# New Zealand Straight to Residence Visa for Indians: Green List Rules > How New Zealand's Straight to Residence Visa works for Indians in Green List Tier 1 jobs: eligibility, fee, processing, family, the AEWV link and the FTA places. _Published: 2026-11-03 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1346_ ## TL;DR The Straight to Residence Visa gives New Zealand residence to people aged 55 or younger with a full-time Tier 1 Green List job, held or offered, at an accredited employer, who speak English. It costs from NZD 6,450 and 80% of applications are decided within 3.5 months. Partners and children aged 24 or younger can be included. ## Key takeaways - Eligibility: aged 55 or younger, a full-time Tier 1 Green List job (held or offered) with an accredited employer, and English. - Fee from NZD 6,450; INZ decides 80% of applications within 3.5 months. - Partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included in the application. - After holding the resident visa for 2 years in a row you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa (from NZD 315). - The NZ-India FTA's 1,467 Green List places are temporary work visas, not residence. **According to Immigration New Zealand, the Straight to Residence Visa grants residence directly to people aged 55 or younger who work in, or are offered, a full-time Green List Tier 1 job with an accredited employer and who speak and understand English. It costs from NZD 6,450, and 80% of applications are decided within 3.5 months.** ## Article The rules below come from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. The INZ website was returning errors in mid-October 2026, so several figures were read from archived copies of the official INZ pages captured between August and October 2026. Confirm them on the live INZ Straight to Residence page before you apply. For visitor visas and the wider picture, see our New Zealand visa guide for Indians. ### Who qualifies for the Straight to Residence Visa? INZ sets four conditions for the main applicant: - Age: 55 or younger. - Job: a role at Tier 1 of the Green List, which you already hold or have been offered. - Employer and hours: the job must be full-time and with an accredited employer. - Language: you must speak and understand English. The INZ summary for this visa lists no points test and no minimum period of New Zealand work experience; the Tier 1 job is the qualifying factor. Your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included in the same application. ### What does the Green List change for an Indian applicant? The Green List is INZ's list of roles that get special treatment across several visas. Only roles marked Tier 1 lead straight to residence. This article does not reproduce the occupation list, so check your exact role and its tier on INZ before relying on this route. Being on the Green List also changes the temporary visas around it: VisaEffect of a Green List jobAccredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)No need for 2 years of relevant experience or an NZQCF level 4 qualification; applications are prioritised without an escalation requestPartner of a Worker Work VisaFor an ANZSCO level 4-5 job outside a sector agreement, the worker must earn at least NZD 35 an hour instead of NZD 52.50Partner of a Student Work VisaA student partner on a level 7-8 qualification qualifies if the qualification is on the Green ListStraight to Residence VisaTier 1 roles lead directly to residence ### Straight to Residence or Skilled Migrant Category: which fits you? Both are employer-linked residence routes with the same 'From' fee. The difference is what qualifies you. FeatureStraight to ResidenceSkilled Migrant CategoryWhat qualifies youA full-time Tier 1 Green List job with an accredited employer6 skilled resident points from a qualification, income or New Zealand occupational registration, plus up to 3 points for skilled New Zealand work experienceHow you get inMeet the Tier 1 conditionsSubmit an expression of interest and apply only if invitedAge limit55 or younger55 or youngerFamilyPartner and children aged 24 or youngerPartner and children aged 24 or youngerFee (INZ 'From' cost)NZD 6,450NZD 6,450Processing80% within 3.5 monthsNot captured in our recordIf your job is not Tier 1, the Skilled Migrant Category is the points route. An international qualification assessed by NZQA earns 4 points for a bachelor's degree, 5 for a master's and 6 for a doctorate, so among overseas qualifications only a doctorate reaches 6 points on its own. ### Where does the Accredited Employer Work Visa fit in? The AEWV is New Zealand's main employer-sponsored work visa, and INZ says it can lead to residence. The facts that matter for a Green List candidate from India: - A job offer from an AEWV-accredited employer with an approved job check, for at least 30 hours a week at no less than the market rate - English evidence for ANZSCO/NOL skill level 3 to 5 jobs; since 1 June 2026 the IELTS 4.0 (or equivalent) minimum also covers skill level 3 roles - Fee NZD 1,540, with 80% of applications decided within 5.5 weeks - Up to 5 years for most jobs, then normally 12 months outside New Zealand INZ warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia. Employers or agents cannot charge you for a job or recruitment costs, and INZ declines applications where money was offered for a job offer. A genuine Tier 1 offer never needs a payment from you. ### Can your family come, and what comes after residence? On the Straight to Residence Visa your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger are included in your application. On an AEWV they