Skilled Migrant Category

Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) provides a pathway to residence for people who have the skill, qualifications and experience to bolster New Zealand’s growth and meet its labour market needs. For those who are eligible, New Zealand offers an opportunity to establish residency for you and your family.

SMC is a 6-point system. There are several requirements you must meet before applying:

• Be 55 years old or younger at the time of application
• Have a job offer or be currently working for an accredited employer in New Zealand
• Provide evidence of meeting the English language requirement
• Character and health requirements

The government allocates points to your application based on your skilled job, qualification and skilled work experience. You need 6 points to apply for the Skilled Migrant Category resident visa. To start the SMC, you need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). Immigration New Zealand will assess whether you meet the base eligibility criteria for SMC. If successful, you will receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for SMC. You must submit your residence application within 4 months of receiving the invitation.

You can claim 3 to 6 points via the following avenues:

1. New Zealand occupational registration
2. Qualification (Bachelor’s degree or higher)
3. Your income from your job or job offer (earning at least 1.5 times the median wage in New Zealand)

You can only claim points from one of these skill categories. You cannot combine points from multiple skill categories. For example, you cannot combine points from your qualification with points from your New Zealand occupational registration.

You can also claim 1 point for each year of skilled work in New Zealand, up to a maximum of 3 points. Your employer needs to be accredited throughout.

The points you claimed from skilled work in New Zealand can be combined with points from your New Zealand occupational registration, qualification or income.