New Zealand vs Solomon Islands
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 New Zealand and Solomon Islands 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
- Immigration New Zealand
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) - verified
- Solomon Islands Immigration Division
Solomon Islands Immigration Division - verified
- Immigration New Zealand — Skilled Migrant Category
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) - verified
- Solomon Islands work permit guidance
Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration, Solomon Islands - verified
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
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands publishes visa categories through the official Immigration Division site and work-permit guidance through the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration. The current Visa Atlas packet covers visitor, short-term business, work permit, working resident, student, dependant/family and permanent resident routes, with direct notes where the official pages state filing is temporarily in person while online systems are being tested. Applicants should confirm the active filing channel, fee and supporting documents before paying or travelling.
- Official portal
- Solomon Islands Immigration Division
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Solomon Islands dollar
How New Zealand and Solomon Islands differ
| Dimension | New Zealand | Solomon Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 7 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 3 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 3 | 1 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | SMC resident visa -> Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years -> citizenship after 5 years of qualifying resident presence. | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa | Work Permit |
| 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, Te Reo Māori, NZ Sign Language | English |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar | Solomon Islands dollar |
| Primary regulator | IAA | SID |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 1 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
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
Solomon Islands
Work Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
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 New Zealand
Routes unique to Solomon Islands
Visa routes side by side
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.
Solomon Islands (7)
Visitor Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Tourist visitor category: 30 days single entry, renewal available, maximum stay up to 150 days. Other visitor subcategories have their own limits.
Business Visa - Short-Term
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Official short-term page: 90 days stay. Immigration categories page: up to 180 days with multiple entry and not extendable for the listed business category.
Work Permit
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Permit validity depends on approval; use alongside the relevant working resident visa where required.
Working Resident Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Long-term employment: two years, unlimited entries, extendable. Short-term employment: six months single entry, extension after first six months.
Student Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Two years; extendable.
Dependent / Family Relationship Visa
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to two years for listed dependant/family categories; extension available where stated.
Permanent Resident Visa
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Five years; extendable.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, New Zealand or Solomon Islands?+
New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa requires a salary of at least NZ$35/hour; Solomon Islands’s Work Permit is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Which immigration system has changed more recently, New Zealand or Solomon Islands?+
In the last 6 months: 1 logged policy change for New Zealand, 0 for Solomon Islands. See the recent-policy section above for the details, each linked to its primary source.
Does New Zealand or Solomon Islands have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
New Zealand has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 3 for Solomon Islands. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
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, "New Zealand vs Solomon Islands immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/new-zealand/vs/solomon-islands. Last verified 29 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons