Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
Purpose	Skilled-worker residence pathway
Stay	Indefinitely
Cost	From NZD $6,450
Processing	Varies by nationality and location
Eligibility timing	Apply within four months of invitation
Age	55 or younger when applying
Job requirement	Full-time accredited-employer skilled job
Work rights	Any job, any employer
Study	Any course, any duration
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple travel until conditions expire
Citizenship	May be eligible after five years
Family sponsorship	Include partner and dependent children
Visa record	eVisa
EOI fee	No fee
Permanent residence	Apply after two consecutive years

---

Purpose

This resident visa provides three pathways to New Zealand residence for skilled workers:

• Points-based pathway
• Skilled Work Experience pathway
• Trades and Technician pathway

You must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). If it is accepted, Immigration New Zealand will invite you to apply.

Core Eligibility

All applicants must:

• Be 55 or younger when applying.
• Have a full-time skilled job or job offer from an accredited employer.
• Work at least 30 hours per week.
• Have employment that is permanent, fixed-term for at least 12 months, or contracts totalling at least six months.
• Meet the relevant pathway pay requirements.
• Be in good health and of good character.
• Speak and understand English.
• Have genuine relationships with included family members.

Your job title and duties should mostly match the relevant ANZSCO occupation description.

Pathways

Points-based Pathway

You need 6 skilled resident points.

Claim 3 to 6 points from one category:

• Qualification
• Eligible New Zealand occupational registration
• Income from your current job or offer

If needed, claim up to 3 additional points for skilled work experience in New Zealand:

New Zealand skilled work experience	Points
2 years	3
1.5 years	2
1 year	1

Skilled New Zealand work experience must be full-time, meet applicable pay requirements, and closely match ANZSCO duties.

Qualification Points

Qualification	Points
Level 10 doctoral degree	6
Eligible New Zealand master’s degree	5–6
New Zealand level 8 qualification	5
New Zealand bachelor’s degree	5
International master’s degree	5
International level 8 qualification	4
International bachelor’s degree	4

International qualifications generally require an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) unless on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment.

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

Occupational Registration Points

Eligible New Zealand occupational registrations can provide:

Registration training or experience	Points
6 years	6
5 years	5
4 years	4
2 years	3

Income Points

Your job or offer must pay at least 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold.

Pay rate	Points
At least 3 times threshold	6
At least 2 times threshold	4
At least 1.5 times threshold	3

The source states that 3 times the current threshold is NZD $105.00 per hour.

Skilled Work Experience Pathway

You must:

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

Relevant work experience must relate to your current job or offer. Self-employment cannot be counted as relevant work experience.

You are not eligible if your job is:

• On the Red List.
• ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5.

Amber List occupations have additional requirements.

Trades and Technician Pathway

You must:

• Work in an eligible trades or technician occupation.
• Be paid at least the SMC wage threshold.
• Hold a relevant qualification at NZQCF level 4 or higher.
• Have at least 2.5 years of relevant post-qualification work experience.
• Have an additional 1.5 years of skilled post-qualification work experience in New Zealand.

For New Zealand qualifications, the qualification must usually have at least 120 NZQCF credits. Credits awarded for recognition of prior learning do not count.

International qualifications require an IQA from NZQA.

Work Experience Time Limits

• Relevant work experience must generally be gained within the 10 years before applying.
• Skilled New Zealand work experience must generally be gained within a period twice as long as the experience required.
• Parental leave, ACC leave, or sick leave may still be included in some cases.

English Requirements

You must prove you can speak and understand English through:

• Eligible citizenship;
• Study and qualification evidence; or
• Approved English-language test results.

Test results must generally be no more than 2 years old when applying.

A person with occupational registration eligible for points may use English test results up to 5 years old.

Included partners and dependent children aged 16 or older must also meet English requirements, provide evidence, or have English-language lessons purchased for them.

Health and Character

Health

You and included family members must be in good health.

• Applicants and included family aged 15 or older must complete a medical examination and chest X-ray.
• Children aged 10 or younger need a medical examination; a chest X-ray is required only if requested.
• Children aged 11 to 14 need a medical examination and chest X-ray.
• Medical evidence must be less than 3 months old when submitted.
• Medical certificates issued within the past 3 years may not need to be provided again.

Character

Applicants and included family members aged 17 or older must provide police certificates.

Certificates are required from:

• Countries of citizenship; and
• Countries where you spent 12 months or more during the past 10 years.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when applying. Criminal convictions or security concerns may result in refusal.

Family Provisions

You may include:

• Your partner; and
• Dependent children aged 24 or younger.

Provide evidence of genuine relationships, such as marriage and birth certificates, plus identity documents and photos.

If your partner or dependent children already hold, or are applying for, a temporary visa based on their relationship to you, they must be included in the resident visa application.

Required Documents

When submitting an EOI, you provide details but no supporting documents. If an IQA is needed, include its reference number.

When applying after invitation, provide:

• Passport or certificate of identity.
• One acceptable photo.
• Certified English translations and original-language copies for non-English documents.
• Medical examination and chest X-ray evidence, if required.
• Police certificates, if required.
• Employment agreement and job description.
• Evidence supporting your selected pathway.
• English-language evidence.
• Family relationship, identity, and photo evidence, if including family.
• Resident Visa Declaration Form (INZ 1242) where required.

Employment Evidence

Provide an employment agreement showing:

• Your name and occupation.
• Hours of work.
• Hourly rate or salary.
• Any additional benefits or allowances.

Also provide a job description showing key tasks and responsibilities.

Experience and Income Evidence

For New Zealand skilled work experience, provide:

• Employment agreements and job descriptions.
• An IRD summary of earnings or IRD tax statement.
• Monthly earnings information up to the application date.

For overseas relevant work experience, provide employment agreements, job descriptions, and official tax or earnings records. If overseas tax records are unavailable, an employer certificate of service may be accepted.

Important Identity Warning

Enter identity details exactly as shown in your passport or certificate of identity. Errors may delay processing, lead to refusal, or result in entry being refused.

You must not digitally alter visa photos using AI or other editing tools.

How to Apply

1. Check eligibility for at least one SMC pathway.
2. Obtain an IQA first, if required.
3. Submit an online EOI — there is no fee.
4. Receive an invitation to apply if eligible.
5. Apply online within four months of the invitation.
6. Upload documents and pay the applicable fee.
7. Wait for Immigration New Zealand’s decision.

You must apply under the pathway for which you were invited. If you do not apply within four months, you must submit a new EOI.

If approved, Immigration New Zealand issues an eVisa.

Cost and Processing

• Visa cost: from NZD $6,450.
• EOI submission: free.
• Costs and processing times depend on nationality and where you apply from.

After Visa Grant

If applying from outside New Zealand, you must travel to New Zealand within 12 months of visa issue.

Before travel, complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. You may submit the digital declaration no earlier than 24 hours before travel.

At the border, entry permission may be refused if you:

• No longer meet character requirements.
• Have changed circumstances since visa grant.
• Refuse a photo, fingerprint, or iris scan.

Rights and Conditions

This visa allows you to:

• Live in New Zealand indefinitely.
• Work in any job for any employer.
• Study anywhere for any length of time.

Your specific visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.

Section 49 Conditions

Some visa holders receive section 49 conditions. These will appear in the eVisa.

If subject to these conditions, you must not be unemployed for more than 3 months. If you lose your job, you must obtain another skilled job lasting at least three months.

Failure to meet section 49 conditions may result in visa cancellation and a requirement to leave New Zealand.

Travel and Permanent Residence

You may travel in and out of New Zealand until travel conditions expire, generally 2 years from:

• Your first arrival as a resident; or
• Visa grant, if already in New Zealand.

After travel conditions expire, you need a Permanent Resident Visa or an extension of travel conditions to return to New Zealand.

If you are outside New Zealand when travel conditions expire, your resident visa will also expire.

After holding this resident visa for 2 consecutive years, you may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. If you have section 49 conditions, you must first meet and have them removed.

There is no cost to request removal of section 49 conditions. The request requires a cover letter, valid passport copies, employer confirmation, and recent payslips and bank statement or IRD earnings summary.

Citizenship

For most people, New Zealand citizenship may be available after 5 years living in New Zealand as a resident. A Permanent Resident Visa is not required first.