Skilled Migrant Category Guide for International Students in New Zealand

If you want to stay in New Zealand long-term, you may have heard about the Skilled Migrant Category visa.

This is one of the main residence pathways in New Zealand.

But your eligibility depends on more than just having a qualification or a job offer.

This guide explains how the SMC visa works, who can apply, and what matters if residence is part of your long-term plan.

The Skilled Migrant Category visa is a points-based residence pathway for people who have skilled work in New Zealand. Unlike other residence pathways that depend on a specific occupation list, this visa looks at your qualification, income, registration, and skilled work experience to decide if you can qualify for residence.

The Skilled Migrant Category had several important changes, so it helps to check the latest rules before you plan your application.

SMC visa changes - March 2026:

• Two new SMC pathways

• NZD $35.00 median wage

• Higher income points threshold

• Stronger recognition for New Zealand qualifications

• Red and amber occupation lists

If you want the full breakdown of these changes, read the Skilled Migrant Category visa latest updates.

The Skilled Migrant Category visa is for people who already have skilled work in New Zealand and want to apply for residence.

Key details:

With this visa, you can:

• Live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely.

• Work for any employer in New Zealand.

• Include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in your application.

Need help applying for the Skilled Migrant Category visa? Or are you unsure about your eligibility? Talk to our migration experts at IDP for clarity.

You can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category visa if you are 55 or younger, have a full-time skilled job or job offer in New Zealand, and can claim 6 points under the Skilled Migrant Category system.

To qualify, you must also meet these main requirements:

• Your job must count as skilled under New Zealand rules.

• Your employer must be accredited.

• You must meet English language requirements.

• You must meet health requirements.

• You must meet character requirements.

What is considered a skilled job for the Skilled Migrant Category?

A job is considered skilled if it matches New Zealand’s skill rules and meets the required pay level. It must also be full-time and with an accredited employer.

To count as a skilled job, your role must:

• be with an accredited employer.

• be at least 30 hours a week.

• be permanent, fixed-term for at least 12 months, or a contract for at least 6 months.

• match the job title and duties listed under ANZSCO.

Your pay must also meet the correct wage threshold:

• ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3: at least NZD $35.00 per hour

• ANZSCO skill level 4 to 5: at least NZD $52.50 per hour

ANZSCO skill levels run from 1 to 5, with level 1 being the most skilled.

Here are the detailed requirements you’ll have to meet when applying for the Skilled Migrant Category visa.

Age

• You must be 55 or younger when you apply.

Your job or job offer

• You need to have a skilled job in New Zealand, or a job offer for one.

Skilled resident points

To apply under the Skilled Migrant Category, you need at least 6 skilled resident points. 

What are skilled resident points?

Skilled resident points are the points Immigration New Zealand uses to decide if you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category visa. You need at least 6 points before you can submit an expression of interest. 

You can earn these points from any of the categories discussed below.

How the Skilled Migrant Category points system works

You can claim 3 to 6 points from one main category only. This means you choose either:

• occupational registration

• qualification

• income

You cannot combine these three main categories together.

If your chosen category does not give you all 6 points, you may then add up to 3 more points from skilled work experience in New Zealand.

New Zealand occupational registration

If your profession needs registration in New Zealand, you may claim points through that registration.

The points you get depend on how long the registration pathway takes:

• 6 points if registration needs at least 6 years of training or experience

• 5 points if it needs 5 years

• 4 points if it needs 4 years

• 3 points if it needs 2 years

This usually applies to regulated professions such as nursing, teaching, engineering, or other licensed roles.

If registration does not give you all 6 points, you may add skilled work experience later.

Qualification

You can also claim points from your highest recognised qualification.

Your qualification must be:

• a recognised New Zealand qualification.

• assessed through an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) if completed overseas.

• or listed under qualifications exempt from assessment.

If your qualification matches a New Zealand equivalent, you’ll get:

• 6 points for a Level 10 doctoral degree

• 5 points for a Level 9 master’s degree

• 4 points for a Level 8 honours degree or postgraduate diploma

• 3 points for a Level 8 postgraduate certificate or Level 7 bachelor’s degree

If your overseas qualification is recognised but not equivalent to a New Zealand qualification:

• 5 points for Level 10

• 4 points for Level 9

• 3 points for Level 8

Non-degree qualifications at lower levels do not usually count.

