New Zealand’s Immigration Median Wage Rises to $35/hr: A Practical Guide for Employers, Onshore Workers, and Offshore Applicants
From 9 March 2026, New Zealand’s immigration median wage increased from NZD $33.56 to NZD $35.00 per hour. While the median wage was removed as a blanket hiring floor for most Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) roles back in March 2025, it remains the index that drives a wide range of eligibility thresholds across New Zealand’s immigration settings — from partner visa income requirements to skilled residence pathways. For employers, migrant workers already in New Zealand, and those planning their application from abroad, the practical implications are different in each case and worth understanding clearly.
Why the Median Wage Still Matters After March 2025
There is a common misconception that because INZ removed the median wage as a general AEWV pay requirement in March 2025, the figure is now largely irrelevant. That is not the case. The median wage continues to function as a reference index embedded in multiple immigration settings — and when it moves, those settings move with it automatically.
Think of it less as a minimum wage and more as a calibration instrument. The thresholds that govern who can support a partner visa, who qualifies for a five-year maximum stay, which employers can bypass the advertising requirement, and what income is needed to pursue skilled residence — all of these are expressed as multiples or proportions of the immigration median wage. A rise from $33.56 to $35.00 per hour therefore touches a broader set of rules than many employers and migrants anticipate.
| Setting | Previous Threshold | From 9 March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration median wage | NZD $33.56/hr | NZD $35.00/hr |
| Partner support — Skill level 1–3 | NZD $26.85/hr | NZD $28.00/hr |
| Partner support — Skill level 4–5 | NZD $50.34/hr | NZD $52.50/hr |
| Partner support — Green List | NZD $33.56/hr | NZD $35.00/hr |
| Green List roles (no specific pay threshold): minimum pay | NZD $33.56/hr | NZD $35.00/hr |
| 5-year maximum stay eligibility (1.5× median) | NZD $50.34/hr | NZD $52.50/hr |
| Advertising exemption (2× median) | NZD $67.12/hr | NZD $70.00/hr |
Skilled residence pathways — including the Skilled Migrant Category, Green List Straight to Residence — have also updated their wage thresholds in line with the new rate.
For Offshore Applicants: Planning Your Move to New Zealand
Offshore Applicants
If you are planning an application from outside New Zealand, the key question is whether the role you have been offered meets the thresholds that apply on the date your Job Check or visa application is submitted — not the date your offer was made or your plans began.
Green List Applicants
If your occupation appears on the Green List without a specific pay threshold attached to it, the minimum hourly rate you must be offered to qualify has moved from $33.56 to $35.00. For roles that do carry a specified threshold, check whether that threshold has also been updated — many are linked to multiples of the median wage and will have adjusted accordingly. Salary package conversations with a prospective employer should take place with these new figures in mind, not the rates that may have been publicised or discussed prior to 9 March.
Skilled Migrant Category and Work to Residence
The income thresholds used to assess eligibility for the Skilled Migrant Category or Green List Straight to Residence pathway have all increased in line with the new median wage. If your application is in preparation and the salary in your offer letter was structured around the previous thresholds, it is worth reviewing whether it still satisfies the updated requirements before you submit.
Supporting Your Partner
If you intend to bring a partner to New Zealand on a partnership-based visa, your income must meet the relevant partner support threshold. From 9 March 2026, that threshold is NZD $28.00 per hour for skill level 1–3 occupations, and NZD $35.00 per hour for Green List roles. For higher-skilled or lower-skilled occupations outside the Green List, the threshold sits at NZD $52.50 per hour. These increases may affect whether your household’s visa planning remains viable at your current or offered salary level.
The 47 New NOL Occupations
From 9 March 2026, a further 47 occupations at skill levels 1 to 3 have been added to the National Occupation List (NOL). The NOL now replaces ANZSCO as New Zealand’s occupation classification framework. If your occupation was previously excluded from AEWV pathways due to its classification, it may now qualify — and an immigration adviser can confirm whether the change opens up options that were previously unavailable to you.
Applications submitted before 9 March 2026
Job Checks lodged on or before 8 March 2026, and all Job Tokens and AEWV applications linked to them, will be assessed under the previous wage rates and skill level settings. You do not need to resubmit or update an already-lodged application to reflect the new thresholds. The new rates apply only to applications submitted from 9 March 2026 onward.
For Onshore Migrant Workers: What Changes While You Are Already Here
Onshore Migrant Workers
If you are currently in New Zealand on an AEWV or related work visa, the median wage increase does not automatically create a pay rise obligation for your employer — or invalidate your existing visa. The wage thresholds that apply to you are those that were in effect when your current visa conditions were set. This is a common source of confusion and we strongly encourage you and/or your employer to contact us if a clarification is required.
When the New Thresholds Will Affect You
The updated thresholds become relevant at your next significant immigration event — most commonly a visa renewal, a change to your job conditions, or a new application. If you are planning to renew your AEWV, apply for a different visa category, or bring a partner to New Zealand, the 9 March 2026 thresholds will apply at that point. Planning ahead for these milestones — and checking that your current salary meets the new requirements — is advisable well before any application deadline.
