New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category: Points, Pathways and Fees

If you already work in New Zealand, or have an offer from a New Zealand employer, the Skilled Migrant Category is probably the residence route you keep hearing about. It's New Zealand's main residence visa for skilled workers, and in August 2026 it changed in ways that open it up to more tradespeople and experienced workers.

This guide explains how the points work, who the two new pathways suit, what you need to earn, what it costs and how to apply. Settings change often, so check each figure on immigration.govt.nz before you act.

What the Skilled Migrant Category is

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa lets you live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger.

It is not a way to move to New Zealand without a job. Every applicant needs a skilled job, or a job offer, with an accredited employer, which means a business Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has approved to hire migrants.

If you're still looking for that first job, start with our guide to working in New Zealand and the Green List. It covers the Accredited Employer Work Visa, a common first step before residence.

What changed in 2026

INZ confirmed a set of changes that took effect on 24 August 2026:

• two new pathways, Skilled Work Experience and Trades and Technician, alongside the points system
• qualification points that give New Zealand qualifications 1 point more than most overseas ones
• simpler wage rules, so you meet the threshold in place when your skilled work started rather than a newer, higher one
• English test results valid for 5 years for people with a recognised occupational registration
• recognition of CPA Australia membership for accountants who can do the work of a Qualified Statutory Accountant

INZ has also said that from 2027, people who need up to 12 more months of skilled work experience should be able to extend their Accredited Employer Work Visa to finish it. The details haven't been published yet.

Requirements for every pathway

Whichever pathway you use, INZ says you must:

• be aged 55 or younger when you apply
• work in, or have an offer of, a skilled job with an accredited employer
• be in good health and of good character
• speak and understand English
• have a genuine relationship with any partner and children you include

A skilled job must be for at least 30 hours a week and be permanent, fixed-term for at least 12 months, or a contract or continuous contracts for at least 6 months. It must also meet the pay rules for your pathway.

The job title and duties should closely match the description in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). ANZSCO grades jobs from skill level 1, the most skilled, to skill level 5.

English language

You can meet the English requirement through your citizenship and work or study history, a qualification gained in certain English-speaking countries, or an approved test. For a test, the principal applicant needs an overall IELTS score of 6.5, or the equivalent in another approved test, taken in person within the last 2 years.

Your partner and children aged 16 or older need an overall IELTS 5. If they don't meet it, you can pay for English lessons for them to take in New Zealand.

The Points-based pathway

This is the pathway most people mean when they talk about SMC points. You need 6 skilled resident points.

You claim 3 to 6 points from one skill category: qualification, New Zealand occupational registration, or income. You can't mix categories. For example, you can't add qualification points to income points.

If you're short, you can add up to 3 points for skilled work experience in New Zealand.

Points for qualifications

Qualifications from outside New Zealand normally need an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), unless they're on its exempt list. You can't claim points for a non-degree qualification at level 7 or below.

So an overseas bachelor's degree gives you 4 points. You'd need 2 more from New Zealand work experience, which means 18 months of skilled work.

Points for occupational registration

Registration works if it's on INZ's list of eligible New Zealand registrations, such as chartered accountants or registered plumbers and electricians. The more training the registration takes, the more it's worth.

Only work experience gained after you became registered counts toward extra points.

Points for income

You can claim points if your New Zealand job pays at least 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold.

As simple arithmetic, NZD 52.50 an hour for 40 hours a week over 52 weeks is NZD 109,200 a year before tax. NZD 105.00 an hour works out at NZD 218,400.

Points for skilled work in New Zealand

The work must be full time, closely match your ANZSCO occupation and meet the pay rate for your situation.

Wage thresholds explained

The SMC wage threshold is based on the median wage and updated each year. It has been NZD 35.00 an hour since 9 March 2026.

If your pathway needs New Zealand work experience, the threshold that applies is the one in place when your skilled work started counting. For example, INZ's figure for work that began between 18 August 2025 and 8 March 2026 was NZD 33.56 an hour.

Once your threshold is set, it doesn't change, but your pay must stay at or above it. If your pay drops below it, that period doesn't count.

There's also a grace period. If you start skilled work within 5 months of getting your work visa, you can use the threshold in place when the visa was granted.

The Skilled Work Experience pathway

This pathway is for people who built their skills on the job rather than through a degree. You need:

• a job or offer in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation paid at least 1.1 times the threshold
• at least 3 years of relevant work experience in a skill level 1 to 3 occupation, within the last 10 years
• an additional 2 years of skilled work in New Zealand at that pay rate, within the last 4 years

That's at least 5 years in total. Self-employment doesn't count.

