Green List Tier 2 wage increases before you start: How the five-month grace period works

If the required wage for your role rises between the grant of your work visa and your start date, Immigration New Zealand may let you use the rate that applied when it granted your work visa. You must have earned at least that rate within five months of the grant and within the 30 months immediately before you apply for Work to Residence.

Put three dates on one timeline

Record the work visa grant date, the date you began earning at least the required rate, and your intended residence application date. Look up the wage for your occupation on the grant date, since some roles have their own thresholds. Then check whether the date you began earning that rate falls within both windows.

Suppose your work visa was granted in February and you began earning the former required rate when you started work in June. Use the exact dates to check whether that was within five months. Then count back 30 months from your intended residence application. If your submission moves later, check whether the date you met the wage threshold is still inside that window. A visa grant notice establishes the grant date. Your employment and payroll records show when you began earning the applicable rate.

Check eligible employment separately

Even if the grace period applies, you still need at least 24 months of eligible work in the 30 months before applying, as well as a qualifying current job or offer and the other residence requirements. If you changed employer, role or pay, record each period separately and check the relevant INZ wage rule before counting it. See the Tier 2 guide to counting 24 months of work.

Gather evidence of your first qualifying pay period

Keep your visa grant notice, employment agreement, first payslip, hours worked and any later pay change. If the first payslip covers only part of a pay period, use the dates and hours alongside the agreement to check the rate. For a review with Premiervisa Group, have the occupation, grant date, actual start date, wage records and intended lodgement date ready.

Policy checked on 6 November 2026. See Immigration New Zealand’s Work to Residence wage rules and the Work to Residence Visa requirements.