Partner Visa Holders
If your partner’s visa is linked to an income threshold attached to your employment, the new thresholds affect the income level your employer must pay for any new or possibly renewed support of that visa. Workers at skill levels 1–3 need to be earning at least $28.00 per hour to continue supporting a partner; workers in Green List roles need to meet the new $35.00 per hour floor. If your current pay sits between the old and new thresholds, this warrants a direct conversation with your employer about whether a salary adjustment is appropriate.
Maximum Stay and the 1.5× Threshold
Workers in lower-skilled roles who earn at least 1.5 times the median wage can access the maximum continuous stay period of five years on an AEWV. That threshold has moved from $50.34 to $52.50 per hour. Workers currently relying on this provision and earning between these two figures should confirm their status with their employer and adviser before their next renewal.
For New Zealand Employers: Salary, Hiring, and Accreditation Considerations
New Zealand Employers
For employers using the AEWV system, the most important thing to understand about the March 2026 update is that the general pay floor for AEWV roles — abolished in March 2025 — has not been reinstated. You are not required to pay all migrant workers the new median wage of $35.00 per hour. However, a number of the thresholds that govern what you can offer migrant employees, and what visa conditions they can access, have moved. These are worth reviewing now rather than discovering at the point of a Job Check or visa application.
Advertising Exemption: The 2× Threshold
Employers recruiting for roles paid at twice the median wage — now NZD $70.00 per hour — are exempt from the requirement to advertise the position and demonstrate that no suitable New Zealand candidates were available. If you were close to this threshold with roles priced near the previous $67.12 floor, a salary review may be warranted to maintain that exemption for new Job Checks.
Green List Roles: Minimum Pay Has Moved
For Green List occupations that do not carry a specific pay threshold, the minimum you must offer is now $35.00 per hour. If your Green List salary offers were set against the $33.56 figure, they need to be updated for any Job Check submitted from 9 March 2026.
Supporting Partners: Knock-on Effects for Retention
One area employers sometimes overlook is the impact wage thresholds have on your ability to attract and retain migrant workers who wish to bring their partners to New Zealand. If a candidate’s salary places them just below the partner support threshold — now $28.00 per hour for skill level 1–3 roles — that may be a decisive factor in whether they accept your offer or choose a competitor. Understanding how your salary structure interacts with your candidates’ personal immigration goals is a meaningful part of competitive hiring in an international labour market.
5-Year Stay Eligibility: The 1.5× Threshold
Migrant employees who earn at least 1.5 times the median wage — now $52.50 per hour — are eligible for the maximum five-year continuous stay on an AEWV. For employers who have structured contracts or long-term workforce plans around this provision, confirming that the salaries in question still clear the new threshold matters for both the employee’s visa duration and your own workforce continuity planning.
The 47 New NOL Occupations
If you have been unable to hire migrants for certain roles because the occupation did not appear on the National Occupation List, the March 2026 addition of 47 new skill level 1–3 roles may change that. Employers in sectors such as hospitality, construction, trades, and healthcare are among those who may find that recruitment options have widened. An immigration adviser can assess whether your specific vacancies now sit within the expanded NOL.
Timing Your Job Check
Job Checks submitted on or before 8 March 2026 are assessed under the previous thresholds. From 9 March, all new Job Checks are subject to the updated wage settings and the revised NOL classifications. If you had recruitment in progress or planned, the timing of lodgement has direct implications for which rules apply — and it is worth confirming this with an adviser if there is any uncertainty.
A note on existing migrant employees
The median wage increase does not automatically require you to raise the pay of your current migrant workforce. Existing visa conditions remain in effect until a renewal or change occurs. That said, if any of your current migrant employees are approaching a visa renewal — particularly those relying on partner support thresholds or the 1.5× stay provision — a proactive salary conversation now avoids complications later.
The Bigger Picture: Annual Indexation Is Here to Stay
One of the less-discussed aspects of New Zealand’s immigration settings is that the median wage is updated on a regular basis, meaning these thresholds will continue to shift year on year. Employers and migrants alike who structured their arrangements around a static figure may find themselves periodically rechecking whether their situations remain compliant. This is less of a one-off adjustment and more of an ongoing feature of the immigration landscape — one that rewards staying informed and having reliable professional support in place.
The transition from ANZSCO to the National Occupation List adds another dimension to this: not only do wage figures move, but occupational classifications themselves are reviewed annually, with roles being added, reclassified, or redefined. For some occupations, the eligibility window can open or close in a single update cycle.
Getting the Detail Right Is Where We Come In
Whether you are an employer reviewing your upcoming Job Checks and salary structures, a migrant worker approaching a visa renewal or planning to bring a partner to New Zealand, or an offshore applicant trying to confirm that your offer still meets the updated thresholds — the interaction between the new median wage and your specific situation is rarely straightforward to assess without specialist knowledge.
At New Zealand Shores, we keep pace with these changes as they happen and work through the practical implications with our clients before they become problems. If the March 2026 update has raised questions about your visa, your hiring plans, or your residence pathway, we are here to work through the detail with you.
Talk to our team today. Contact New Zealand Shores for a consultation.