Primary Teachers to be Added to the ‘Straight to Residence’ Pathway

The NZ government has announced that primary teachers will be added to the straight to residence pathway on the country’s Green List from 26 March 2025.

This change will help to address the primary teacher shortages across the country, particularly in Auckland and Northland.

Primary teachers were previously on the Work to Residence pathway meaning they had to work for two years before applying for residency, however this change now allows teachers to apply straight away, provided they have an employment offer from an accredited employer.

NZ’s Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says “last year, we shifted secondary school teachers to the Straight to Residence pathway which resulted in 480 new teachers in classrooms, benefitting thousands of students. Around 1170 people were supported with an Overseas Relocation Grant of up to $10,000 when coming to New Zealand”.

If you are a primary teacher and are interested in the opportunity to live and work in New Zealand, please email borey@nzskillsindemand.co.nz.

For more information about the new announcement, please click here.