Some jobs have extra rules. INZ's Amber List includes roles such as chefs, bakers, café and restaurant managers, office managers and ICT support technicians, and these need at least 1.2 times the threshold and may have extra requirements. Red List roles, such as retail managers, hairdressers and beauty therapists, can't use this pathway.

The Trades and Technician pathway

This pathway is for people in trades and technician roles on INZ's eligible occupations list, in areas like construction, engineering, manufacturing and automotive trades. You need:

• a job in an eligible occupation paid at least the SMC wage threshold
• a relevant qualification at level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, or comparable
• at least 2.5 years of relevant post-qualification experience
• an additional 1.5 years of post-qualification skilled work in New Zealand

A New Zealand qualification usually needs at least 120 credits. An overseas one needs an IQA from NZQA. Check the official list, because being "in a trade" doesn't automatically mean your occupation qualifies.

Step by step: from expression of interest to residence

1. Check your pathway. Use the points calculator, the wage threshold tables and the occupation lists.
2. Get an IQA if you need one. Apply before your expression of interest, because you'll need the reference number.
3. Take an English test if needed. Make sure the result will still be valid when you apply.
4. Submit an expression of interest (EOI). It's free, and you can save it and return later. You don't upload documents at this stage, but every answer must be accurate.
5. Receive an invitation to apply (ITA). INZ says it tells you straight away whether you meet the requirements, then emails the invitation.
6. Gather your documents. These include your employment agreement, job description, qualification evidence, Inland Revenue summaries of earnings, medical certificates less than 3 months old and police certificates less than 6 months old.
7. Apply within 4 months through the link in your ITA, under the pathway you were invited for. If you miss the deadline, you need a new EOI.
8. Wait for a decision. If your temporary visa is ending, INZ may give you an SMC Interim Visa so you can stay lawfully.

INZ's processing times depend on your country and are shown through an interactive tool on the visa page. Check the current figure there rather than relying on estimates from forums.

Fees, tax and money matters

What the application costs

Budget for the extras early. Medicals and police certificates expire quickly, so time them for when you receive your invitation.

Tax and KiwiSaver

New Zealand taxes income progressively. According to Inland Revenue, the rates from 1 April 2025 are 10.5% up to NZD 15,600, 17.5% up to NZD 53,500, 30% up to NZD 78,100, 33% up to NZD 180,000 and 39% above that.

KiwiSaver, New Zealand's workplace retirement savings scheme, is only open to people who are New Zealand citizens or entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely. Inland Revenue says you can't join on a temporary work visa, so becoming a resident is when it opens up for you.

If you send money home, compare exchange rates and total transfer fees across banks and money transfer providers. Small differences add up over years.

Mistakes and scams to avoid

Common mistakes include:

• Turning 56 before you apply. Age is checked on the application date.
• Mixing skill categories. Income points and qualification points can't be combined.
• Counting underpaid work. Months below your threshold don't count, even in the right job.
• Letting documents expire. Medicals, police certificates and English tests all have time limits.
• Using the wrong ANZSCO code. Your real duties must match the occupation you claim.

INZ warns that job offer scams are common, particularly targeting people in India and South Asia. Walk away if someone:

• asks you to pay for a job, a "placement fee" or processing
• promises residence or claims connections that can speed up a decision
• tells you to lie about your experience, qualifications or pay
• asks you to pay visa or medical fees into a bank account

After you get residence

Your SMC Resident Visa lets you work for any employer and study anywhere. Your travel conditions last 2 years from when you first arrive as a resident, or from when the visa is granted if you're already in New Zealand.

Some visas come with section 49 conditions. If yours does, INZ says you must not be unemployed for more than 3 months, and you'll need to show you met the conditions before you can remove them.

After holding the visa for 2 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which lets you travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely. For most people, citizenship becomes possible after 5 years of living in New Zealand as a resident.

If you're weighing New Zealand against its neighbour, compare this with Australia's skilled migration options.

Your SMC checklist

• Confirm your employer is on INZ's accredited employer list.
• Find your ANZSCO occupation and skill level.
• Pick your pathway: Points-based, Skilled Work Experience or Trades and Technician.
• Check whether your job is on the Amber or Red List.
• Work out which wage threshold applies to you and whether your pay meets it.
• Apply for an IQA early if your qualification is from overseas.
• Book an approved English test if you need one.
• Keep contracts, job descriptions, pay slips and Inland Revenue records.
• Submit your free EOI and apply within 4 months of your invitation.
• Never pay anyone for a job offer or a promised outcome.

The SMC rewards people who plan. Get your pathway, pay and paperwork right, and the application itself becomes much simpler. Recheck the official INZ pages right before you submit anything.