New Zealand Sets New Salary Rules for Foreigners Seeking Permanent Residency

• New Zealand Immigration announced changes to wage rate requirements affecting multiple work-to-residence visa categories from August 24, 2026
• Migrants will only need to meet the wage rate in place when they first began counting their 24 months of eligible work experience
• A new grace period provision will also protect migrants whose required wage rate rises after their visa is granted

New Zealand Immigration has announced a significant overhaul of the wage rate rules that govern work-to-residence visa pathways, with the new framework set to take effect on August 24, 2026.

The changes affect holders of the Tier 2 Green List Work to Residence Visa, the Transport Work to Residence Visa, and the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa, as well as applicants under the Skilled Migrant Category Visa.

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What is changing in New Zealand's wage rate rules

Under the existing framework, migrants must satisfy the required wage rate at three separate stages: when they begin accumulating their 24 months of eligible work experience, when they change jobs or employers, and again at the point of applying for residence.

As of March 2026, New Zealand's median wage stands at NZD $35.00 per hour, which serves as the benchmark for many of these calculations.

From August 24, migrants will only be required to meet the wage rate that was in force when they first started counting their work experience.

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The obligation to satisfy a higher wage threshold upon changing employers during the work experience period will be removed, as will the requirement to meet any subsequently increased rate at the time of the residence application.

The 24-month work experience requirement within a 30-month window remains unchanged under the new provisions.

Grace period provision for visa holders

Alongside the simplified wage rate rules, a new grace period will come into effect on the same date. The provision is designed to protect migrants whose required wage rate increases between the date their visa is granted and the point at which they begin their work experience.

Three conditions must be met to qualify. The migrant must have started work within five months of their visa being granted, must have been earning the required wage rate at the time the visa was issued, and must have continued accumulating work experience within the 30-month counting window. Where all three conditions are satisfied, the migrant may apply the wage rate that was in place when their visa was originally granted, rather than any higher rate introduced afterwards.

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Simplifying the residency pathway

New Zealand Immigration described the changes as an effort to reduce the administrative burden on skilled migrants and create a more predictable route to residency.

The reforms are considered particularly significant for workers in the care and transport sectors, where employer changes are relatively common and where migrants have previously faced uncertainty around shifting wage thresholds mid-pathway.

Canada creates pathway for 1,000 permanent residents

Earlier, YEN.com.gh announced that Canada had extended 1,000 invitations to apply for permanent residence on August 18, 2026.

The invitations were issued through a draw conducted exclusively under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream of the Express Entry system

Source: YEN.com.gh