Skilled Migrant Category
The Skilled Migrant Category is a points-based Residence system that is designed to provide for the grant of New Zealand Residence visas to people who have the skills needed in New Zealand, and who are able to demonstrate an ability to contribute and successfully settle in New Zealand.
The Skilled Migrant Category is a two-stage process which requires the submission of an Expression of Interest in the first instance. Expressions of Interest were suspended during covid, but resumed in November 2022 with selections occurring monthly, on the third Wednesday of each month.
The Updated Skilled Migrant Category
New settings for the Skilled Migrant Category were implemented on 9th October 2023. These have been designed to assist employers manage their workforce more effectively and to provide migrants more certainty in planning their residence pathways. It is a more simplified system and a faster pathway to residence for those highly skilled people which New Zealand currently requires.
The changes include a new points system where people will need to meet specific requirements. Applicants must have a skilled job or job offer with an Accredited Employer in New Zealand and will need a total of six points to apply under the new Skilled Migrant Category criteria.
Immigration New Zealand will assess the Expression of Interest (which is information only) and confirm that the correct number of points have been claimed (please see a detailed points breakdown below). If an applicant meets the requirements then an invitation to apply will be sent, and an application for residence must then be made within 4 months of the date that invitation is made.
Applicants can claim three to six points from their:
- New Zealand occupational registration, or
- Qualification (Bachelor’s degree or higher), or
- Income from their job or job offer (earning at least 1.5 times the median wage in NZ which currently equates to NZD $47.41 per hour)
Occupational Registration and points
| 6 | A minimum of 6 years training is required to gain registration |
| 5 | A minimum of 5 years training is required to gain registration |
| 4 | A minimum of 4 years training is required to gain registration |
| 3 | A minimum of 2 years training is required to gain registration |
Applicants may use skilled work experience gained in New Zealand to top up their points total, but if they are working in an occupation requiring registration, they can only use skilled work experience gained after becoming registered in New Zealand.
Qualification points
If applicants have a qualification awarded from outside New Zealand, it may need to be assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Upon a successful assessment, it will then be possible to claim between three and six points depending on what level the qualification is assessed at on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). An updated list for qualifications which do not need assessment have been updated by Immigration New Zealand and can be located on the INZ website.
| 6 | Level 10 Doctoral Degree |
| 5 | Level 9 Master's Degree |
| 4 | Level 8 Bachelor Honours Degree or Postgraduate Diploma |
| 3 |
Level 8 Postgraduate Certificate Level 7 Bachelor's degree |
Income points
The income an applicant earns will also allow points to be claimed under the new Skilled Migrant Category framework. The job that the income points are derived from must be with an Accredited Employer, be for at least 30 hours per week and be either a permanent role or fixed term for at least 12 months.
| 6 | Job or job offer in New Zealand at 3 times the median wage (currently NZD $88.98 an hour) or more. |
| 4 | Job or job offer in New Zealand at 2 times the median wage (currently NZD $59.32 an hour) or more. |
| 3 | Job or job offer in New Zealand at 1.5 times the median wage (currently NZD $44.49 an hour) or more. |
In addition to claiming points from occupational registration, qualification or income, applicants will be able to claim up to a maximum of three points for skilled work experience gained in New Zealand. (One point for each year of skilled work experience gained in New Zealand).
To claim these additional points, applicants must have met the relevant wage threshold for the entirety of the years of skilled work experience being claimed.