Work in
New Zealand
Visa & Job Market Support
Discover your path to working and living in New Zealand,
from visa options to job market guidance
Your Path to Working in New Zealand
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Immigration & Job Support for Working in New Zealand
From job search strategy to licensed immigration advice and skills assessment — explore how we help you succeed in New Zealand.
Build Your Job Search Strategy for New Zealand
Improve your CV, connect with employers, and plan your NZ job hunt effectively.
Most New Zealand work visas depend on holding a genuine job offer, yet most employers will not wait months for a candidate to become visa-ready. This creates the catch-22 that stalls thousands of skilled migrant applications every year: no visa without a job offer, and often no job offer without the right visa pathway already mapped out.
New Zealand Shores closes that gap. Our licensed immigration advisers pair a purpose-built Job Search Package with New Zealand’s job market data and vacancy access through our partner platform ZEIL, so you can approach employers as a prepared, document-ready candidate rather than a hopeful applicant. This page sets out the route most visa applicants should follow, starting with the single service that moves the needle fastest: the Job Search Package.
Start with the Job Search Package
It is the fastest way to become a credible candidate for New Zealand employers: an ATS-compliant, NZ-formatted CV, a tailored cover letter, an official New Zealand Shores representation letter to employers, and a job search strategies guide, all built around your occupation.
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Zealand by Profession
Nurse
Discover visa options, registration pathways, and job opportunities for nurses in New Zealand. High demand across public and private sectors.
Teacher
Learn how to migrate and teach in New Zealand across ECE, primary, and secondary levels. Teaching roles are part of the Green List.
Dentist
Explore requirements for dental registration and visa options. Skilled professionals are needed across both urban and rural regions.
Plumber
Find out how to migrate to New Zealand as a plumber, gasfitter, or drainlayer. Explore licensing requirements and visa pathways.
Your Path to Finding Work in New Zealand
Finding compliant work in New Zealand is not one task, it is a sequence. The order below reflects how our licensed advisers guide clients, from becoming a credible candidate through to holding a compliant job offer that supports a visa application.
1. Get Job-Ready with the Job Search Package
The Job Search Package is the core service behind every successful New Zealand job search we support. Your personal adviser prepares a New Zealand-formatted CV built to pass applicant tracking systems, a tailored cover letter template, and a representation letter from New Zealand Shores that reassures employers about your visa pathway before they commit to hiring you. You also receive a job search strategies guide covering the boards, employers and approach that suit your occupation. Clients who add ZEIL, our job-matching partner platform, gain access to job matching technology, an AI-powered CV builder and direct messaging with employers, at no cost.
2. Understand the New Zealand Job Market and Salaries
Before applying anywhere, check whether your expected salary clears Immigration New Zealand’s thresholds. The immigration median wage rose to $35.00 per hour ($72,800 a year on a 40-hour week) from 9 March 2026, and this figure sets the floor for the Green List, the Skilled Migrant Category and partner support settings. Healthcare, construction, technology and trades are the sectors adding the most demand in 2026.
3. Check Whether Your Skills Are in Demand
Not every occupation carries equal weight with New Zealand employers or Immigration New Zealand. Our advisers assess your work history against current shortage lists and the Green List, and advise honestly on your realistic prospects, including whether a temporary step down in salary, seniority or region will get you into the market faster.
4. Search Live Vacancies and Explore In-Demand Occupationsour Skills Are in Demand
Once your documents are ready, start applying. New Zealand Shores maintains partner employer relationships and occupation-specific guides covering nursing, teaching, trades, engineering, law and more, each outlining registration steps and typical demand. ZEIL adds a further layer of visually rich, filterable vacancy listings built specifically for migrant candidates.
or start with ZEIL
5. Secure a Compliant Job Offer for Your Work Visa
A job offer only supports a visa application if it meets Immigration New Zealand’s pay, accreditation and role requirements. Most skilled applicants apply under the Accredited Employer Work Visa, the Green List, or the Skilled Migrant Category, each with its own wage thresholds and evidential requirements. New Zealand Shores checks the offer against the correct visa settings before you accept it, so a signed contract does not become a rejected application.
6. No Job Offer Yet? Explore Alternative Pathways
A confirmed job is not the only route to New Zealand. Study pathways can lead to a three-year post-study open work visa, business and investment migration suits established entrepreneurs, and family or partnership categories may apply if you already have close ties here.
> Review your options
New Zealand Sectors in High Demand for Skilled Migrants
Check if your profession is in demand and explore the visa pathways available for high-priority roles.
|
Sector |
Roles in Shortage |
Typical Visa Pathway |
|
Healthcare |
Registered nurses, GPs, physiotherapists, radiographers |
Green List, Skilled Migrant Category |
|
Construction and infrastructure |
Licensed builders, quantity surveyors, civil and structural engineers, electricians, plumbers |
Accredited Employer Work Visa, Green List |
|
Technology |
Cybersecurity analysts, data engineers, DevOps engineers |
Accredited Employer Work Visa |
|
Education |
STEM and Māori-medium teachers |
Green List |
|
Trades |
Automotive technicians, refrigeration engineers, diesel mechanics |
Accredited Employer Work Visa |
|
Agriculture and agritech |
Farm managers, dairy technicians, agri-data specialists |
Accredited Employer Work Visa |
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Get Your Free New Zealand Visa Eligibility Assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get a job in New Zealand if I need a visa to work there?
Most New Zealand work visas require a job offer, but employers can hire overseas candidates who are document-ready and have their visa pathway mapped out in advance. New Zealand Shores’ Job Search Package prepares your CV, cover letter and an employer representation letter that explains the visa process, so employers can commit to hiring you with confidence. Licensed advisers then match your job offer against the correct visa category.
What does the New Zealand Shores Job Search Package include?
It includes an ATS-compliant, New Zealand-formatted CV, a tailored cover letter template, a representation letter from New Zealand Shores addressed to prospective employers, and a job search strategies guide covering the boards, sectors and employers relevant to your occupation. Clients also gain access to ZEIL, our job-matching partner platform.
How does the ZEIL job platform help skilled migrants find work?
ZEIL is a New Zealand job marketplace that New Zealand Shores has partnered with to give clients job matching technology, an AI-powered CV builder and direct messaging with employers. Candidates without current work rights receive a free visa-eligibility check through New Zealand Shores as part of signing up.
Which sectors in New Zealand are most in demand for migrant workers?
Healthcare, construction and infrastructure, technology, education, trades, and agriculture and agritech all show sustained demand for skilled migrant workers. Many roles in these sectors sit on the Green List, which offers a faster pathway to residence.
Can I move to New Zealand without a job offer?
Yes, in certain circumstances. Study pathways can lead to an open post-study work visa, business and investment migration suits established entrepreneurs, and family or partnership categories may apply if you have a New Zealand resident or citizen parent or partner. New Zealand Shores can assess which of these applies to you.
How long does it take to become job offer ready?
Timing depends on your documents. Police certificates and qualification assessments can take weeks or months to obtain, so New Zealand Shores recommends preparing these alongside your job search rather than afterwards. Clients who are already document-ready when an offer arrives can typically start work within four weeks.