cannot be included, but they may get their own visitor, work or student visas depending on your pay and skill level; the Partner of a Worker Work Visa costs from NZD 1,630 and 80% are decided within 6 weeks. The resident visa is not the last step. After holding it for 2 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which lets you live in New Zealand permanently and travel in and out indefinitely. You must hold a current resident visa (or one that expired 90 days ago or less), have met its conditions and shown commitment to New Zealand in 1 of the 5 ways INZ accepts. The Permanent Resident Visa costs from NZD 315, and 80% are decided within 2 weeks. ### Does the New Zealand-India FTA add Green List places? The New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement enters into force on 20 October 2026. According to MFAT's summary of key outcomes, New Zealand commits to the equivalent of 1,667 three-year temporary employment entry visas a year, with no more than 5,000 held at any time: 1,467 for 13 skilled Green List occupations and 200 for iconic Indian occupations such as yoga, music, chefs and ayurvedic practitioners. These are temporary work visas, not residence. INZ had not published how to apply when we checked. Regulations in force from 20 October 2026 exempt the new India Skilled Work and India Iconic Work visas from the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. ### What should you check before relying on this route? - Your exact occupation is listed at Tier 1 on INZ's current Green List, not only on the Green List. - The employer is accredited and the job is full-time. - You are 55 or younger and can show you speak and understand English. - Fees on INZ are 'From' amounts with no rupee figure; confirm the final cost when you apply. - Nobody has asked you to pay for the job offer. If you plan a short trip to New Zealand first, the Visitor Visa costs NZD 441 and asks for proof of your plans and onward travel. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visitor visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 to INR 3,000. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can I apply for Straight to Residence while living in India? INZ describes the visa as being for people working in, or offered, a full-time Tier 1 Green List job with an accredited employer, so you need at least a genuine offer. The archived INZ page we checked does not spell out where you must be when you apply, so confirm this on the live INZ page. #### Is NZD 6,450 the final fee for the Straight to Residence Visa? INZ shows NZD 6,450 as the 'From' cost on both the Straight to Residence and Skilled Migrant Category pages, so treat it as the starting figure. INZ publishes no rupee amount; your card's exchange rate decides what you pay in INR. #### Is there an IELTS score requirement for Straight to Residence? The INZ requirement captured for this visa is that you speak and understand English; the summary we checked gives no test score. Separately, AEWV applicants in skill level 3 to 5 jobs need English evidence, with the IELTS 4.0 minimum extended to skill level 3 roles from 1 June 2026. #### Do the FTA's Green List visas lead to residence? Not by themselves. MFAT describes them as three-year temporary employment entry visas, 1,467 of them for 13 skilled Green List occupations. Residence through Straight to Residence still requires a full-time Tier 1 Green List job with an accredited employer. ## FAQ ### Can I apply for Straight to Residence while living in India? INZ describes the visa as being for people working in, or offered, a full-time Tier 1 Green List job with an accredited employer, so you need at least a genuine offer. The archived INZ page we checked does not spell out where you must be when you apply, so confirm this on the live INZ page. ### Is NZD 6,450 the final fee for the Straight to Residence Visa? INZ shows NZD 6,450 as the 'From' cost on both the Straight to Residence and Skilled Migrant Category pages, so treat it as the starting figure. INZ publishes no rupee amount; your card's exchange rate decides what you pay in INR. ### Is there an IELTS score requirement for Straight to Residence? The INZ requirement captured for this visa is that you speak and understand English; the summary we checked gives no test score. Separately, AEWV applicants in skill level 3 to 5 jobs need English evidence, with the IELTS 4.0 minimum extended to skill level 3 roles from 1 June 2026. ### Do the FTA's Green List visas lead to residence? Not by themselves. MFAT describes them as three-year temporary employment entry visas, 1,467 of them for 13 skilled Green List occupations. Residence through Straight to Residence still requires a full-time Tier 1 Green List job with an accredited employer. ## Sources 1. [Immigration New Zealand - Straight to Residence Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/straight-to-residence-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 2. [Immigration New Zealand - Accredited Employer Work Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/accredited-employer-work-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 3. [Immigration New Zealand - Permanent Resident Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/permanent-resident-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 4. [MFAT - NZ-India FTA key outcomes](https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/free-trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements-concluded-but-not-in-force/new-zealand-india-free-trade-agreement/key-outcomes) — New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade