New Zealand vs Republic of Türkiye
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 Republic of Türkiye 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
- Presidency of Migration Management
Presidency of Migration Management (Türkiye) - verified
- Immigration New Zealand — Skilled Migrant Category
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) - verified
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security - Work Permit Types
Directorate General of International Labour Force - 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
Republic of Türkiye
Türkiye administers foreigner migration through two authorities: the Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı), under the Ministry of Interior, which issues residence permits via the e-ikamet system, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, whose Directorate General of International Labour Force grants work permits via the e-permit system. Headline routes are the employer-sponsored work permit, the short-term residence permit, and the Turquoise Card (an indefinite work right for highly qualified applicants).
- Official portal
- Presidency of Migration Management (Türkiye)
- Languages
- Turkish
- Currency
- Turkish lira
How New Zealand and Republic of Türkiye differ
| Dimension | New Zealand | Republic of Türkiye |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 7 | 8 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 6 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 3 | 6 |
| 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 | Turkey Work Permit (employer-sponsored) |
| 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 | Turkish |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar | Turkish lira |
| Primary regulator | IAA | TBB |
| 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
Republic of Türkiye
Turkey Work Permit (employer-sponsored)
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- 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 New Zealand
Routes unique to Republic of Türkiye
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.
Republic of Türkiye (8)
Turkey Work Permit (employer-sponsored)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Definite permit up to one year initially, extendable; permanent work permit available after eight years legal work.
Turkey Short-Term Residence Permit
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to one or two years per issuance, renewable.
Turkey Turquoise Card
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Provisional three-year transition period, then indefinite on successful conversion.
Turkey Digital Nomad Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Temporary; tied to the visa and short-term residence period granted on entry.
Turkey Family Residence Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to two years per issuance, not exceeding the sponsor permit duration; renewable.
Turkey Student Residence Permit
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Tied to the period of study; renewable while enrolled.
Turkey Citizenship by Investment
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Citizenship, subject to a three-year no-sale restriction on the qualifying property.
Turkey Long-Term Residence Permit
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Indefinite, subject to the conditions of the permit.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, New Zealand or Republic of Türkiye?+
New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa requires a salary of at least NZ$35/hour; Republic of Türkiye’s Turkey Work Permit (employer-sponsored) 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 Republic of Türkiye?+
In the last 6 months: 1 logged policy change for New Zealand, 0 for Republic of Türkiye. See the recent-policy section above for the details, each linked to its primary source.
Does New Zealand or Republic of Türkiye have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Türkiye has more: 6 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 5 for New Zealand. 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 Republic of Türkiye immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/new-zealand/vs/turkey. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons