Requirements for Settling in New Zealand

Atomic Answer: Requirements For Settling In New Zealand is a critical component of the Canadian immigration framework. As of 2026, applicants navigating this pathway must adhere to the latest IRCC guidelines, ensure all documentation is properly prepared, and meet the specific eligibility requirements. Processing times and exact costs will vary based on individual circumstances.

Requirements for Settling in New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean and consists of two islands, North and South. New Zealand is a preferred country for foreigners to live in due to its high living standards, quality education and job opportunities. The fact that New Zealand's society is multicultural and friendly affects the migration of foreign nationals to the country in various ways.

How to Settle in New Zealand?

You can settle in New Zealand by obtaining a residence visa. There are many types of residence visas in New Zealand. New Zealand residence visas can be given to qualified immigrants, investors, entrepreneurs who set up a business, work visa holders and their spouses, children or parents for family reunification. It is also possible to settle in New Zealand by obtaining a residence visa through asylum.

How to Relocate to New Zealand Through Skilled Immigration?

People who are employed in a skilled job or have received a job offer can apply for a skilled immigration visa to settle in New Zealand.

Skilled Immigrant New Zealand residence visa is given according to a certain point system and if the candidates reach a score above 160 points according to this point system, their applications are accepted. People who want to settle in New Zealand as skilled immigrants must first make a preliminary application and fill out a form called Expression of Interest and according to the information they provide on the form, New Zealand immigration candidates who score above 160 points are entitled to apply for a residence visa. Criteria such as the applicant's age, the status of working in a job requiring expertise in New Zealand or receiving a job offer in this way, the candidate's level of expertise and work experience according to the levels determined by the New Zealand Qualification Criteria (NZQF) are effective in the scoring of the Expression of Interest form.

Who is considered a Skilled Migrant in New Zealand?

People who want to settle in New Zealand as skilled migrants need to find and determine the occupation that best suits the job description they are working in or have been offered a job in, from the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). The ANZSCO list is updated each November and New Zealand currently uses version 1.2 of this list. Applicants should check the ANZSCO list for their occupation on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.

If the applicant for a skilled migration job in New Zealand is listed as a Level 1, 2 or 3 occupation on the ANZSCO list, the job description must be consistent with the ANZSCO list and must meet a minimum wage of NZ$27 per hour. If the applicant for a skilled migration job is listed as a Level 4 or 5 occupation on the ANZSCO list, the occupation must be consistent with the ANZSCO list job description and must have an hourly wage of at least NZ$40.50. Applicants whose occupation is not one of the ANZSCO listed occupations must have an hourly wage of at least NZ$40.50.

How to Relocate to New Zealand by Investment?

By investing in New Zealand, individuals and their families who invest a certain amount can settle in New Zealand by obtaining an investor residence visa and eventually citizenship. New Zealand has two types of investor visa programs, which differ in terms of investment amount and investment value. There are two types of investor visas in New Zealand: Investor 1 Resident Visa, which requires an investment of NZ$10 million for 3 years, and Investor 2 Resident Visa, which requires an investment of NZ$3 million for 4 years.

There are differences in the conditions of the visa granted for an investment of NZ$10 million and the visa granted for an investment of NZ$3 million. People who apply for the New Zealand investment visa type granted for an investment of NZ$3 million are subject to more conditions and requirements.

For New Zealand investment visa applications, bonds, stocks, property or other investments are accepted, however, all investments must meet certain conditions. In order for investments submitted for a New Zealand investment visa to be accepted, they must generate commercial income, be invested in New Zealand and in New Zealand dollars, be implemented through legal ventures or funds, have the potential to contribute to the New Zealand economy and not be for the applicant's personal use.

Investments accepted for New Zealand investment visa applications include investments in companies operating in New Zealand, philanthropic investments, investments in banks located in New Zealand and investments in finance companies.

How to Settle in New Zealand Through Business

Establishing a business in New Zealand requires applying for an entrepreneurial residence visa. Entrepreneurs who want to establish a business in New Zealand must first obtain an entrepreneurial work visa.

New Zealand entrepreneur visa holders are then eligible to apply for an entrepreneur residence permit if they meet certain requirements. New Zealand entrepreneur residence permit holders can then become citizens if the necessary conditions are met. New Zealand entrepreneur visa holders who invest NZ$500,000 or create at least 3 new jobs in New Zealand are eligible to apply for an entrepreneur residence visa within 6 months of establishing their business, and those who fall below the required threshold are eligible to apply for a residence visa after 2 years.

How to Move to New Zealand Through Study?

You can settle in New Zealand by obtaining a work visa through work. People who have worked in New Zealand for a certain period of time with a New Zealand work visa can apply for a residence visa that is appropriate for the type of work visa they have. A person who has a New Zealand religious work visa can apply for a religious work visa, and similarly, people who have a work visa for artists or athletes can apply for a residence visa for artists and athletes.

If a residence visa is not determined for those who have travelled to New Zealand with a work visa, they must apply for a skilled migrant work visa. Since people who apply for a New Zealand residence and work permit must have worked in the country with a work visa for at least 2 or 3 years, it is possible for people with a work visa to apply for a New Zealand residence permit 2 or 3 years after settling in New Zealand .

How to Relocate to New Zealand Through Family Reunification

Family reunification is available to New Zealand residents or residents of New Zealand, their spouses, children aged 24 and under, and parents.

People who want to settle in New Zealand through family reunification must meet the necessary conditions and apply for a New Zealand family reunification visa, which is a residence visa .

How to Reach New Zealand Through Asylum

Asylum can be granted to New Zealand once your application for refugee status has been approved.

