Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa offers 3 pathways to residence. Each is designed to recognise different types of skills, experience, and contributions to New Zealand’s workforce.

Points-based pathway

You must have 6 points to be eligible for the Points-based pathway.  You can claim up to 6 points from either your:

• qualification
• income (pay), or
• occupational registration (for example, if you are a chartered accountant or registered plumber).

If you cannot claim all 6 points from one of these categories, you may be able to claim an additional 1 to 3 points from skilled work experience in New Zealand. These work experience points can be combined with the points you claim from your qualification, income, or occupational registration to reach 6 points.

Skilled Work Experience pathway

This pathway is for people who have developed their skills through work experience rather than through a formal qualification (such as a university degree, diploma, or trade certificate).

To be eligible, you must have at least 5 years of directly relevant work experience, including at least 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand.

Trades and Technician pathway

This pathway is for people working in eligible trades or technician roles who have developed their skills through a combination of qualifications and work experience.

To be eligible, you must have a relevant qualification, and at least 4 years of post-qualification work experience, including at least 18 months of skilled work experience in New Zealand.

Skilled resident points

Skilled resident points are the points you need to be eligible to apply for a Points-based SMC Resident Visa.

You need 6 skilled resident points from your skills and work in New Zealand.

If you are invited to apply, you must provide evidence that you qualify for the points you are claiming.

You can claim:

• 3 to 6 points from 1 skill category — either your qualification, New Zealand occupational registration, or income, and
• up to 3 more points from skilled work experience in New Zealand (if required).

Qualification

You can use your qualification to claim points if it:

• is a New Zealand qualification recognised on the
• has had an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the , or
• is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA).

Check if you need an International Qualification Assessment

You can claim between 4 to 6 points depending on the highest level of qualification you have, and if it was gained in New Zealand or internationally.

New Zealand qualifications

If you gained your qualification in New Zealand, you can find out how many points it is worth in the following table. You also must have a bachelor's degree (from any country) for some higher-level qualifications.

You can claim 6 points for a New Zealand master's degree if you have completed at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand and have a bachelor's degree.

You can only claim 5 points for a New Zealand master's degree if you have not completed 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand or do not have a bachelor's degree.

International qualifications

If your qualification is from another country (other than New Zealand), you can find out how many points it is worth in the following table. You must have an IQA that recognises the qualification on the NZQCF unless it is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA) . You must also have a bachelor's degree for some higher-level qualifications.

Qualifications that you cannot claim points for

You cannot claim points for a non-degree qualification at level 7 or below.

Evidence of your qualification

Check the ‘Documents you need’ section on this page to find out what evidence to provide with your application.

Documents you need

New Zealand occupational registration

You can use your occupational registration to claim points if it is on our list of eligible New Zealand occupational registrations (for example if you are a chartered accountant or a registered plumber).

Registrations that require more training are worth more points.

Claiming skilled resident points from occupational registration

Claiming points for skilled work experience in New Zealand

If you do not have 6 points from your occupational registration, you can use your skilled work experience in New Zealand to claim more points — you cannot use your qualifications or income to claim more points.

If you are planning to use skilled work experience to claim more points, you can only include skilled work experience you gained after getting your occupational registration.

Evidence of occupational registration

Check the ‘Documents you need’ section on this page to find out what evidence to provide with your application.

Documents you need

Income

You can use the income (or pay) from your current New Zealand job or job offer to claim points, if the income from the job is at least 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold. You can claim between 3 and 6 points from your income.

If you earn enough to claim 6 points from your income the current SMC wage threshold will apply. If you need to claim additional points from skilled work experience, the SMC wage threshold that applies to you can be lower, depending on when you started gaining this work experience and if it was within the eligible timeframe.

You can find out more about the SMC wage threshold and which rate applies to you here:

The SMC wage threshold

If your pay is based on an annual salary, you will need to calculate your rate based on the hours you work each week.

Hourly pay rate calculator

Claiming points for skilled work experience in New Zealand

If you cannot claim 6 points from your income, you can use your skilled work experience in New Zealand to reach 6 points — you cannot use your occupational registration or qualifications to claim more points.

Evidence of your income

Check the ‘Documents you need’ section on this page to find out what evidence to provide with your application. 

