highest point value you can claim from any one of these categories.
Qualification Level | Points |
PhD / Doctoral Degree | 6 |
New Zealand Master’s Degree (2026 Update) | 6 |
Master’s Degree (Overseas) | 5 |
Honours Degree or Postgraduate Diploma | 4 |
Bachelor’s Degree or Postgraduate Certificate | 3
|
Step 2: Pillar B: NZ Occupational Registration
This is for licensed professionals like nurses, engineers, or plumbers. | Training/Experience Required for Registration | Points |
Experience Level | Points/Level |
6+ years of training/experience in NZ | 6 |
5 years of training/experience in NZ | 5 |
4 years of training/experience in NZ | 4 |
2 years of training/experience in NZ | 3 |
Step 3: Add New Zealand Work Experience (The Top-up)
If your main pillar gives you less than 6 points, you can add points from skilled work in New Zealand.
Skilled Work in New Zealand | Points Awarded |
1 year of skilled work in New Zealand | 1 point |
2 years of skilled work in New Zealand | 2 points |
3 years of skilled work in New Zealand | 3 points (Maximum) |
Your work in New Zealand must be full-time and meet wage requirements.
To show you exactly how this adds up, here are three common ways people reach the goal:
The Fast Track (Direct 6 Points):
NZ Master’s Degree = 6 points
No need for work in New Zealand
Total = 6 points
Overseas Master’s = 5 points
1 year of skilled work in New Zealand = 1 point
Total = 6 points
(Eligible after 1 year working in NZ).
Bachelor’s Degree = 3 points
3 years of skilled work in New Zealand = 3 points
Total = 6 points
Once you reach 6 points and receive your resident visa, the points system is finished. To get permanent residency (PR)
After getting your resident visa:
Hold it for 2 years
Stay at least 184 days each year
Follow all visa conditions
No points are needed at this stage.
After that, you can apply for a permanent resident visa.
In New Zealand, most migrants do not get permanent residency right away.
First, they receive a resident visa, which lets them live in the country indefinitely but has some travel restrictions.
After two years, they can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa (PR), which removes those travel restrictions.
Feature | Stage 1: Resident Visa | Stage 2: Permanent Resident Visa (PR) |
Primary Goal | To enter and live in NZ. | To remove travel restrictions. |
Points Required | Exactly 6 Points. | 0 Points. |
Validity | Indefinite stay, but travel expires in 2 years. | Indefinite stay AND indefinite travel. |
Wait Time | Apply as soon as eligible. | Apply after 2 years on a Resident Visa. |
You may submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) if you have current employment or a valid job offer from a New Zealand-accredited employer. Additionally, you must achieve a minimum of 6 points, assessed based on your skills, qualifications, and relevant work experience in New Zealand.
Expression of Interest (EOI):
This is the first step in applying for residence. It is not the visa application itself. You are informing Immigration New Zealand that you would like to be considered.
Job or Job Offer from an Accredited Employer:
The employer must be officially approved (accredited) by Immigration New Zealand to hire migrant workers.
6 Points Requirement:
You must meet the minimum points threshold. Points are usually awarded based on:
Your qualification level
Your New Zealand work experience
Your income level
Your occupation
If you meet both conditions (job/job offer + minimum 6 points), you can submit your EOI for further consideration.
You can claim 1 point per year of skilled work experience in New Zealand (up to 3 points). The work must be full-time and meet the wage based on ANZSCO skill levels.
Migrate to New Zealand permanently based on your skills and qualifications. Eligibility Highlights:
Aged 55 or under
Recognised qualification (Level 7 or above preferred)
Minimum 6.5 IELTS or equivalent English
Relevant skilled work experience
Meet health and character requirements
Obtaining Permanent Residency in New Zealand offers multiple advantages:
1. Indefinite Stay
You can remain in New Zealand permanently without renewing travel conditions.
2. Unrestricted Travel
Unlike a resident visa, the PR visa allows unlimited entry and exit from New Zealand.
3. Work and Study Freedom
You can work in any job, change employers, start a business, or pursue higher education without restrictions.
4. Access to Social Benefits
Permanent residents may access certain public services, including healthcare and education benefits (subject to eligibility).
5. Pathway to Citizenship
After meeting residency and physical presence requirements, PR holders may apply for New Zealand Citizenship.
You may include your partner and dependent children (aged 24 or younger) in your PR Visa application.
The requirements depend on whether they were part of your original Resident Visa application.
If your partner or dependent children were included in your original resident visa application:
They can also be included in your New Zealand permanent resident visa application.
They do not need to separately meet the commitment to New Zealand requirement.
They must still meet the required identity and character standards.
In most cases, they cannot be granted Permanent Residence before the main (principal) applicant
If you are adding family members who were not part of your original resident application:
Each person must:
Have held a Resident Visa continuously for at least 24 months
Meet all Permanent Resident Visa requirements independently
Satisfy character, identity, and commitment requirements
Adding family members does not automatically guarantee approval for them.
Copy of passport bio page (for all applicants)
Scans of pages showing visa records and entry/exit stamps
Proof that you have held your Resident Visa for at least 2 years
One acceptable visa photo
Evidence that you met all Resident Visa conditions (if any)
Scanned copies of original documents
Immigration New Zealand PR Visa may request:
Medical examination or chest X-ray (if not previously provided)
Police certificates
Proof of financial dependency for children
Submitting complete documentation helps prevent delays.
Check that you have held your resident visa for 2 years.
Make sure you have met all visa conditions.
Collect all required documents.
Apply through Immigration New Zealand.
Pay the application fee.
Wait for the decision.
If approved, receive your permanent resident visa with no travel restrictions.
After you receive your permanent resident visa, your visa becomes valid from the date it is granted.
Many people ask whether a permanent resident visa is required before applying for citizenship.
In most cases:
After living in New Zealand as a resident for 5 years, you may be eligible to apply for New Zealand citizenship.
You do not necessarily need to hold a New Zealand permanent resident visa before applying for citizenship.
Citizenship requirements include:
Physical presence requirements
Good character
English language ability
Intention to continue living in New Zealand
No. However, it provides a pathway to apply for New Zealand Citizenship, subject to additional residency and presence requirements.
After receiving invitation from EOI
Yes you must meet the eligibility requirement like resident visa, English language, EOI Invitation, job offer, etc;- are mandatory to apply for New Zealand PR Visa
Navigating the Best New Zealand immigration consultant for NZ Permanent Resident Visa process can be detailed and document-intensive. Professional guidance ensures your application is accurate, complete, and submitted with confidence.
Why Choose Global Gateways for Your New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa?
Personalized evaluation of your Permanent Resident Visa eligibility
Verification of 2-year resident visa requirement and visa conditions
Travel history review to meet the 184-day commitment rule
Complete documentation support and checklist guidance
Assistance with including partner and dependent children
Expert guidance on character and compliance requirements
Accurate online application support and submission review
End-to-end assistance until visa decision
Visitor Visa –To meet your Friends & Relatives:
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Dependent Visa –for your Spouses, Children, Parents, Short term, Long term:
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Permanent Resident Visa – to work and settle:
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Refusal Visa- Experts for getting visa grant for Refusal visa:
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Disclaimer:
Global Gateways, do not offer consultancy on overseas jobs / work permits / international or domestic placements etc. We are primarily Visa immigration and Study Abroad advisory company that offers consultation on Visa immigration and Study Abroad options. We are not associated with any government authority or department of immigration. We neither assist in any kind of Job / employment offers nor do guarantee any kind of domestic / International placements and visas.