Turning 56 soon? When New Zealand checks your age for Green List residence

Immigration New Zealand requires principal applicants for Straight to Residence and Work to Residence to be 55 or younger when they apply. Receiving a job offer, starting work or saving an application online does not lodge a residence application.

Compare your birthday with the date you can meet the requirements

Suppose you turn 56 on 10 December and receive a job offer in November. Check the employer, role and occupation requirements and when you can assemble the remaining documents. If you lodge on or after 10 December, you are over the published age limit for both routes.

For Tier 1, check whether your current job or offer meets the Straight to Residence requirements. For Tier 2, also confirm that you have 24 months of eligible work within the 30 months before applying. If the qualifying period will only be complete after your 56th birthday, starting an online form early does not move that date.

Keep a record of the submission

Confirm your date of birth against your identity documents. List the intended lodgement date and the dates when you expect to have each piece of evidence. Once you submit, keep the acknowledgment, application number and payment record. If the online status is unclear, ask INZ to confirm whether the application was lodged.

See the Tier 1 job offer guide and the Tier 2 qualifying work period guide.

Policy checked on 6 November 2026 against Immigration New Zealand's Straight to Residence and Work to Residence age requirements.