Immigration

New Zealand | Further detail on changes to Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

Summary

On 5 March 2026, Immigration New Zealand released further detail on changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa ahead of these changes taking effect from late August 2026.

The detail

Changes announced in September 2025

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) is New Zealand’s main residence pathway for skilled migrants. In September 2025, the Government announced changes designed to help New Zealand employers retain skilled workers and support long-term economic growth. As we wrote in our September 2025 alert, the changes include the introduction of 2 new pathways (the Skilled Work Experience Pathway and the Trades and Technician Pathway), increased points for New Zealand qualifications, and reduced New Zealand skilled work experience required under the points-based system.

Details released today

Further details about these changes were released on 5 March 2026, including 3 lists that are relevant to the 2 new pathways:

• The Trades and Technician Pathway list – Migrants working in occupations on this list qualify for the Trades and Technician Pathway if they have a relevant Level 4 or above qualification and 4 years of post-qualification directly relevant skilled work experience, including 1.5 years in New Zealand earning at least the SMC median wage.
• The Amber list – Migrants working in occupations on this list are not eligible for the Trades and Technician Pathway and can only apply for the Skilled Work Experience Pathway if they have at least 5 years of relevant work experience in New Zealand, including 2 years of skilled work experience earning at least 1.2 times the SMC median wage.
• The Red list – Migrants working in occupations on this list are not eligible to apply under these new pathways. They will only be able to apply for residence under the SMC if they can claim 6 points based on existing rules, i.e. by earning 1.5 times the SMC median wage, holding a Bachelor’s (Level 7) qualification or higher, or having a recognised occupational registration, along with the required length of skilled work experience in New Zealand.

Other details released today that apply to all SMC applicants from late August 2026 include:

• Simplified median wage requirements: Migrants applying based on their work experience will only need to meet the SMC median wage rate (specific to their pathway) in effect when they start gaining New Zealand skilled work experience and maintain at least that rate when applying for residence. They will no longer be required to meet the latest SMC median wage when they apply for residence.
• Grace period for some median wage calculations: If a migrant begins skilled work experience within 5 months of their work visa being granted, the wage threshold that applied on the day the visa was granted will be used, even if the median wage has increased since then.
• Clarification of qualification requirements: Migrants claiming points for a Level 8 or Level 9 qualification must also hold a Bachelor’s degree (except for migrants claiming 5 points for a New Zealand Master’s degree). Migrants claiming 6 points for a New Zealand Master’s degree must have studied full time for at least 30 weeks in New Zealand, and must have a Bachelor’s degree (which can be gained in any country).
• Longer English test validity for some migrants: English language test results will be valid for 5 years for applicants who hold a valid occupational registration.
• New occupational registration recognised: Qualified Statutory Accountants in New Zealand who have membership with the Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) Australia will receive 6 points under the SMC.

What this means for employers

These details provide greater clarity for skilled migrant staff currently on temporary visas to make plans regarding their resident visa application. It presents an opportunity for employers to engage with migrant staff who may benefit from the changes as part of long-term workforce planning.

Next steps

From 2027, migrants who need up to 12 additional months of skilled work experience to meet SMC requirements will be able to apply for a further Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) to complete the skilled work experience they need to apply for residence. Further details on eligibility and process for this type of application will be released by Immigration New Zealand at a later date.

Contact us

For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Jaq Chong
Director

Kim Gibbs
Manager

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