On 23 September 2025, the New Zealand Government announced much anticipated changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, aimed at helping employers attract and retain the skilled workers they need for their businesses to grow, thereby supporting long-term economic growth.
Current Skilled Migrant Category settings
Introduced in October 2023, the current Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa policy settings replaced the former 180-point system. Applicants need at least 6 skilled resident points from their skills and work in New Zealand before they may be invited to apply. Applicants may claim 3 to 6 points from 1 skill category – either their New Zealand occupational registration, qualifications or income – and up to 3 more points from skilled work experience, if required to get to 6 points. Applicants must also hold an offer of or current skilled employment with an Accredited Employer, and meet English language, health, and character requirements.
Other skilled residence pathways include the Green List Straight to Residence, Green List Work to Residence, Care Workforce Work to Residence and Transport Sector Work to Resident pathways.
Limited pathways for skilled tradespeople and technicians
When the current SMC settings were introduced in 2023, policymakers identified and acknowledged that there was a gap in residence pathways for some key skilled and technical trades, but decided that the eligibility threshold should be kept high. The 2023 SMC settings came alongside the maximum continuous stay (MCS) policy, which limits Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders to 5 years (ANZSCO skill levels 1–3) or 3 years (ANZSCO skill levels 4–5), after which they must spend 12 months overseas before reapplying.
Since implementation, stakeholders have raised concerns that the lack of residence options for trade or technical roles risks business continuity, as these workers provide specialist skills, supervision, and training. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has now reviewed the SMC to address these gaps
From mid-2026, two new residence pathways will be introduced:
Other key changes include:
These changes form part of the Government’s Going for Growth programme, alongside the refinements to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and initiatives to support education and youth employment.
The new pathways should make it easier to retain skilled staff and graduates, particularly in high-demand sectors, while giving employers more certainty around long-term workforce planning.
Full policy details, application processes, and guidance will be released by Immigration New Zealand closer to mid-2026. In the meantime, employers can review worker residence eligibility using the overview of changes as a guide, especially for workers nearing the end of their maximum continuous stay. Employers may also consider salary progression where needed to help retain key staff.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Jaq Chong
Director, Immigration
Kim Gibbs
Manager, Immigration
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