MIGRATION
RV – Skilled Migrant Category: 6-point System
Upcoming Changes (Announced 23 September 2025 | Expected from August 2026)
The Skilled Migrant Category 6 points framework is New Zealand’s current pathway for applying under the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.To qualify, applicants must meet the required points threshold based on qualifications, income, registration, and skilled work experience. Immigration New Zealand announced changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa on 23 September 2025. These changes are intended to help employers retain skilled workers and better recognise practical skills and workforce contribution. The changes are expected to come into effect in August 2026, with more detail to be provided closer to implementation.
Two New Residence Pathways (Opening August 2026)
1) Skilled Work Experience Pathway
This pathway is designed for migrants working in skilled roles (ANZSCO skill level 1–3) who can demonstrate substantial relevant experience. It includes requirements around total work experience and a minimum period of skilled work experience in New Zealand at a specified wage threshold.
2) Trades and Technician Pathway
This pathway is intended for people in specified trades or technician roles. It requires a relevant Level 4 (or higher) qualification and post-qualification work experience, including a minimum period of paid experience in New Zealand at or above the median wage. INZ noted that a list/table of specific roles and qualifications is expected to be published.
Other Key Refinements (From August 2026)
INZ also announced supporting changes that will affect how some applicants reach 6 points and how work experience is counted. These include increased recognition of New Zealand university-level qualifications, modest reductions in required NZ work experience for some pathways, and changes to wage assessment (moving toward maintaining the relevant wage rate through the work experience period).
Skilled Migrant Category 6 Points – Recent Changes Explained
Change Area | What Has Changed |
Qualifications | More qualifications recognized including NZ bachelor’s and postgraduate certificates |
Work Experience | Reduced NZ work experience required for some points levels |
Overseas Degrees | Clearer pathways for recognized overseas qualifications |
Wage Assessment | Wage check at residence stage removed |
Wage Requirement | Applicants must maintain wage throughout work experience period |
Flexibility | More pathways available for NZ-qualified applicants |
6 Points Category
Criteria | Previous Settings | New Settings |
Qualification | Doctoral degree | Doctoral degree OR NZ master’s (with bachelors) |
Registration | Registration requiring at least 6 years training | Same |
Income | At least 3× median wage | Same |
Work Experience | Not required | Not required |
5 Points Category
Criteria | Previous Settings |
| New Settings |
Qualification | Master’s degree |
| Master’s outside NZ (with bachelor’s), NZ master’s (without bachelor’s), NZ honours, PG diploma/certificate (with bachelor’s), NZ bachelor’s |
Registration | Registration requiring at least 5 years training |
| Same |
Work Experience | 1 year NZ experience |
| 1 year NZ experience |
4 Points Category
Criteria | Previous Settings | New Settings |
Qualification | Honours degree or PG diploma | Overseas honours, PG diploma or PG certificate (with bachelor’s), overseas bachelor’s |
Registration | Registration requiring at least 4 years training | Same |
Income | At least 2× median wage | Same |
Work Experience | 2 years NZ experience | 1.5 years NZ experience |
3 Points Category
Criteria | Previous Settings | New Settings |
Qualification | Bachelor’s or PG certificate | Removed qualification pathway |
Registration | Registration requiring at least 2 years training | Same |
Income | At least 1.5× median wage | Same |
Work Experience | 3 years NZ experience | 2 years NZ experience |
Wage Assessment Changes
Criteria | Previous Rule | New Rule |
Wage Assessment Timing | Assessed at start of work experience AND at residence application | Residence stage assessment removed |
Wage Requirement | Must meet wage at both stages | Must maintain wage throughout work experience period |
What These Changes Mean For You
Impact Area | What It Means |
Accessibility | More applicants may now qualify due to expanded qualification pathways |
Faster Eligibility | Reduced experience requirements may shorten residency timeline |
Compliance | Maintaining required wage throughout employment is now critical |
Flexibility | NZ and overseas qualifications now have clearer recognition pathways |
Planning | Understanding eligibility early is important to avoid delays |
Current Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa Requirements
The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa allows skilled workers to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. It provides a pathway to permanent residence and eventually citizenship for eligible applicants. You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in your application. To qualify under the Skilled Migrant Category 6 points framework, applicants must meet minimum eligibility criteria and hold a skilled job with an accredited employer.
