Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has now released the final details of the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) changes which take effect from 24 August 2026.
We released an earlier news update on 5 March, and this new information provides further clarification on those initial announcements.
These Immigration updates are aimed at increasing the number of Residency pathways available to migrants, because the current SMC points system; Green List and Work to Residence pathways were excluding a large number of skilled migrants who hold skilled jobs outside of the Green List and do not have bachelor’s degrees.
Recap on the new residency pathways
As a recap, 2 new Skilled Residence pathways are being introduced.
Importantly, for both, evidence of self-employment cannot be used to meet requirements for directly relevant work experience, and documents must be independently verifiable.
1. Trades and Technicians pathway
This pathway is designed for migrants working in specified trade or technician roles (ANZSCO Skill Level 1–3 roles which appear on INZ’s published Trades and Technicians Occupation List) and
- who hold a Level 4 or higher qualification relevant to the skilled employment; and
- in the 10 years preceding the residence application, have at least 2 years and 6 months of post-qualification work experience in an ANZSCO Skill Level 1–3 occupation which is directly relevant to their job; and
- in the 3 years preceding the residence application, have skilled work experience in New Zealand of at least 18 additional months, earning at or above the SMC median wage.
Importantly, NZ qualifications must meet a minimum 120-credit requirement. This can be made up of more than one qualification where lower qualifications are a pre-requisite for the higher qualification. The 120-credit rule is not applicable for overseas qualifications where an NZQA assessment confirms the level.
2. Skilled work experience pathway
This pathway applies to migrants who have a job at ANZSCO Skill Level 1–3 and
- in the 10 years preceding the residence application, have at least 3 years of directly relevant work experience in an ANZSCO skill level 1-3 role; and
- in the 4 years preceding the residence application, have an additional 2 years’ experience in New Zealand in a relevant skill level 1-3 role, earning at least 1.1x median wage.
The new Amber and Red Lists apply to this pathway.
- Amber List: Applicants with jobs on the Amber list must have at least 5 years of directly relevant experience that has been obtained in New Zealand and 2 years of skilled work experience must be at least at 1.2x the median wage
- Red List: Migrants who have jobs on this list cannot use this pathway and must use the SMC points avenue.
Wage threshold change
Under the new settings, most applicants will only need to meet the median wage that applied when they began their skilled work experience and continue to be paid at least that rate through to the point they submit their residence application. They will no longer have to meet the increased Median wage at the date of Residency submission.
INZ has also standardised these wage rules across the Tier 2 Green List, Care Workforce, and Transport sector Work to Residence pathways.
Applicants will be able to rely on the wage rate for their role as it stood when they first began accruing skilled work experience, provided that period of experience is eligible to be counted at the time they apply for residence.
Because only specific windows of work experience can be claimed, the timing of a residence application becomes important. You do not automatically lock in the wage rate from the date you started your job.
New provisions are also being introduced to allow some applicants to use an earlier pay rate if the median wage increased after their work visa was granted and they had already commenced employment. This concession is capped at a maximum of five months and will require careful assessment of your individual circumstances to determine whether it applies.
More points for qualifications
Additional points have been introduced for certain qualifications, meaning some Skilled Migrant Category applicants using the points system may be able to apply for residence sooner. The overall threshold of six points remains unchanged, but applicants may now require less New Zealand work experience depending on their individual circumstances.
Applicants claiming points for Level 8 or 9 qualifications (except those claiming five points for a New Zealand master’s degree) must also hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and provide full documentation for both qualifications.
Overseas qualifications will require an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) unless they fall under an exemption. Importantly, an IQA is not required for bachelor’s degrees when they are being used solely to support points claimed for a higher qualification, as outlined above.
Summary
While the new settings create more pathways to residence, they also introduce significant additional complexity, even for applicants already progressing under existing rules. Changes to the qualification points structure may alter when work experience can be claimed, which in turn can affect future eligibility. This means that even applicants who currently appear on track may find their timelines or points position shifting under the updated framework.
With the complexity in Residency applications, we highly recommend applicants contact us early, to complete a detailed assessment of their situation, to be confident of a clear pathway to residence.
Licensed Immigration Adviser