Only professionals who can demonstrate an exceptionally high capacity for their successful settlement will qualify for permanent residency in New Zealand under this policy.
Use our Self-Assessment | Points Guide to check for yourself whether you fulfil the key requirements of the SMC policy, and find out how working with us can boost your chances of success.
Your employment must be
with an accredited employer (an employer approved by Immigration New Zealand to employ workers on the Accredited Employer Work Visa, AEWV)
and
either full-time and permanent, for a fixed term of at least 12 months
or
a contract for services of at least 6 months.
You can claim
The points system of the new Skilled Migrant Category is more complicated than it might appear at first glance and far-reaching errors occur when it comes to establishing whether qualifications, work experience and job offer match up and you qualify for the necessary points.
This will depend on three aspects:
You may need to get an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) to show that your qualifications can be used in New Zealand.
In New Zealand, some professionals have to be registered with their specific professional registration boards. Check if you need occupational registration for your job.
A 'wage threshold' is the minimum hourly pay rate that you need for a visa. There are different wage thresholds for different visas. The current pay rates apply since 18 August 2025:
$50.34 3 points (at least 1.5 times the median wage)
$67.12 4 points (2 times the median wage)
$100.68 6 points (3 times the median wage)
The good news is that you can improve your points score!
If your current point score is three, four, or five, you can increase it by providing evidence of your work experience in New Zealand.
Each year of work experience in New Zealand earns you one point, with a maximum of three points for three years of work experience.
Your Licensed Immigration Adviser will guide you right from the start, to ensure that you will be on the right track and have the right visa while you gain New Zealand work experience towards your goal of securing permanent residence in New Zealand.
Working with us will boost your job search success.
Our Licensed Immigration Advisers will ensure that your job search goes in the right direction. They will provide you and your Job Search Consultant visa-specific guidelines to make sure that you only target and apply for roles that will align with immigration requirements.
Working with a local Job Search Professional and starting well before your arrival in New Zealand will make you a strong candidate for the New Zealand job market.
If your New Zealand employer requires assistance with their accreditation, before they can offer you a job, we will be able to support them.
Please note: If you are 56 years or older and have already reached the age limit for the Skilled Migrant Category, one of New Zealands other visa policies might be an option for you.
Two new residence pathways for professionals will be introduced under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa: The Skilled Work Experience Pathway and the Trades and Technician Pathway.
A 12-month pathway for further visas for AEWV holders, who:
- are reaching their maximum continuous stay
- need up to 12 more months to meet the Skilled Migrant Category’s New Zealand work experience requirement, and
- meet the relevant wage rate.
Our Principal Immigration Adviser, Dr. Carsten Hallwass, will cover the upcoming changes to the Skilled Migrant Category during the Webinar.
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At first, Maj kindly explained the whole process and what to expect. I was coached and introduced to New Zealand job market by their Job Search team, and getting assistance until I got a job in the country. The Visa team would also follow me up on my pending documents, so I never felt left out. Truly recommended for those seeking out an option to live in New Zealand. Big thanks from me and my whole family for things NZIC did for us..!
NZIC helped me in my way to get a Visa and job search. They were always available to talk to and were open to all sorts of questions. No matter how random they were. Very friendly staff. And even when they had changes in employee and advisors, they always stayed professional and up to date. I can only say good things and recommend them highly.
Very pleased and satisfied with the service we received from NZIC. They assisted me and my family from start to finish. Always willing to assist, and communicated our progress every step of the way. With their assistance we managed to obtain permanent resident visa status.
Base your move on solid grounds: Ask us for an Assessment of your chances and join our Immigration and Job Seeker Webinar.
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