Documents you need

Claiming extra points for skilled work experience in New Zealand

You can claim points for skilled work experience you have in New Zealand, up to a maximum of 3 points.

You will need to claim more points from your New Zealand occupational registration, qualification or income to get to 6 points.

Skilled work experience requirements

Your skilled work experience must:

• be in a full-time job (at least 30 hours a week)
• meet the minimum pay requirement for your job's skill level (or income multiple if you are claiming points for income), and
• closely match the job title and description for your occupation in ANZSCO.

Find your job's skill level

Minimum pay requirement

If you are claiming points for your qualification or occupational registration, the minimum pay you need depends on your job's ANZSCO skill level:

• ANZSCO skill levels 1 to 3 jobs must have been paid at least the SMC wage threshold
• ANZSCO skill levels 4 to 5 jobs must have been paid at least 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold.

The SMC wage threshold that applies to you will depend on when you started gaining skilled work experience and if it was within the eligible timeframe. You can find out more about the SMC wage threshold and which rate applies to you here:

The SMC wage threshold

Evidence of your work experience

Check the ‘Documents you need’ section on this page to find out what evidence to provide with your application.

Documents you need

The Skilled Work Experience pathway allows you to get New Zealand residence from your work experience, without needing a formal qualification like a PhD or Master’s degree.

You are eligible for the Skilled Work Experience pathway if you:

• work in or have a job offer for an skill level 1 to 3 occupation paid at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold
• have at least 3 years of relevant work experience in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation, and
• have an additional 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation paid at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold.

Find your job's skill level

The SMC wage threshold that applies to you will depend on when you started gaining skilled work experience and if it was within the eligible timeframe. You can find out more about the SMC wage threshold and which rate applies to you here:

The SMC wage threshold

What relevant and skilled work experience means

Relevant work experience is work experience related to your current job or job offer. You can not include self-employment as relevant work experience.

Skilled work experience is work experience related to your current job or job offer, completed in New Zealand and paid at the required amount.

Amber and Red List jobs

If your current job or job offer is on the Amber List, there are additional requirements you must meet to be eligible for this pathway.

If your current job or job offer is on the Red List, or is an ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 occupation, you are not eligible for this pathway.

Find out what jobs are on the Amber and Red List, and what additional requirements apply here:

Red and Amber List occupations

Timeframe for gaining work experience

You must have gained your work experience within a set timeframe.

For relevant work experience this timeframe is 10 years, counted back from the date you apply for residence. For example, if you need 3 years of relevant work experience, this experience must have been gained within the 10 years immediately before you apply for residence.

For skilled work experience this timeframe is twice as long as the amount of experience you need, counted back from the date you apply for residence. For example, if you need 2 years of skilled work experience, this experience must have been gained within the 4 years immediately before you apply for residence.

Evidence of your work experience

Check the ‘Documents you need’ section on this page to find out what evidence to provide with your application.

Documents you need

The Trades and Technician pathway allows you to get New Zealand residence if you work in a trades and technicians job.

You are eligible for the Trades and Technician pathway if you:

• work in an eligible trades and technician occupation paid at least the SMC wage threshold
• have a relevant qualification that is level 4, comparable to level 4, or higher than level 4 on the
• have at least 2.5 years of relevant, post-qualification work experience in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation, and
• have an additional 1.5 years of post-qualification, skilled work experience in New Zealand paid at least the SMC wage threshold.

Eligible occupations for the SMC Trades and Technician pathway

The SMC wage threshold that applies to you will depend on when you started gaining skilled work experience and if it was within the eligible timeframe. You can find out more about the SMC wage threshold and which rate applies to you here:

The SMC wage threshold

What relevant and skilled work experience means

Relevant work experience is work experience related to your current job or job offer. You can not include self-employment as relevant work experience.

Skilled work experience is work experience related to your current job or job offer, completed in New Zealand and paid at the required amount.

Requirements for New Zealand qualifications

If your Trades and Technicians qualification is from New Zealand, it must be either:

• at least 120 credits on the NZQCF, or
• less than 120 credits but with multiple prerequisite qualifications that together make at least 120 credits.

Requirements for international qualifications

If you have a qualification from outside of New Zealand, there are no credit requirements but you must have an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).