Key Visa Details
This visa grants indefinite residence in New Zealand and typically costs from NZD $6,450. Applicants must be aged 55 years or younger and must meet a minimum of 6 skilled resident points. You must also be working for, or have a job offer from, an accredited employer in a skilled role and demonstrate English language ability.
Who Can Apply
To be eligible for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, you must be aged 55 or younger and either be working in a skilled job or have a job offer for one. The job must be full-time and with an accredited employer. You must meet the minimum points threshold, be in good health, be of good character and demonstrate that you can speak and understand English.
Skilled Job Requirements
Your job must be full-time, meaning at least 30 hours per week, and must be permanent, fixed term for at least 12 months, or a contract of at least 6 months. The role must match the appropriate ANZSCO skill level. Jobs at ANZSCO levels 1 to 3 must pay at least the median wage, while roles at levels 4 to 5 must pay at least 1.5 times the median wage.
Skilled Resident Points System
To apply for residence, you must claim at least 6 skilled resident points. Under the Skilled Migrant Category 6 points structure, applicants can claim between 3 and 6 points from a primary category, which can be your qualification, income or occupational registration. If needed, you can claim up to 3 additional points from skilled work experience gained in New Zealand.
Claiming Points from Qualifications
Points can be claimed based on your highest recognised qualification. A doctoral degree can provide 6 points, a master’s degree provides 5 points, a bachelor honours degree or postgraduate diploma provides 4 points, and a bachelor’s degree or postgraduate certificate provides 3 points. Overseas qualifications may require assessment by NZQA or confirmation of equivalence to a New Zealand qualification.
Claiming Points from Income
You may also claim points based on your income from your New Zealand job. If your income is at least three times the median wage, you can claim 6 points. If it is at least twice the median wage, you can claim 4 points, and if it is at least 1.5 times the median wage, you can claim 3 points.
Claiming Points from Occupational Registration
Applicants with recognised occupational registration may claim points depending on the level of training required. Registration requiring six years of training may qualify for 6 points, five years for 5 points, four years for 4 points, and two years for 3 points.
Skilled Work Experience Points
You can claim additional points for skilled work experience in New Zealand, with one point awarded for each year of experience, up to a maximum of three points.
Health Requirement
Applicants and any family members included in the application must be in good health. This usually involves completing a medical examination and chest X-ray, depending on individual circumstances.
Character Requirement
You must be of good character and provide police certificates for countries where you have lived. Applicants with serious criminal convictions or who pose a security risk may not be granted a visa.
English Language Requirement
Applicants must demonstrate the ability to speak and understand English. This can be shown through citizenship, previous study in English, or recognised English language tests. Partners and dependent children aged 16 or older must also meet English requirements or pay for English language lessons.
Application Process
The process begins by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI). If you meet the requirements, you will receive an invitation to apply. You will then gather supporting documents, submit your application and pay the required fee. Immigration New Zealand will assess your application and notify you of the decision.
After You Receive Your Visa
Once granted, the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa allows you to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. After holding the visa for two years, you may be eligible to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, which allows unrestricted travel.
Pathway to Citizenship
Most residents may become eligible to apply for New Zealand citizenship after living in the country for five years, provided they meet the relevant requirements.
Need Help with Your SMC Application?
Understanding eligibility, points calculation and documentation requirements can be complex. Our licensed immigration advisers can assess your profile and guide you through each step of the process to help you plan the best pathway to residence.
Check your Skilled Migrant Category 6 points eligibility today.
The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa has moved to a simplified 6-point system and Immigration New Zealand has also announced further changes expected from August 2026. These include the introduction of new residence pathways such as the Skilled Work Experience pathway and the Trades and Technician pathway, along with increased recognition of New Zealand qualifications and clearer pathways for some overseas qualifications.
Work experience requirements may be reduced for certain pathways, and wage assessment at the residence application stage is expected to be removed, with a stronger focus on maintaining the required wage throughout the work experience period.
Overall, these changes aim to make the system more flexible while ensuring skilled migrants continue to contribute to New Zealand’s workforce.
