On 24 August 2026, changes to the points system for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (SMC) will be made. Two new pathways to the SMC will be added, and changes will be made to the SMC wage threshold (median wage) rules.

What is changing from August 2026

From 24 August 2026, changes to the SMC will be introduced, including:

• Two new SMC pathways, alongside the existing Points-based pathway
• Updates to the Points-based pathway, and
• Changes to the SMC wage threshold (median wage) rules.

Who is affected

You may be affected if you:

• are already working in New Zealand and planning to apply for an SMC Resident Visa
• are relying on a qualification to get points
• do not currently meet the 6-point threshold, or
• work in a trades or technician role.

New SMC pathways

From 24 August 2026, two new pathways will be added to the SMC. The Skilled Work Experience pathway and the Trades and Technician pathway.

Pathway	Who is it for	Main requirements
Points-based	Most applicants	Reach 6 points
Skilled Work Experience	People with strong work history	5+ years of work experience
Trades & Technician	Trades/technical roles	Qualification and work experience

Skilled Work Experience pathway

Under the current rules you can use skilled work experience in New Zealand to reach the 6-point threshold, if you do not have enough points from your income, qualification or occupational registration alone.

From 24 August 2026 a new pathway will be available for the SMC that allows you to gain residence from work experience alone. This will be separate to the Points-based pathway.

You will be eligible for the Skilled Work Experience pathway if you:

• work in or have a job offer for an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation
• paid at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold (median wage)
• have at least 3 years of relevant work experience in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation, and
• have an additional 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand in an ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 occupation paid at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold (median wage).