The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) is New Zealand's points-based residence visa for skilled workers. You need 6 points, drawn from your qualifications, occupational registration, or income, plus skilled work experience in New Zealand. You also need a job or job offer from an accredited employer paying at least NZD $35.00 an hour. The government fee is NZD $6,450, prioritised applications are decided in 4 to 7 weeks, and there is no annual cap. It grants residence directly: you can live and work in New Zealand indefinitely from day one.
Compare that with Canada's Express Entry, where CRS cut-offs above 500 lock out most applicants, or Australia's SkillSelect, where invitation rounds are competitive and unpredictable. The SMC is a threshold system, not a contest. Reach 6 points, meet the employment and English requirements, and you qualify. This guide covers the full points breakdown, costs, processing times, the changes arriving on 24 August 2026, and how the SMC compares with New Zealand's other skilled visas. The condensed version lives on our Skilled Migrant Category path page.
What Is the Skilled Migrant Category?
The SMC is a resident visa, not a work visa. If approved, you receive New Zealand residence immediately, with the right to live, work, and study anywhere in the country indefinitely. Your partner and dependent children are included in the same application. After two years as a resident, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which removes all travel conditions for life.
New Zealand rebuilt the SMC in October 2023, replacing the old 180-point competitive pool with a simple 6-point threshold. At the same time it removed the cap on approvals. Under the current system there are no expression-of-interest ranking rounds where higher scorers beat lower scorers: every eligible expression of interest is invited to apply, according to Immigration New Zealand.
The trade-off for that simplicity is the employment requirement. Unlike Australia's subclass 189 or Canada's Federal Skilled Worker stream, you cannot get SMC residence from overseas without a job. Skilled employment, or a job offer, with an Immigration New Zealand accredited employer is mandatory. That makes the realistic sequence for most people: secure a job offer first, often via the Accredited Employer Work Visa, then convert to residence through the SMC.
How Many Points Do You Need for the Skilled Migrant Category?
You need exactly 6 points. You claim 3 to 6 points from one of three factors (occupational registration, qualification, or income), then add 1 point per year of skilled work in New Zealand, capped at 3 points. A doctorate alone reaches 6. A master's degree plus one year of NZ skilled work also reaches 6. There is no benefit to scoring above 6.
The 6-Point System: Full Breakdown
Points come from two buckets. The first bucket is your skills: you pick the single highest-scoring factor among occupational registration, qualifications, and New Zealand income. You cannot stack them. The second bucket is skilled work experience in New Zealand, worth 1 point per year up to a maximum of 3. The two buckets together must total at least 6.
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| Occupational registration requiring 3–6 years of training | 3–6 |
| Bachelor's degree (Level 7) | 3 |
| Bachelor's honours degree (Level 8) | 4 |
| Master's degree (Level 9) | 5 |
| Doctorate (Level 10) | 6 |
| Income at 1.5× the median wage (NZD $52.50/hr) | 3 |
| Income at 2× the median wage | 4 |
| Income at 3× the median wage | 6 |
| Skilled work in New Zealand (1 point per year) | 1–3 |
Worked examples make the maths concrete. A software engineer with a bachelor's degree (3 points) needs 3 years of skilled work in New Zealand to reach 6. A registered nurse whose registration required 6 years of training reaches 6 immediately. A data scientist earning NZD $105 an hour (3 times the median wage) reaches 6 immediately too, regardless of qualifications.
Note what is missing: age, partner skills, regional bonuses, and job-offer points all disappeared in the 2023 redesign. The only age rule is the hard cut-off at 55. The full point definitions are on the Immigration New Zealand SMC pathway page.
Who Qualifies: The Non-Points Requirements
The 6 points are necessary but not sufficient. Every applicant must also meet a fixed set of baseline requirements:
- Skilled employment with an accredited employer: a current job or job offer in New Zealand. ANZSCO level 1–3 roles must pay at least NZD $35.00 an hour; level 4–5 roles must pay at least NZD $52.50 an hour (1.5× the median wage), per INZ's published pay rates
- Age 55 or under at the time of application
- English: IELTS 6.5 overall or equivalent (PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, Cambridge C1 Advanced), with exemptions for citizens of certain English-speaking countries
- Health and character: medical certificates and police certificates for everyone in the application
- Recognised qualification or registration evidence: overseas qualifications generally need an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA unless exempt
Cost and Processing Time
How much does the Skilled Migrant Category cost?
The government fee is NZD $6,450 per application, and one application covers you, your partner, and dependent children. Budget extra for the English test (roughly NZD $400), medical examinations, police certificates, and NZQA qualification assessment if you need one. Total out-of-pocket costs for a family typically land between NZD $8,000 and $10,000.
How long does the Skilled Migrant Category take?
Prioritised applications are decided in around 4 to 7 weeks. Your application is prioritised if you hold occupational registration or earn at least twice the median wage. Everyone else waits longer: most non-prioritised applications take several months, and Immigration New Zealand quotes a range that can extend toward 18 months for complex cases.
When do you become a permanent resident?
