Republic of Kenya vs New Zealand
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Republic of Kenya and New Zealand government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS)
Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya) - verified
- Immigration New Zealand
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) - verified
- Class D (Employment) - Directorate of Immigration Services
Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya) - verified
- Immigration New Zealand — Skilled Migrant Category
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) - verified
Republic of Kenya
Kenya's Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS) administers entry, residence and work authorisation under the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011. Foreign nationals work mainly under lettered work-permit classes — most commonly Class D (employment by a specific employer), Class G (trade, business or consultancy) and Class K (ordinary residents with an assured external income) — while short-term and dependent stays use the Special, Dependant's and Student's passes. Applications are filed online through the eFNS portal.
- Official portal
- Directorate of Immigration Services (Kenya)
- Languages
- English, Swahili
- Currency
- Kenyan shilling
New Zealand
New Zealand's immigration system is administered by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), a branch of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) is the primary points-based residence pathway. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the main employer-sponsored temporary route, replacing the former Essential Skills visa in 2022. Working Holiday Schemes, Post-Study Work Visas, and investor categories round out the system.
- Official portal
- Immigration New Zealand (INZ)
- Languages
- English, Te Reo Māori, NZ Sign Language
- Currency
- New Zealand dollar
How Republic of Kenya and New Zealand differ
| Dimension | Republic of Kenya | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 8 | 7 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 5 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 5 | 3 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | — | SMC resident visa -> Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years -> citizenship after 5 years of qualifying resident presence. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Class D Work Permit (Employment) | Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | NZ$35/hour |
| Skilled visa processing time | — | Immigration New Zealand's resident-visa wait times page currently reports 80% of Skilled Migrant Category applications completed within 4 months, with an 11-week average wait. |
| Skilled visa government fees | — | New Zealand publishes NZD 6,450 as the application cost for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, with no separate EOI submission fee. |
| Official languages | English, Swahili | English, Te Reo Māori, NZ Sign Language |
| Currency | Kenyan shilling | New Zealand dollar |
| Primary regulator | LSK | IAA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 1 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Kenya
Class D Work Permit (Employment)
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
New Zealand
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
- Salary minimum
- NZ$35/hour
- Government fees
- New Zealand publishes NZD 6,450 as the application cost for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, with no separate EOI submission fee.
- Processing time
- Immigration New Zealand's resident-visa wait times page currently reports 80% of Skilled Migrant Category applications completed within 4 months, with an 11-week average wait.
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Recent policy activity
Last 6 months. Each entry links to its primary government source.
- 9 March 2026New Zealand
New Zealand: SMC reform from 24 August 2026 and a higher immigration median wage
Immigration New Zealand raised the immigration median wage and announced a Skilled Migrant Category overhaul taking effect in August 2026.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ)
Routes unique to Republic of Kenya
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Kenya (8)
Class D Work Permit (Employment)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Issued and renewable in line with the employment; counts toward the residence record for permanent residence.
Class G Work Permit (Trade, Business or Consultancy)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Issued and renewable in line with the business; counts toward the residence record for permanent residence.
Class K Permit (Ordinary Residents)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Issued and renewable subject to continued assured income; counts toward the residence record for permanent residence.
Class A Work Permit (Prospecting and Mining)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Issued and renewable in line with the licensed activity; counts toward the residence record for permanent residence.
Special Pass
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 6 months maximum; not a settlement route.
Dependant's Pass
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Aligned to the sponsor status; renewable while the relationship and sponsor status continue.
Student's Pass
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Aligned to the course of study; renewable while enrolled.
Permanent Residence
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent on grant, subject to the conditions of the Act.
New Zealand (7)
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 5 years for most jobs; often 3 years for ANZSCO or NOL skill level 4 or 5 jobs.
Working Holiday Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Usually 12 months; some schemes allow longer stays, including up to 23 months for Canadians and 36 months for UK citizens.
Post-Study Work Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 1–3 years depending on qualification level and study location.
Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Active Investor Plus Visa
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Resident visa; permanent residence after meeting conditions over 3 years (Growth) or 5 years (Balanced).
Student Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration of the study programme plus a short buffer, up to 4 years.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Kenya or New Zealand?+
Republic of Kenya’s Class D Work Permit (Employment) is the dominant skilled route; New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa requires NZ$35/hour. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Which immigration system has changed more recently, Republic of Kenya or New Zealand?+
In the last 6 months: 0 logged policy changes for Republic of Kenya, 1 for New Zealand. See the recent-policy section above for the details, each linked to its primary source.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Republic of Kenya vs New Zealand immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/kenya/vs/new-zealand. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons