INZ confirms final details of SMC Resident Visa & Work to Residence Visa

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced the final details of changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) and updates to wage rate rules for the Work to Residence (WTR) pathway ahead of the changes taking effect on 24 August 2026.

The changes include clarifications around wage thresholds, updated qualification requirements, adjustments to the Trades and Technician pathway, restrictions on the use of self-employment as evidence of work experience, and updates aimed at strengthening requirements for genuine skilled employment.

The SMC is New Zealand's main residence pathway for skilled migrants. In September 2025, the Government announced changes intended to help employers attract and retain skilled workers and support long-term economic growth. These included the introduction of the Trades and Technician pathway and the Skilled Work Experience pathway, as well as changes to better reflect qualifications completed in New Zealand and simplify existing settings.

Wage threshold changes

From 24 August 2026, most SMC applicants will only need to meet one SMC wage threshold, rather than one threshold for work experience and a higher threshold when applying for residence.

Applicants will still need to meet a wage threshold when applying for residence, but this will generally be the threshold that applied when they began accruing skilled work experience. They will not be required to meet the wage threshold in effect at the time they are invited to apply for residence.

A grace period will also apply if the SMC wage threshold increases before a migrant starts work. If skilled work experience begins within five months of a work visa being granted, the wage threshold that applied on the date the visa was granted will be used, even if the threshold has increased since then.

Work to Residence pathway alignment

Changes are also being made to the Work to Residence pathway to align with the updated SMC wage settings. The changes apply to the Tier 2 Green List, Care Workforce and Transport sector pathways.

Applicants will be able to use the wage rate that applied to their occupation when their work visa was granted to begin counting work experience in New Zealand, provided they started earning at least that rate within five months of visa approval and within the maximum timeframe allowed to complete their work experience requirements.

Applicants will not be required to meet a higher wage rate when applying for residence if the wage rate for their occupation has increased since they started working. They must continue to be paid at least the wage rate that applied when they first began accruing eligible work experience in New Zealand.

Applicants under the WTR pathway must still complete 24 months of work experience in New Zealand within the 30 months immediately before applying for residence.

Qualification requirements updated

INZ has clarified evidential requirements for qualifications.

Applicants claiming points for Level 8 or Level 9 qualifications, except those claiming five points for a New Zealand master's degree, must also hold a supporting bachelor's degree or an equivalent undergraduate qualification.

Evidence of both qualifications must be provided. For a bachelor's degree, applicants must submit the qualification certificate and academic transcript.

For overseas qualifications, an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) will generally be required unless the qualification is listed on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA). An IQA will not be required for supporting bachelor's degrees.

Applicants claiming five points for a New Zealand master's degree will not need to provide evidence of holding a bachelor's degree.

The LQEA has also been updated to reflect changes to the SMC points system. Points for bachelor's degrees will increase from three to four, while points for master's and doctoral qualifications remain unchanged. Points for Washington Accord and Sydney Accord accredited qualifications will also increase from three to four.

Trades and Technician pathway changes

Applicants applying under the Trades and Technician pathway must hold a relevant Level 4 or higher qualification recognised on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).

New Zealand qualifications must have at least 120 credits. INZ said credit information provides a consistent and objective method of confirming that qualifications meet pathway requirements.

For overseas qualifications, an IQA must assess the qualification as Level 4 or higher. The 120-credit requirement will not apply to overseas qualifications.

For New Zealand qualifications, the 120-credit requirement may be met through more than one qualification where lower-level qualifications are prerequisites for higher-level qualifications.

Self-employment not accepted as relevant work experience

Applicants under the Trades and Technician and Skilled Work Experience pathways must provide evidence of directly relevant work experience.

INZ said the new pathways require a high standard of evidence, including independently verifiable documentation.

While tax records may support claims of self-employment in a particular occupation, INZ said other independent evidence relating to the nature and skill level of that work may be unavailable or difficult to verify. As a result, evidence of self-employment cannot be used to meet requirements for directly relevant work experience under the new pathways.

Genuine employment requirements strengthened

Immigration instructions have also been updated to provide a clearer definition of genuine employment for skilled residence visas, including the Skilled Migrant Category, Work to Residence and Straight to Residence pathways.

The updated instructions require employment offers to be "available and ongoing" and to have a "genuine need to be based in New Zealand".

The new instructions broadly align the assessment of genuine employment for skilled residence visas with the definition used under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

INZ said the clarification is not expected to affect the majority of skilled residence applications but will provide clearer grounds for declining applications where there are strong concerns that employment is not genuine.

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