New Zealand Releases Lists of 9 Care Sector Occupations Qualified for Permanent Residency

• New Zealand's immigration authority has published a list of 9 care workforce occupations that can lead to permanent residency under a dedicated pathway
• Applicants must work full-time in one of the listed roles for at least 24 months within a 30-month window before submitting their application
• Workers must also earn at least the care workforce sector wage rate throughout their qualifying employment period

New Zealand has outlined nine specific care sector jobs that can qualify workers for permanent residency under the country's Care Workforce and Transport Sector Pathway to Residence.

According to New Zealand Immigration, the pathway requires applicants to have worked full-time in one of the listed occupations for a minimum of 24 months within the 30 months immediately preceding their application.

New Zealand: Qualifying care workforce jobs

The roles eligible under the scheme span a broad range of care and support positions. The full list includes:

1. Māori Health Assistant — Kaiawhina (Hauora)
2. Disabilities Services Officer
3. Residential Care Officer
4. Aged or Disabled Carer
5. Nursing Support Worker
6. Personal Care Assistant
7. Therapy Aide
8. Child or Youth Residential Care Assistant
9. Diversional Therapist

The occupations cover work across aged care, disability support, residential services, and child welfare settings, reflecting the sectors where New Zealand has identified sustained workforce demand.

Wage requirement, eligibility conditions

Alongside the work experience requirement, applicants must have been paid at least the care workforce sector wage rate throughout their qualifying 24-month period. This earnings threshold is a mandatory condition of the pathway and is not waived for any of the listed roles.

The structure of the pathway means that workers cannot count casual or part-time hours towards their qualifying period; only full-time employment in one of the nine specified roles is accepted. Applicants have a 30-month window from which to draw their 24 months of qualifying employment, providing some flexibility for those who may have changed employers within the sector.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that New Zealand released the list of occupations that grant foreigners a Peak Season Work Visa.

New Zealand: Occupations qualified for Work-to-Residence pathway

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously published that New Zealand decided to add 10 trades occupations to its Green List Work to Residence pathway. The roles include welders, fitters, metal fabricators, panel beaters and vehicle painters.

For skilled workers from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, the update could offer a clearer route to permanent residency in New Zealand. The changes also come with revised wage thresholds for skilled resident visas, making the new pathway worth a closer look.