New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category
Resident Visas

The Points-based pathway requires six skilled resident points and an acceptable skilled job or job offer in New Zealand.

Some applicants will receive all six points from one category. Others will need to combine points from their main category with eligible skilled work experience gained in New Zealand.


The points available for qualifications vary according to 
the qualification level and whether it was completed in 
New Zealand or overseas. The number of points you receive will determine whether you also need eligible skilled work experience in New Zealand. The assessment is not based only on the name of your qualification or job. Immigration New Zealand may need to confirm the level of your qualification, your registration requirements, your pay and whether your employment meets the skilled work rules.

Points can be claimed through one main skill category:

• Recognised New Zealand occupational registration

• A recognised qualification (Level 7 Bachelor’s degree or higher)

• Income from skilled employment

The Skilled Work Experience pathway recognises people who have built a substantial history in a skilled occupation.

Together, this amounts to at least five years of relevant work experience. Your New Zealand employment must relate to the job or job offer you are relying on.

Some occupations are subject to additional restrictions.

Occupations on the Red List are not eligible for this pathway. ANZSCO skill level 4 and 5 occupations are also excluded. Self-employment cannot be used to meet the relevant work experience requirements under this pathway.

You will generally need:

• A current job or job offer in an ANZSCO (Australia & New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) skill level 1 to 3

• Pay of at least 1.1 times the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) wage threshold

• At least three years of directly relevant work experience, and

• A further two years of eligible skilled work experience gained in New Zealand

The Trades and Technician pathway provides a residence option for people working in specified trade and technical occupations.

The occupation must appear on Immigration New Zealand’s approved Trades and Technician list. The qualification and work experience must also relate to the occupation used for the application.

A New Zealand qualification must generally total at least 120 credits. This can sometimes be made up of more than one connected qualification where a lower qualification was required before completing the higher one.

An overseas qualification does not need to meet the same 120-credit rule, but it will generally require an International Qualification Assessment showing that it is comparable to Level 4 or above.

Work completed before gaining the relevant qualification will not count towards the required post-qualification experience. Self-employment also cannot be used to meet the experience requirement.

Applicants will generally need:

• Employment or a job offer in an eligible occupation

• Pay at or above the Skilled Migrant Category wage threshold

• A relevant qualification at Level 4 or above on the NZQCF (New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework)

• At least two and a half years of relevant work experience gained after completing the qualification, and

• A further one and a half years of eligible post-qualification work experience in New Zealand

The Skilled Migrant Category is not the only residence pathway available to skilled workers.

If your occupation is on the Immigration New Zealand’s Green List, you may be able to qualify through a separate residence pathway. Tier 1 Green List roles may provide a pathway through the Straight to Residence Visa, while eligible Tier 2 roles may provide a pathway through the Work to Residence Visa after meeting the required New Zealand work experience.

The requirements depend on your occupation, qualifications, professional registration, pay and work experience. 
VisaMaxNZ can help you compare the available pathways and understand which may be most suitable for your circumstances.

Your visa conditions may limit the employer you can work for, the job you can do or where you can work. You may need approval before changing any of these details. The evidence you provide must be accurate, consistent and able to be verified.

VisaMaxNZ can help you understand what documents are required and whether your evidence is likely to meet Immigration New Zealand’s requirements.

The Skilled Migrant Category process begins with an Expression of Interest.

Your Expression of Interest identifies the pathway you are relying on and confirms that you believe you meet the relevant requirements.

If Immigration New Zealand approves your Expression of Interest, you may be invited to apply for residence. Receiving an invitation does not mean residence has been granted.

Your full application must support the claims made in your Expression of Interest. This may include evidence of your identity, employment, occupation, pay, qualifications, registration, work experience, English language ability, health, character and family circumstances.

The information provided must be accurate, consistent and able to be verified. Once invited, applicants generally have four months to submit their residence application.

A Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is different from a temporary New Zealand work visa. Holding a work visa does not guarantee residence, although eligible New Zealand employment may help you meet the requirements of a skilled residence pathway.

You may be able to include your partner and dependent children in your Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa application.

You will need evidence of your relationships. Each family member included must also meet the relevant identity, health and character requirements.

Your partner and older dependent children may need to meet English language requirements. Where they do not, paid English language tuition may be available as another option.

Family circumstances should be considered before the application is prepared. A health, character, relationship or dependency issue involving one person may affect how the full application should be handled.

Other visa options may be relevant when family members are not included in the same residence application.

Skilled Migrant Category applications often involve several separate rules that need to work together.

A person may have a skilled job but insufficient work experience. Another may have enough experience but 
a qualification that does not meet the required level. 
A period of employment may qualify from one date but 
not another.

Where you are not yet eligible, we can explain what is missing and what may need to happen before a future application becomes realistic.

VisaMaxNZ is a Māori-owned and operated New Zealand immigration law and advice business, with team members across New Zealand and Manila.

Our role is not limited to counting points. We look at how your employment, qualifications, work history, family circumstances and future plans fit together. We then explain your position in clear language and help you make informed decisions about the next stage.

VisaMaxNZ can help by:

• Assessing your position across all three pathways

• Reviewing your occupation, job duties, pay and work history

• Checking your points, qualifications and professional registration

• Identifying the evidence required for each part of your application

• Preparing your Expression of Interest and residence application

• Managing communication with Immigration 
New Zealand

• Advising on the position of your partner and children