New Zealand: Immigration Announces Green List Changes, 17 Occupations Leave Work to Residence in March 2027 as Special Education Teachers Move to Straight to Residence
Immigration New Zealand announced on November 3 that the Government is making changes to the Green List following the introduction of new Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) pathways. From 8 March 2027, 17 occupations will move out of the Tier 2 Green List roles for the Work to Residence Visa because they are covered by the new SMC pathways. Transitional arrangements let people who have already started accumulating qualifying work experience keep counting it towards the existing 24-month Work to Residence requirement, and people in those occupations may instead qualify for residence through SMC pathways including the Trades and Technician pathway.
Four special education teaching occupations will move from the Work to Residence pathway to the Tier 1 Straight to Residence pathway: Special Needs Teacher, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Sight Impaired, and Special Education Teachers not elsewhere classified. Eligible people will be able to apply directly for residence without first completing two years of qualifying work in New Zealand. INZ said special education teachers are registered teachers who deliver the same curriculum as other teachers, and the move aligns their pathway with comparable teaching roles.
Other changes affect Sterilisation Technicians, and Career Counsellor will be removed from the Tier 1 Straight to Residence roles. INZ said the Green List is expected to be reviewed again in 2027, and relevant webpages will be updated closer to when the changes take effect.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：新西兰国会大厦（惠灵顿），Daderot 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC0 授权 / Photo: New Zealand Parliament buildings in Wellington, by Daderot, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