Check if you need an International Qualification Assessment

Evidence of your work experience and qualifications

Check the ‘Documents you need’ section on this page to find out what evidence to provide with your application.

Documents you need

Timeframe for gaining work experience

You must have gained your work experience within a set timeframe.

For relevant work experience this timeframe is 10 years, counted back from the date you apply for residence. For example, if you need 3 years of relevant work experience, this experience must have been gained within the 10 years immediately before you apply for residence.

For skilled work experience this timeframe is twice as long as the amount of experience you need, counted back from the date you apply for residence. For example, if you need 2 years of skilled work experience, this experience must have been gained within the 4 years immediately before you apply for residence.

All SMC pathways require you to:

• be aged 55 or younger
• have an offer of, or be working in, a skilled job with an accredited employer
• be in good health
• be of good character
• have a genuine relationship with your partner and dependent children, if including them, and
• speak and understand English.

Age

You must be aged 55 or younger when you apply.

We check your identity document to confirm your age.

Current job or job offer

You must be working in a skilled job, or have a job offer for one.

To be considered a skilled job, it must:

• be with an 
• be and (for at least 30 hours a week)
• permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, or a contract or continuous contracts for at least 6 months, and
• meet any pay requirements for your SMC pathway.

Accredited employer list

What is ANZSCO

The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) list grades jobs according to skill level. ANZSCO skill levels range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most skilled and 5 being less skilled.

The job title and description for your job should mostly match the job title and description in ANZSCO.

Find your job's skill level

Health

You, and anyone else included in your application, must be in good health.

Why you may need to provide evidence you are in good health 

You, and anyone else included aged 15 or older, must complete a chest X-ray and medical examination.

Dependent children included in your application and aged:

• 10 or younger, must get a medical examination, but do not need a chest X-ray unless we or your ask for one
• 11 to 14, must get a medical examination and a chest X-ray, but only need a blood test if we or your panel physician ask for one.

How to get an X-ray or medical examination  

If you have provided medical certificates to us before and those certificates were issued within the last 3 years, you may not need to provide them again.

Evidence of a chest X-ray or medical examination must be less than 3 months old when we receive it. 

Character

You, and anyone else included in your application, must be of good character.

If you, and anyone else included, are aged 17 or older, you must provide police certificates that are less than 6 months old when you apply.

If you have a criminal conviction, or are a security risk to New Zealand, we might not give you a visa.

Character requirements for New Zealand visas

You must get police certificates from:

• countries you are a citizen of, and
• countries where you have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years — even if those 12 months were not all in one stay.

Police certificates must show any criminal records you have had at any time in any of these countries — not only in the last 10 years.

If we ask for a new police certificate when processing your application, you will need to send us a new one.

Police certificates

Partner and dependent children

If you include your partner and dependent children in your application, you must have a genuine relationship with them.

You need to provide documents — like marriage and birth certificates — that prove your relationship to your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger.

Partnership and how to prove it

Bringing children

English language

You must be able to speak and understand English.

You can meet this requirement through:

• your citizenship
• where you studied and the qualifications you gained, or
• English language tests.

The results of your English language test must:

• meet the minimum score we set
• be no more than 2 years old when you apply.

Find out about the requirements around citizenship, study and qualifications, the test results required, and how to buy English language lessons:

English language requirements for skilled residence visas

English language requirements for family

Your partner and dependent children aged 16 or older must also be able to speak and understand English.

When we assess your application, we may ask for more proof of your and your family's ability to speak English. If we do, you and your family may have to sit tests and send us the results.

If you are including family members and they do not meet the English requirements, you will need to buy English language lessons for them to learn in New Zealand. You can choose to buy lessons in your visa application form. We will let you know how to pay for the lessons after you apply.

When you submit your expression of interest

When you submit your expression of interest (EOI) you do not need to provide any documents, but you will need to provide details about how you, and anyone you are including, meet the requirements.

If you need an International Qualification Assessment (IQA), apply for one and include your IQA reference number in your EOI.

When you apply for your visa

When you apply for an SMC Resident Visa, provide the following documents.

Translated documents

• Provide certified English translations for any documents not in English.
• Include:  
  • certified English translations of original documents, and
  • copies of the original documents.
• Translations must be completed by someone who meets our translation requirements.

