Invercargill City Council welcomes people to "the city of water and light" and says Invercargill is known as Waihōpai in te reo Māori, the Māori language. The same page describes the city as the heart and commercial hub of Southland and New Zealand's southernmost city, and notes that the regional accent, with its strong rolling R, comes from Scotland.

A move here still runs through the national visa system. Immigration New Zealand (INZ), which decides visa applications, offers no Invercargill visa: you need a New Zealand visa that covers your plans, plus a job or a place to study in the city, and on the skilled work routes the job offer is part of your application.

Working in Invercargill

Farming sits at the base of the regional economy: Environment Southland, the regional council, says agriculture and primary production are the main contributors to Southland's economy, and it works with farmers to manage land and water sustainably. Great South, Southland's regional development agency, says the region is diversifying its economy by building on that strong primary sector: its Beyond 2025 Southland plan sees aquaculture (farming fish, shellfish and seaweed) and tourism as the region's big opportunities, alongside others such as data centres and satellite ground stations.

Before relying on an offer from a Southland employer, look it up on INZ's accredited employer list, which shows whether a business is approved to hire workers from overseas. The list has one search field, for the company or trading name or the 13-digit New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), and nothing to narrow results by place, so it cannot bring up Invercargill's accredited employers as a group. INZ updates it as employers join the accreditation programme or renew their accreditation.

Studying in Invercargill

• Southern Institute of Technology (SIT): a polytechnic, meaning a public institute for practical, job-focused training. Its main Invercargill campus on Tay Street houses trades, business, health sciences, hospitality, tourism and animal care courses, while Te Rau o Te Huia, its Centre for Creative Industries in the heart of town, opened in 2021 for art, design, film, animation and music.
• University of Otago, College of Education: its Invercargill campus trains teachers, and the university says the campus moves to SIT's Invercargill campus on Tay Street from 1 December 2026.

SIT's Zero Fees Scheme lets eligible students take approved programmes without paying tuition fees; they pay only direct material costs, such as uniforms, texts and tools. SIT lists New Zealand citizens, residents living in New Zealand and Australian citizens living here as eligible, so international students are not covered. SIT says the scheme depends on its funding and on government policy.

Which visa lets you live in Invercargill?

• Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). With this resident visa you can live in New Zealand indefinitely; it is for people working full time for an accredited employer, or holding a full-time job offer from one. If your skills come from work, not a formal qualification, its Skilled Work Experience pathway asks for at least 5 years of directly relevant work experience, including at least 2 years of skilled work in New Zealand (pathway guide). Our SMC calculator counts the 6 points its points-based pathway needs.
• Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). A work visa for an offer of full-time work from an accredited employer; INZ says it does not allow a second job (AEWV guide).
• Green List. A role on INZ's Green List, which names jobs New Zealand needs people for, may let you apply for residence (Green List guide). INZ says the qualifications it lists are based on New Zealand's qualifications framework unless stated otherwise, and our NZQA guide explains how the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) assesses overseas qualifications.
• Working holiday visas. For young citizens of a country with a working holiday agreement; you apply online, in English, and only while your country's visa is open (working holiday guide).

Housing and getting around

Before you sign a tenancy agreement, look up an Invercargill suburb in Tenancy Services' market rent tool, which shows the weekly rent for properties in that area.

Invercargill City Council's buses page links to the city's bus routes, times and fares, and says you can flag down a bus anywhere along its route: the driver will find a safe place to stop and let you on. The regional council is Environment Southland, responsible for the sustainable management of Southland's land, water, air and coast in partnership with the community.

Free help after you arrive

Invercargill City Council's Welcoming Communities page offers the Invercargill Welcoming Kit, which gathers information on local services, community groups and ways to get involved. The council says residents come from places including the United Kingdom, India, South Africa, Colombia, the Congo, Brazil and the Pacific.

For steps that are the same anywhere in New Zealand, including driving, public transport and other ways of getting around, see INZ's page on setting up your life in New Zealand.