New Zealand's aged care and disability support sector relies heavily on migrant workers, and it has its own route to residence. Most care workers come on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), then apply for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa after 24 months.
Two details decide how well this works for you: your skill level, which affects how long you can stay and whether your family can join you, and your pay, which must stay at or above the care workforce rate if you want residence.
Step 1: The AEWV for Care Workers
You need a job offer from an accredited employer with an approved Job Check. The job must:
- be at least 30 hours a week
- pay at least the market rate for the role (the AEWV no longer uses the median wage)
- meet legal pay requirements such as the minimum wage
The AEWV costs from NZ$1,540, and INZ decides 80% of applications within 5.5 weeks. You'll need to show English ability, because care roles are skill level 3–5. See the full AEWV guide.
If you plan to apply for residence later, ask for at least NZ$28.25 an hour from day one. Your 24 months only counts while you're paid at least the care workforce rate.
Your Skill Level: Why 3 Years' Experience Matters
The main caregiving occupations are ANZSCO skill level 4:
| Occupation | ANZSCO code | Official level |
|---|---|---|
| Aged or Disabled Carer (incl. personal carer) | 423111 | 4 |
| Nursing Support Worker | 423312 | 4 |
| Personal Care Assistant | 423313 | 4 |
INZ recognises all three at skill level 3 for the AEWV, the Skilled Migrant Category and other temporary visas if you have at least 3 years of relevant work experience, or a relevant level 4 NZQCF qualification (such as the NZ Certificate in Health and Wellbeing Level 4).
That upgrade changes a lot:
| Skill level 4 | Recognised at skill level 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum stay on AEWVs | 3 years | 5 years |
| Bringing your partner | Needs NZ$28/hr or the care workforce rate, plus the residence job requirements | Needs NZ$28/hr |
| Supporting your children's visas | Generally not possible | Possible |
| Counts as skilled employment for the SMC | No | Yes, if the SMC wage threshold is met |
For the AEWV, your employer must list the experience or qualification requirement in the Job Check. Your visa uses the skill level set there.
Some newer care roles are on INZ's National Occupation List at skill level 3 for the AEWV, including Support Worker (Mental Health and Addiction), Dementia Navigator, Dementia Homeshare Coordinator, Health Coach and Peer Support Worker. Aged Care Coordinator is level 2. See the full list.
Step 2: Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa
This is the main residence pathway for care workers.
| Cost | NZ$6,450 |
| Age | 55 or younger when you apply |
| Work experience | 24 months in NZ care workforce jobs within the 30 months before you apply |
| Pay | At least the care workforce wage rate in place when your 24 months started: NZ$28.25/hour (from 1 July 2022) |
| Current job | A care workforce job, or offer, with an accredited employer, permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, at the same rate or higher |
| English | Required |
| Family | You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger |
Eligible care workforce jobs
- Aged or Disabled Carer
- Nursing Support Worker
- Personal Care Assistant
- Residential Care Officer
- Disabilities Services Officer
- Therapy Aide
- Diversional Therapist
- Māori Health Assistant (Kaiawhina, Hauora)
- Child or Youth Residential Care Assistant
How the 24 months can be counted
- It can be made up of several periods. For example, two 12-month stretches with a 6-month gap.
- Paid leave you're legally entitled to counts, including annual, bereavement and parental leave.
- Some of the time can be in a job outside the care workforce if it was a Green List Tier 2 job, a transport sector job, or paid at least twice the median wage at the time.
- You must have held a work visa (or an interim visa while applying for one) for the full 24 months before you apply.
If your job is removed from the care workforce list after you start, your time still counts, as long as you stay in that job and keep being paid at least the rate that applied when you started.
After 2 years on the resident visa, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
Other Residence Options
- Skilled Migrant Category: possible if your role is recognised at skill level 3 and you're paid at least the SMC wage threshold, NZ$35.00/hour from 9 March 2026. Most care workers use the care workforce route instead, because its wage rate is lower. See Skilled Migrant Category.
- Green List: registered nurses are on the Green List, but caregiver roles (4231 and 4233) are not. If you're a qualified nurse working as a carer, getting your nursing registration in NZ may open the Green List instead.
Bringing Your Family
On the AEWV:
- Partner: if your role is recognised at level 3, you need at least NZ$28/hour. If it's level 4 in the care workforce sector agreement, you need at least NZ$28/hour or the care workforce rate, whichever is higher, and must meet the Care Workforce Work to Residence job requirements (but not the 24 months' experience). See partnership work visas.
- Children: generally only possible if your job is recognised at skill level 1–3.
On the Care Workforce resident visa: you can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in your application.
Common Mistakes
- Starting below NZ$28.25 an hour. Time paid below the care workforce rate doesn't count toward residence.
- Not having the 3 years' experience or level 4 qualification listed in the Job Check. Without it, your job is assessed at level 4, which means a shorter stay and fewer family options.
- Turning 56 before applying. The age limit is 55 at the time you apply, so plan your 24 months with this in mind.
- Gaps in your visa. You must have held a work visa, or an interim visa, for the full 24 months before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a qualification to get a care worker AEWV?
Not necessarily. INZ checks you meet the minimum skill requirements for an AEWV, which can be a level 4 qualification or relevant work experience, unless an exemption applies. A level 4 qualification or 3 years' experience also gets your role recognised at skill level 3.
Does home and community support work count?
Yes, if your job is one of the care workforce occupations listed above, such as Aged or Disabled Carer, which includes personal carers working in clients' homes.
What if I'm already in New Zealand on another visa?
You can apply for an AEWV from within New Zealand once an accredited employer offers you a role with an approved Job Check. If your current visa is about to expire, apply before it does so you get an interim visa.
Care worker visas turn on small details like your exact pay, skill level and dates. Get matched with a licensed immigration adviser to plan your route to residence from your first day.
Sources: Immigration New Zealand pages on the AEWV, the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa, work to residence wage rates, ANZSCO occupations recognised at a higher skill level and the Partner of a Worker Work Visa, checked 7 October 2026.