Providing English translations of supporting documents

Proof of identity, citizenship and age

• Provide:
  • a copy of your passport or certificate of identity, and
  • 1 acceptable photo.
• Ensure passports are current and valid (allow time to renew if needed).
• Your birth certificate must show the legal names of your parents.
• You cannot manipulate or digitally alter your photo using Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other digital editing tools.

Providing your passport for an online application

Acceptable photos for a visa or NZeTA

Proof for partner and dependent children

If you are including your partner or dependent children aged 24 or younger in your application, you must provide:

• documents that prove your relationship to them
• proof of their identity such as a copy of their passport or certificate of identity, and
• acceptable photos of them.

Partnership and how to prove it

Bringing children

Medical documents

• If you or anyone included in your application needs a medical examination or chest X-ray, you must have these done before submitting your application.
• You must provide one of the following:
  • eMedical reference number
  • name of the clinic submitting your health information (if no eMedical reference is provided), or
  • a copy of the Medical certificate and/or chest X-ray certificate.
• Medical evidence must be less than 3 months old when you submit your application.

How to get a chest X-ray or medical examination

Police certificates

• Provide police certificates from all required countries for you, and anyone else included in your application who is 17 or older.
• Ensure police certificates are less than 6 months old (from the issue date) when you submit your application.
• We cannot accept proof that you have applied for a police certificate but have not received it yet unless you are providing a police certificate from Fiji, Israel or Hong Kong. For these countries, upload proof you have applied (for example a receipt) rather than the police certificate itself.

Police certificates

Evidence of your job or job offer

• Provide an employment agreement showing:
  • your name
  • occupation
  • hours of work
  • hourly rate or salary
  • any benefits or allowances paid in addition to your hourly rate or salary, if applicable.
• Your employment agreement must include all mandatory clauses required by New Zealand employment law. If you are unsure, you can use the Employment Agreement Builder to check what needs to be included.

Employment Agreement Builder

• Upload a job description for your current job or job offer in New Zealand, including your key tasks and responsibilities.
• If you are using a contract for services as evidence of skilled employment, upload your contract.

Evidence you are eligible for an SMC pathway

Qualifications

• Provide a copy of your qualification certificates and academic transcripts.
• Provide an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) International Qualifications Recognition Statement if required for qualifications from outside of New Zealand. Evidence that you have applied for an IQA but have not yet received the results will not be accepted.
• Request replacement evidence from your education provider if necessary.
• If you have recently completed your level 10 Doctoral degree (PhD) in New Zealand, you can provide a letter from your university stating you have met the requirements to graduate.
• If you are claiming points for a level 8 or 9 qualification and your bachelor’s degree is only being used as a supporting qualification, you do not need to provide an IQA for the bachelor’s degree. You must provide the bachelor’s degree certificate, and the academic transcript.
• If you claim points for a combined master’s degree, you will only need to provide the academic transcript as evidence of the bachelor’s degree.

Check if you need an International Qualification Assessment

Occupational registration

Provide evidence that shows:

• the registration licensing or certification authority
• the registration, license, or certificate name and scope of practice, and
• that you meet the requirements to claim points listed for your registration.

Claiming skilled resident points from your occupational registration

Income

If you are claiming points for income you can provide:

• your employment agreement, fixed term contract or employment offer letter from an accredited employer — it must show your hours, duration of employment, position and pay
• contract or contracts (without breaks) adding up to 6 months or more
• your job description, and
• tax statements and summaries of earnings (by month) that show you met the required SMC wage threshold during the claimed period.

Skilled work experience in New Zealand

• Provide an employment agreement and job description for each period of skilled work experience in New Zealand, including your key tasks and responsibilities. These documents must show your name, occupation, the name of the employer, hours and pay rate for each job.
• Provide an Inland Revenue Department (IRD) summary of earnings or IRD tax statement covering all your periods of skilled work experience in New Zealand. Your IRD summary of earnings must be up to the date you apply and should provide monthly breakdowns.

Relevant work experience

• Provide an employment agreement and job description showing the occupation, hours and rate of pay for each work period.
• Provide a summary of earnings or tax statement from the respective government authority for each work experience claimed confirming the period of work and income over any period of work.
• If you cannot provide tax records for your overseas work experience, you can provide a certificate of service from your employer instead. Certificates of service cannot be used as evidence of New Zealand work experience.