Applicants must have a minimum of 6 skilled resident points to apply. Points can be claimed from one main category — either occupational registration, qualifications or income from a skilled job.
If these do not total 6 points, additional points may be claimed from skilled work experience gained in New Zealand, up to a maximum of three points.
Points are awarded in the following ways:
- For occupational registration, you can claim points if your registration is on the list of eligible New Zealand occupational registrations.
- For qualifications, points are awarded based on the highest level of qualification you have and its New Zealand Qualification Framework level (NZQF) and whether the qualification is equivalent to a specific New Zealand qualification type.
- For income, points are awarded based on your wage. The more you earn, the more points you can claim.
Yes, you can claim 1 point for each year of skilled work experience in New Zealand, up to a maximum of 3 points. There is a wage threshold depending on the ANZSCO level of the job. If claiming points for income in your current job, work experience must be at that income level as well (e.g. 1x, 2x, or 3x medium wage).
You must have a skilled job or job offer with an accredited employer in New Zealand to apply. This job or job offer must be at least 30 hours a week, and be in an ANZSCO Level 1 to 3 occupation and paid at or above the median wage, or in an ANZSCO Level 4 to 5 occupation and paid at or above 1.5 times the median wage. It should be on a permanent contract or a fixed-term contract for at least 12 months.
If you apply for the new Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa and your current temporary visa expires while your application is being processed, you will be granted a Skilled Migrant Category Interim Visa. This Interim Visa will come into effect the day after your current visa expires and be valid up to 24 months while waiting for the outcome.
According to INZ, straightforward applications that have all the required information will be decided within 6 to 8 weeks.
Although the new 6-point system doesn’t award extra points for studying in New Zealand like the old 180-point system did, studying here can still be beneficial for a few reasons:
- Pursuing higher education: Higher qualifications, especially those at and beyond a bachelor’s degree, carry more weight in the new system. However, note that pursuing a PhD solely for the purpose of gaining residency may not the most efficient approach (more on this later).
- Aligning with the local job market: New Zealand employers often prefer candidates who have studied locally and understand the country’s unique environment. For some, studying in New Zealand might also be a chance to transition into careers with more opportunities in the country.
- Gaining work experience: While studying full-time, you’re usually allowed to work part-time and full-time during scheduled holidays. This can help you accumulate local work experience, which is beneficial for future job prospects.
- Obtaining an open work visa: One of the biggest benefits of studying in New Zealand is the Post Study Work Visa you may get afterward, which has open work conditions. This visa can make job hunting easier since many employers are hesitant to hire overseas staff due to the complexities of the visa process.
- No need to have your NZ qualification assessed by NZQA.
Generally speaking, no, unless you’re aiming for an academic career. Pursuing a PhD in New Zealand can be a great choice if you’re interested in research, as you’ll pay the same fee as domestic students and receive full-time work rights. However, if your primary aim is to gain 6 points for residency, studying a PhD might not be the most efficient way because:
- Even with a PhD, you’ll still need to find a skilled job in New Zealand, which isn’t necessarily easier for PhD holders.
- Applying for and completing a PhD takes a significant amount of time. It can take several months to a year just to complete the application process, and at least three years to finish the degree. A master’s degree, on the other hand, typically takes 1-2 years, and you can earn the same 6 points by working in a skilled job for an additional year.
Yes and no.
To claim points for a qualification, a job does not have to be relevant. For example, someone with a Masters in Sociology working as an IT technician would not have a Masters relevant to their job, but can still claim points based on their (irrelevant) Masters degree.
However, relevant qualifications can allow you to be considered ‘suitably qualified’. The IT technician could be qualified by work experience, but would need to work in that field for 3 years before they can start to be considered ‘qualified’. On the other hand, if they have a relevant Diploma in IT, this would allow them to be considered qualified for their skilled work, even though in the new system a sub-degree Diploma does not count for points.
The IT technician’s Masters would could for points, but would not make them qualified. Their IT Diploma would not count for points, but would make them qualified.
Understanding the Skilled Migrant Category 6 points requirements early can help you avoid delays and strengthen your residence application. Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us, or book an appointment with our Licensed Immigration Advisers. Our team of knowledgeable Immigration advisers is readily available to assist you in navigating these modifications and ensuring a hassle-free journey to New Zealand.