Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (effective from 24 August 2026)

On 24 August 2026, the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa changes in three respects. Two new pathways to residence will sit alongside the existing points system, the points themselves are being adjusted, and the wage threshold rules are being simplified. It is the first structural change to the category since the 6-point system was introduced in October 2023.

For anyone working in New Zealand and planning a residence application — or holding a skilled job offer — the changes matter in two ways. Some people who cannot reach 6 points today will have a route to residence from 24 August. Others who qualify under the current rules need to decide whether to submit an expression of interest before the changeover.

This article sets out what is changing, with a comparison table against the current instructions.

Three pathways instead of one

The Skilled Migrant Category currently runs on a single points system: 6 points from a qualification, income, or occupational registration (topped up with New Zealand work experience if needed), plus a skilled job or job offer. From 24 August 2026 there will be three ways in:

• the Points-based pathway — the existing 6-point system, with adjustments
• the Skilled Work Experience pathway — residence from work history alone
• the Trades and Technician pathway — for qualified tradespeople and technicians.

An applicant only needs to qualify under one. Health, character and English language requirements continue to apply across all three, as does the requirement to hold skilled employment or a skilled job offer.

The Skilled Work Experience pathway

This pathway is for people with a strong work history who cannot reach 6 points from a qualification, income or registration. To be eligible, you must:

• work in, or have a job offer for, an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation paid at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold ($38.50 per hour at the current rate)
• have at least 3 years of relevant work experience in a skill level 1 to 3 occupation, gained in any country within the 10 years before you apply, and
• have an additional 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand in a skill level 1 to 3 occupation, paid at least 1.1 times the threshold, within the 4 years before you apply.

Self-employment cannot be counted as relevant work experience.

Two occupation lists qualify access to this pathway. Occupations on the Red List are excluded altogether: Beauty Therapist, Hair or Beauty Salon Manager, Hairdresser, Hospitality Retail and Service Manager nec, Massage Therapist, and Retail Manager (General). People in these roles can still apply under the Points-based pathway.

Occupations on the Amber List remain eligible but face higher settings: pay of at least 1.2 times the threshold ($42.00 per hour at the current rate), at least 3 years of relevant work experience gained in New Zealand, and an additional 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand at the 1.2 rate. The Amber List covers Accommodation and Hospitality Manager nec, Hotel or Motel Manager, Hotel Service Manager, Baker, Bed and Breakfast Operator, Café or Restaurant Manager, Caravan Park and Camping Ground Manager, Chef, Customer Service Manager, ICT Customer Support Officer, ICT Support Technicians nec, Office Manager, Pastrycook, and Web Administrator.

The Trades and Technician pathway

This pathway is for qualified tradespeople and technicians whose Level 4 to 6 qualifications earn no points under the current system, which starts awarding qualification points at bachelor’s degree level. To be eligible, you must:

• work in an eligible trades or technician occupation paid at least the SMC wage threshold ($35.00 per hour at the current rate)
• hold a relevant qualification at Level 4 on the NZQCF, comparable to Level 4, or higher
• have at least 2.5 years of relevant post-qualification work experience in a skill level 1 to 3 occupation, and
• have an additional 1.5 years of post-qualification skilled work experience in New Zealand at the threshold.

INZ has published the list of eligible occupations — around 90 roles including carpenters and joiners, fitters, welders, motor mechanics, automotive electricians, panel beaters, boat builders, airconditioning and refrigeration mechanics, building inspectors, engineering and architectural draftspersons, science technicians, telecommunications technicians, and veterinary nurses. The same self-employment restriction applies. General electricians and plumbers do not appear on this list; those occupations sit on the Green List, which offers its own residence route.

New Zealand qualifications must carry at least 120 credits, which can be made up of more than one qualification where a lower qualification was a prerequisite for a higher one. Credits awarded for recognition of prior learning do not count. Overseas qualifications have no credit requirement but need an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA confirming Level 4 or higher.

Changes to the Points-based pathway

The 6-point threshold stays, but three adjustments make it easier to reach — particularly for people who studied in New Zealand.

New Zealand qualifications will earn one point more than their overseas equivalents. A New Zealand bachelor’s degree moves from 3 points to 5. An overseas bachelor’s degree, or a Washington or Sydney Accord accredited engineering qualification, moves from 3 points to 4. A New Zealand master’s degree will be worth 6 points where the applicant completed at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand and holds a bachelor’s degree.

A new evidential rule accompanies the points change: applicants claiming points for a Level 8 or 9 qualification must also hold a supporting bachelor’s or equivalent undergraduate degree, evidenced by the certificate and academic transcript. The exception is the 5-point claim for a New Zealand master’s degree. No IQA is needed for the supporting degree.

Less New Zealand work experience is needed to top up to 6 points. Two years of experience will earn 3 points (currently 2), and 1.5 years will earn 2 points (currently 1). Someone with an overseas bachelor’s degree, for example, will reach 6 points with 2 years of New Zealand experience rather than 3.

Two further additions: accountants who can undertake the work of a Qualified Statutory Accountant in New Zealand and hold membership of CPA Australia will be able to claim 6 points as an occupational registration, and English language test results will be valid for 5 years rather than 2 for applicants (and included partners) who hold an eligible occupational registration.

Simpler wage threshold rules

The SMC wage threshold is based on the median wage, currently $35.00 per hour. The dollar rates are not changing on 24 August 2026 — what changes is which rate applies to you.

Under the current rules, an applicant has to clear two hurdles: the threshold in force when their skilled work experience started, and the (usually higher) threshold in force when they submit their EOI and application. From 24 August 2026, only the first applies. The threshold is set when you start gaining skilled work experience, and your current job or job offer needs to meet that rate — not the rate in force at the time you apply. If you claim no work experience, for example because a doctoral degree alone gives you 6 points, the threshold at the time you are invited to apply is the one that counts.

A grace period supports this. If the threshold increased between your work visa being granted and your first day of skilled work, and you started within 5 months of the grant, the rate on your visa grant date applies.

Changing jobs will generally no longer push you onto a higher threshold. The exception is a Points-based applicant moving from a skill level 1 to 3 occupation into a skill level 4 or 5 occupation.

The same approach extends to the Work to Residence, Care Workforce Work to Residence and Transport Work to Residence visas from the same date.

Comparison table: current instructions vs 24 August 2026

INZ is replacing the SMC EOI form on 24 August 2026. To be assessed under the current rules, your EOI must be submitted before that date. Any draft EOI still sitting unsubmitted on 24 August will expire and be deleted, and a fresh EOI on the new form will be needed.

Whether to move before the changeover depends on your position. If you already reach 6 points and your documents are ready, submitting under the current rules avoids the new evidential requirements — the supporting bachelor’s degree rule in particular. If you fall short of 6 points but have a solid work history or a trade qualification, the new pathways may open a route that does not exist today. In that case, preparation time is better spent on evidence of work experience and, where needed, an IQA. People part-way through accruing work experience should also weigh the new wage threshold rules, which can fix a lower historical rate for the whole application.

The right answer turns on the detail of each case — occupation, pay history, qualification evidence and timing all interact. MK Law advises Skilled Migrant Category applicants on both the current and incoming settings, including AEWV holders planning the step to residence and applicants considering the Green List as an alternative route. If you would like advice on where you stand before the 24 August changeover, you can reach the firm through the contact page or on (09) 365 1110.

This article describes immigration instructions announced by Immigration New Zealand as at July 2026 and taking effect on 24 August 2026. Immigration policy changes frequently; the current requirements are on the INZ website. This article is general information, not legal advice.