The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa is New Zealand’s main points-based pathway from a skilled job to permanent residence. Unlike the Accredited Employer Work Visa, which is temporary, SMC leads directly to residency — but you need an underlying skilled job, a points threshold, and a two-step application process to get there. Here’s how it actually works in 2026.
Who this is for
SMC is for people who already have (or can secure) a skilled job with an accredited New Zealand employer and want permanent residence, not just a temporary work permit. It’s typically the next step after time on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), though direct applicants with a qualifying job offer can apply without having worked in New Zealand first.
Basic eligibility
- Be 55 or younger at the time of application — SMC has a hard age ceiling, unlike some other residence categories.
- Hold a skilled job, or a genuine job offer, with an accredited employer.
- Meet English language requirements.
- Meet health and character standards.
- Score at least 6 skilled resident points (see below) — this is the core eligibility gate, separate from any minimum salary test.
The job itself must be “skilled”
Immigration New Zealand assesses the role against the ANZSCO occupation classification and a wage-based skill threshold:
- ANZSCO skill level 1-3 roles: must pay at least the equivalent of the median wage (approximately NZD $35/hour on 2025 figures — confirm the current median wage figure, which is updated periodically, at immigration.govt.nz).
- ANZSCO skill level 4-5 roles: must pay at least 1.5x the median wage (roughly NZD $52.50/hour) to qualify as “skilled” for SMC purposes — a meaningfully higher bar than levels 1-3, since lower-skill-classified roles need a much higher wage to demonstrate genuine skill value.
- The role must be permanent, or a fixed-term contract of at least 12 months, or a series of contracts totalling at least 6 months with the same employer.
The points system
You need a minimum of 6 skilled resident points, built from one primary category plus optional supplementary points:
Primary points (pick the highest-scoring category you qualify for):
- Occupational registration — 3 to 6 points depending on the training and experience level the registration represents.
- Qualifications — 3 to 6 points depending on level, from a relevant bachelor’s degree up to a doctoral qualification.
- Income — 3 to 6 points based on how far above the median wage your role pays: roughly 1.5x, 2x, or 3x the median wage tier thresholds.
Supplementary points:
- Skilled NZ work experience — 1 point per year of skilled work experience already completed in New Zealand, up to a maximum of 3 points.
Because you only need 6 points total and qualifications or income alone can supply up to 6, many applicants qualify through a single primary category without needing supplementary points at all — but stacking NZ work experience points is the most common way to clear the bar if your qualification or income level sits at the lower end of its band.
The two-step application process
- Expression of Interest (EOI) — a free, points-based profile submitted online. INZ assesses your points and eligibility essentially immediately against the criteria at the time.
- Invitation to Apply (ITA) — if your EOI is selected, you’re invited to submit the full residence application. You then have 4 months from the date of invitation to complete and lodge the full application with supporting evidence — police certificates, medicals, and qualification verification — so it’s worth having those documents largely ready before submitting your EOI, not after receiving the ITA.
- Decision — Immigration New Zealand does not publish a fixed processing time for the final decision stage; check current SMC processing times on the official site before planning around a specific date.
Fees
The application fee is from NZD $6,450 for the primary applicant (source: Immigration New Zealand), with additional charges for any partner or dependent children included on the same application. This is a Commonwealth-style application charge, separate from any immigration adviser or agent fees you may also incur, and separate from the earlier AEWV fees if you held that visa first. Confirm the current fee schedule at immigration.govt.nz before budgeting, as fees are reviewed periodically.
How SMC relates to the Accredited Employer Work Visa
Many skilled migrants arrive in New Zealand first on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), build up New Zealand work experience (worth supplementary SMC points), and then apply for SMC once they clear the 6-point threshold. This staged path is common precisely because SMC’s income and qualification point bands reward higher-skill, higher-wage roles that are easier to demonstrate once you’re already working in-country. See our Accredited Employer Work Visa guide if you’re earlier in that pipeline.
FAQ
Can I submit an EOI without a confirmed job offer? No — SMC requires either a current skilled job or a genuine job offer from an accredited employer; it isn’t a general-skills points system independent of employment, unlike some other countries’ equivalents.
What happens if I don’t get an Invitation to Apply? EOIs that aren’t selected can be resubmitted if your circumstances change (a higher-paying role, a new qualification, more NZ work experience) — there’s no penalty for a prior unselected EOI.
Does SMC lead directly to citizenship? SMC leads to permanent residence, not citizenship directly. Citizenship has its own separate residency-duration and eligibility requirements once you hold permanent residence.
This is general preparation guidance, not immigration legal advice — points bands, wage thresholds, and fees are reviewed periodically, so confirm current figures directly with Immigration New Zealand before applying. See the New Zealand visa fees breakdown for how SMC costs compare to other NZ visa categories. Join the VisaMet waitlist for help tracking your points eligibility and document readiness.
Sources: Immigration New Zealand – Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, Immigration New Zealand – Accredited Employer Work Visa.