Evidence you can speak and understand English

• Provide:
  • evidence of citizenship if eligible for an exemption (for example your passport)
  • qualification certificates and academic transcripts for level 7 (if completed in New Zealand) and level 8 courses completed in English
  • your IQA International Qualifications Recognition Statement (if your qualifications are from another country), or
  • approved English language test results.
• Provide this evidence for anyone else included in your application, or pay for English language lessons for them.
• English language test results cannot be more than 2 years old (from the issue date) when you submit your application. You cannot provide evidence of a future booking.
• If you or someone included in your application has an occupational registration that is eligible for points under the Points-based pathway, the English language test results can be up to 5 years old (for the person who has the registration). You must provide both the English language test result and occupational registration certificate as evidence. The registration must be a full registration (not provisional or limited). You can do this even if you are applying under another pathway.

English language requirements for skilled residence visas

Claiming skilled resident points from your occupational registration

When a declaration form is needed

• Provide a completed declaration form if someone is submitting the application on your behalf, or if there are dependents (including your partner) that are aged 18 years or older included in your application.

We may contact you for more information

After you apply, we may contact you and ask for:

• your original passport or
• more evidence such as bank statements or pay slips showing your salary payments, if not already provided
• more evidence of your ability to speak and understand English, or
• an interview.

You must come to New Zealand within 12 months of the date your visa is issued, if you applied for your visa outside of New Zealand.

When you arrive

Entry permission

You must apply for permission to enter New Zealand. You do this by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) form.

You can start your digital declaration any time, but the earliest you can submit it is 24 hours before starting your travel to New Zealand.

A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

While you are in New Zealand

Your resident visa allows you to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.

Any visa conditions that apply to you will be recorded in your eVisa. You must comply with your visa conditions.

Travel

You can travel in and out of New Zealand as many times as you like until your expire.

Your travel conditions expire 2 years from:

• the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident, or
• the date your visa is given, if you are already in New Zealand.

To travel after that, you need to:

• get a Permanent Resident Visa, or
• extend your travel conditions, which would let you return to New Zealand at a later date.

With a Permanent Resident Visa, you can travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely, as long as you keep your visa in a valid passport.

Permanent Resident Visa

Check or change your resident visa conditions

Work

You can work in any job for any employer in New Zealand.

Study

You can study anywhere in New Zealand for any length of time.

Section 49 conditions

are extra conditions we may give to some visas, under section 49(1) of the Immigration Act 2009.

If your Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa has section 49 conditions, they will be listed in your eVisa.

Check or change your resident visa conditions

A Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa lets you stay in New Zealand indefinitely.

After you have had this visa for 2 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa that lets you travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely.

Staying longer

Getting a Permanent Resident Visa

After you have had a Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa for 2 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

Becoming a permanent resident of New Zealand

Permanent Resident Visa

Removing Section 49 conditions

If you have Section 49 conditions and want to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa, you must:

1. meet your section 49 conditions, then
2. apply to have them removed.

Request to remove section 49 conditions

To remove section 49 conditions, you — the main applicant or 'principal applicant' — will need to provide the following:

• a cover letter asking Immigration New Zealand to remove your section 49 conditions and including all your current contact details
• copies of valid passports for you and everyone included on your Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa application
• a letter from your employer, printed on company letterhead paper that:
  • confirms your position and that you have been in full-time employment for the period required by your section 49 conditions
  • shows the contact details of the company
  • is dated and signed by a person authorised to confirm the status of your employment
• copies of 2 recent payslips and a recent bank statement confirming your employment, or a summary of earnings from the Inland Revenue (IR).

There is no cost for removing section 49 conditions.

If we need more information, we will contact you.

You can post your request or send it by courier.

Postal address:

Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 76895
Manukau City
Auckland 2241
New Zealand

Courier address:

Immigration New Zealand
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand

Getting citizenship

For most people, after 5 years of living in New Zealand as a resident, you may be able to get New Zealand citizenship. You do not need a Permanent Resident Visa first.

Requirements for NZ citizenship — New Zealand Government