Starting from May 2024, secondary school teachers have a new, faster pathway to residence through the Green List Straight to Residence process.
The recent announcement by the government adds secondary school teachers to the high-demand Tier 1 Green List occupations alongside medical professionals, skilled engineers, and highly-paid ICT professionals. This strategic decision is aimed at addressing the anticipated shortage of secondary school teachers in the foreseeable future.
Under this revised pathway, qualified overseas secondary school teachers can seek residency from abroad under the following conditions:
- Registration with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
- Securing a job offer from an accredited employer.
This change removes the original requirement to complete two years of skilled employment as a secondary school teacher in New Zealand before applying for work to residence.
This policy adjustment will be implemented in May, streamlining the immigration process for eligible secondary school teachers. It’s important to note that other teaching professionals will continue to follow the 2-year Tier 2 Green List Work to Residence pathway as before.
To see if you qualify, give one of our licensed advisers a call.
Steven Dunning
Licensed Immigration Adviser