Income

If your current New Zealand job pays above certain salary levels, you may claim points through income.

Current income thresholds are:

• 3 points if you earn at least NZD $52.50 per hour

• 4 points if you earn at least NZD $70.00 per hour

• 6 points if you earn at least NZD $105.00 per hour

Your pay must stay at that level during the period you are using for points.

Skilled work experience

If you still need more points, you may add skilled work experience gained in New Zealand.

Your work must be:

• full-time

• paid at the correct wage level

• in a role that matches ANZSCO skill rules

If your job is:

• ANZSCO level 1 to 3, you must meet at least the median wage.

• ANZSCO level 4 to 5, you must meet at least 1.5 times the median wage.

You cannot mix qualification, income, and registration points. You choose one main category first, then use work experience only if you still need more points.

Health requirements

You must be in good health. In most cases, you will need a medical exam and a chest X-ray.

Character requirements

You must provide police certificates. These must usually be less than 6 months old when you apply.

English requirements

You need to show that you can speak and understand English. You can usually do this through:

• your citizenship

• previous study in English

• an IELTS overall band score of 6.5 or more for the main applicant; 

• IETLS overall score of 5 or more for partner or dependent child.

Immigration New Zealand also accepts IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) for Skilled Migrant Category visa applications.

If you’re including your family in your application

You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger.

You need documents that show your relationship, such as marriage or birth certificates.

The Skilled Migrant Category application happens in stages. You first show that you meet the points, then Immigration New Zealand checks your full documents.

1. Submit your expression of interest

You start by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) online.

This is where you declare:

• Your points.

• Your job details.

• Your qualification, registration, or income.

There is no fee to submit your EOI.

2. Wait for your invitation to apply

If your EOI meets the rules, Immigration New Zealand will invite you to apply for residence.

Once you receive your invitation, you have 4 months to complete your full application.

3. Gather your documents

Before you apply, prepare all required documents.

This usually includes:

• Your passport..

• Job offer or employment agreement

• Qualification documents.

• Police certificates.

• Medical exam or chest X-ray.

• English language evidence.

If your qualification needs an IQA, this should already be ready at this stage.

4. Submit your residence application

Complete your online application.

Upload your documents and pay the visa fee.

The current application fee starts from NZD $6,450.

5. Wait for a decision

Immigration New Zealand may ask for more documents while assessing your application.

It is important to check your email and application account regularly until a decision is made.

Yes, your New Zealand study can help you under the Skilled Migrant Category, but your qualification alone is not enough. You also need your next job to meet the Skilled Migrant Category rules.

This usually means you move through each step in order:

• Finish your New Zealand qualification.

• Apply for a post-study work visa.

• Find a skilled full-time job.

• Meet the required salary level.

Your qualification may help you claim points, especially if it is a recognised bachelor’s, postgraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree.

Once your Skilled Migrant Category visa is approved, you become a New Zealand resident. 

You can live in New Zealand indefinitely, work for any employer, and study without needing another visa. Your visa also includes travel conditions for 2 years, which means you can leave and return freely during that period. 

After 2 years, you usually need a Permanent Resident Visa or new travel conditions if you want to keep travelling in and out of New Zealand.

After you have held your Skilled Migrant Category resident visa for 2 years continuously, you may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa in New Zealand. 

This gives you permanent travel rights, which means you can leave and return to New Zealand freely without needing to renew travel conditions on your resident visa.

Choosing the right course early can make your next visa steps much easier if residence is part of your long-term plan. 

Your qualification should connect to work that can later meet Skilled Migrant Category rules, because your course, your job, and your salary often need to align for residence to become possible.

If you are still comparing study options, this is the best time to think beyond just admission.

We can help you compare courses, understand which qualifications may support skilled work later, and explain how different study pathways can affect your long-term plans in New Zealand. 

If you want visa advice based on your own situation, you can also speak with IDP migration experts.