The SMC grants a resident visa immediately, which already allows indefinite stay. After holding residence for two years (and meeting presence requirements), you can apply for the Permanent Resident Visa, which removes travel conditions permanently. Citizenship is available after five years of residence.
Not sure if you reach 6 points?
Transita scores your profile against the Skilled Migrant Category and every other New Zealand pathway, then compares New Zealand with Australia, Canada, and 20+ other destinations. Free, no account needed, 45 seconds.
Check my New Zealand eligibilitySMC vs AEWV vs Straight to Residence
New Zealand runs three main skilled-worker visas, and choosing the right entry point matters more than most applicants realise. The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the temporary work visa most people arrive on. The Straight to Residence Visa skips the points system entirely for Green List Tier 1 occupations. The SMC sits between them: points-based, but uncapped and direct to residence.
| Aspect | Skilled Migrant Category | AEWV | Straight to Residence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa type | Resident visa (points-based) | Temporary work visa | Resident visa (Green List Tier 1) |
| Points required | 6 | None | None |
| Job offer required | Yes, accredited employer | Yes, accredited employer | Yes, Tier 1 Green List role |
| Typical processing | 4–7 weeks prioritised; months otherwise | 1–4 months | 1–3 months |
| Government fee | NZD $6,450 | NZD $1,540 | NZD $6,450 |
| Residence | Immediate | Not directly; bridge to SMC | Immediate |
The decision logic is straightforward. If your occupation is on the Green List Tier 1 (specialist doctors, many engineers, some ICT roles), apply Straight to Residence and skip the points question entirely. If you reach 6 points from offshore (a doctorate, or very high pay), apply for the SMC directly. Everyone else arrives on the AEWV, accumulates New Zealand work experience points, and converts to SMC residence after one to three years.
The AEWV bridge is the most common route
A bachelor's degree gives you 3 points. Three years on an AEWV in skilled work gives you the other 3. That combination, degree plus three years in New Zealand, is the single most common SMC profile. A master's degree shortens the bridge to one year of NZ work.
What Changes on 24 August 2026
Immigration New Zealand has announced a package of SMC changes taking effect on 24 August 2026, detailed in its official announcement. Two changes matter most for applicants planning now.
- A new skilled work experience pathway: migrants in ANZSCO level 1–3 roles with at least 5 years of directly relevant work experience, including 2 years in New Zealand paid at 1.1× the median wage or more, gain a route to 6 points that does not depend on a degree or registration.
- Qualification points rebalanced:qualifications completed in New Zealand will earn 1 point more than the same level completed overseas, with exceptions for doctorates and some master's degrees.
If you are an experienced tradesperson or technician without a bachelor's degree, the August 2026 pathway is significant: it opens the SMC to profiles the current system shuts out. If you qualify under today's rules, there is no reason to wait.
How to Apply: Step by Step
- Step 1 — Confirm your 6 points: identify your single strongest skills factor (registration, qualification, or income) and count your years of skilled work in New Zealand, if any.
- Step 2 — Sit your English test: book IELTS, PTE, or an equivalent early. Results are valid for two years and testing delays are a common bottleneck.
- Step 3 — Secure skilled employment:a job or job offer with an INZ-accredited employer at the required pay rate. Check that the employer's accreditation is current before relying on the offer.
- Step 4 — Get your qualification assessed if needed:overseas degrees that are not on NZQA's exempt list need an International Qualification Assessment, which can take 4 to 8 weeks.
- Step 5 — Submit your Expression of Interest: online via the INZ portal. Because the category is uncapped, every EOI that claims 6 points credibly is invited to apply. This is an eligibility filter, not a competition.
- Step 6 — Lodge the full application: after your invitation, submit the resident visa application with all evidence and pay the NZD $6,450 fee. Include medicals and police certificates for everyone in the application.
- Step 7 — Receive your resident visa: 4 to 7 weeks for prioritised applications, longer otherwise. From approval you hold New Zealand residence, with the Permanent Resident Visa available after two years.
Applying from India? Demand from Indian applicants is high enough that we wrote a dedicated walkthrough covering credential assessment, salary benchmarks, and realistic timelines: see the India to New Zealand immigration guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points do you need for the Skilled Migrant Category?
Exactly 6. You take 3 to 6 points from your strongest single factor (occupational registration, qualification, or income) and add 1 point per year of skilled work in New Zealand, up to 3. There is no competitive ranking above the threshold.
Do you need a job offer for the Skilled Migrant Category?
Yes. Skilled employment or a job offer with an INZ-accredited employer is mandatory, paying at least NZD $35.00 an hour for ANZSCO level 1–3 roles or NZD $52.50 an hour for level 4–5 roles.
How much does it cost?
NZD $6,450 in government fees per application, covering partner and dependent children. English tests, medicals, police certificates, and NZQA assessments are extra.
How long does processing take?
Around 4 to 7 weeks if prioritised (occupational registration or pay at twice the median wage). Other applications typically take several months, with complex cases extending toward 18 months.
What is the age limit?
55 or under at the time of application. Age earns no points; it is a hard cut-off only.
Is there an annual cap?
No. The cap was removed in October 2023. Everyone who meets the requirements can be approved, regardless of how many other people apply.