People who have been granted refugee status are granted a residence visa to settle in New Zealand through asylum. In New Zealand; people who are included in resettlement programs organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), people who have fled persecution in their own country, and people who have family members living in New Zealand as refugees are granted refugee status.

How to Get a Residence Permit to Move to New Zealand?

The process of obtaining a residence permit to settle in New Zealand varies depending on the type of residence visa to be applied for, but in general the process is the same for most residence visas. People who want to apply for an Investor 2 Resident Visa, which is one of the types of skilled immigrant residence visas and investor residence visas, must make a preliminary application, and apart from this step, the entire application process is the same as for other visa types. The reason for making a preliminary application for investor residence visa and skilled immigrant residence visa types is that these visas are granted when the applicants are deemed suitable as a result of scoring the applicants according to certain criteria; during the preliminary application process, it is checked whether the candidates have achieved the sufficient score. Candidates who reach the sufficient score in the preliminary application process and pass this stage can apply for a skilled immigrant residence visa or Investor 2 Resident Visa.

Apart from the pre-application step, the application process is the same for all types of New Zealand residence permits. New Zealand residence visa applications can be made online, physically, or both online and physically, depending on the type of visa applied for. Residence visa applications for New Zealand work visa holders can only be made while the person is in New Zealand. Applications for residence permit applications are completed by submitting the required documents and application form to the relevant units and paying the application fee.

What documents are required to settle in New Zealand?

The documents required to settle in New Zealand are listed below.

• Application form: To settle in New Zealand, the application form must be filled out by the applicant with complete and accurate information.
• Passport: The applicant must have a current passport.
• Photo: Photographs of the applicant that comply with biometric standards must be submitted.
• Birth certificate: The applicant's birth certificate must be submitted along with other required documents.
• Criminal record: A person wishing to settle in New Zealand must provide a criminal record certificate showing that they have no criminal record.
• Health report: A health report showing that the applicant is in good health must be submitted.
• Proof of English language proficiency: Documentation must be submitted showing that the applicant has English language skills at the required level.

The documents listed above are the standard documents requested for all residence visa applications, however, additional documents may be required depending on the type of visa applied for. For work visa holders, the work visa must be submitted in addition to the standard documents for residence visa applications, and for investor visa holders, the investment documents must be submitted in addition to the standard documents. Since the documents may vary for New Zealand residence visa applications, it is recommended to receive consultancy services for these procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the answers to the frequently asked questions we receive about settling in New Zealand.

Is it possible to settle in New Zealand through education?

It is not possible to settle in New Zealand through education. Students traveling to New Zealand for education purposes are only given a student visa, not a residence visa.

Students studying in New Zealand on a student visa have the right to remain in New Zealand for the duration of their studies; however, a New Zealand student visa does not entitle the holder to apply for a residence visa. Students who complete their studies in New Zealand and wish to settle in the country can then apply for a work visa to gain residence through work, or they can apply for a skilled migration residence visa by receiving a job offer from an employer operating in New Zealand.

Is it possible to buy a house and move to New Zealand?

No, it is not possible to settle in New Zealand by purchasing a house. The investment in housing for an investor visa in New Zealand is related to the construction of new housing in a way that will generate income and does not give the person the right to settle in New Zealand.

People who want to invest in New Zealand by buying a house must; make their investment in a new development instead of an existing structure, have the necessary approvals for the property to be invested in, and the property to be invested in must be developed for commercial income. People who want to invest in New Zealand by buying a property must submit to the relevant institutions; plans for the housing development project, contracts with the builders, approval documents from the authorized institutions, documents regarding payment plans and timetables. Houses purchased for rental purposes are not considered investments by New Zealand.

What are the advantages of living in New Zealand?

The advantages of living in New Zealand are listed below.

• New Zealand is a country with many natural beauties.
• The New Zealand government is a progressive government that cares about the well-being of its citizens.
• New Zealand has a very low corruption rate.
• New Zealand has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
• New Zealand cuisine has a wide variety of flavours.
• People from many different cultures and nationalities live in harmony in New Zealand.
• New Zealand has a very egalitarian society.

What Are the Costs of Living in New Zealand?

Living costs in New Zealand for the city of Auckland are on average NZ$200 per week for food, NZ$40 for clothing, NZ$400 for accommodation, NZ$60 for healthcare needs, NZ$250 for transportation, NZ$30 for communications, NZ$180 for cultural activities, NZ$20 for education and NZ$120 for miscellaneous expenses such as hairdressers or car washes, totaling NZ$1,300.

The average weekly cost of living for Dunedin, a city with a smaller population than Auckland, is approximately NZ$600, including NZ$100 for food, NZ$15 for clothing, NZ$40 for health-related needs, NZ$50 for transportation, NZ$200 for accommodation, NZ$15 for communications, NZ$40 for cultural activities, and NZ$30 for miscellaneous expenses such as gym memberships or car insurance.

What are the Best New Zealand Cities to Live in?

The best New Zealand cities to live in are listed below.

• Auckland
• Wellington
• Queenstown
• Dunedin
• Christchurch
• Hamilton
• Tauranga

The best New Zealand cities are among the best in the world for quality of life, quality of education and job opportunities.

2026 Application Checklist

• Valid Passport: Must be valid for at least 6 months beyond stay.
• Proof of Funds: Bank statements or Blocked Account confirmation (2026 rates).
• Biometrics: Appointment confirmation and receipt.
• Health Insurance: Travel or private insurance covering €30,000+.
• Form IMM 5645: Fully completed Family Information form.