SMC New Pathways 2026: Two New Residence Routes from 24 August

From 24 August 2026, the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa is no longer a single-route system. Alongside the existing Points-based (6-point) pathway, Immigration New Zealand is adding two independent pathways: the Skilled Work Experience pathway (for people with strong work histories) and the Trades and Technician pathway (for trades and technical occupations). All three run in parallel — you only need to meet the requirements of one.

What stays the same: the 6-point pathway continues to operate — see the SMC 6-point system explained. Every pay calculation below is based on the SMC wage threshold (median wage), which is NZD $35.00 per hour from 9 March 2026.

The three pathways compared

Pathway	Who it suits	Core requirements
Points-based (6-point)	Most applicants	Reach 6 points (3–6 from a skill category + up to 3 for NZ work experience)
Skilled Work Experience	People with strong work histories (5+ years of experience)	ANZSCO skill level 1–3 role, pay ≥ 1.1× threshold, 3 years relevant experience + 2 years NZ skilled experience
Trades and Technician	Trades and technical roles (qualification + experience)	Eligible occupation, pay ≥ threshold, NZQCF level 4+ qualification, 2.5 years relevant experience + 1.5 years NZ experience

Skilled Work Experience pathway

This pathway is about experience and pay, not points. You must meet all of the following:

• Current role or job offer: an ANZSCO skill level 1–3 occupation paid at or above 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold — $38.50/hour at the current threshold.
• At least 3 years of relevant work experience in an ANZSCO skill level 1–3 occupation.
• Plus at least 2 years of New Zealand skilled work experience in an ANZSCO skill level 1–3 occupation, paid at or above 1.1 times the threshold.

Amber List: stricter terms for these occupations

The following occupations can use the Skilled Work Experience pathway, but with extra conditions: pay at or above 1.2 times the threshold ($42.00/hour), and the 3 years of relevant experience must be gained in New Zealand, plus 2 years of New Zealand skilled work experience (also at ≥ 1.2 times the threshold).

ANZSCO	Occupation
141999	Accommodation and Hospitality Manager nec
141311	Hotel or Motel Manager
431411	Hotel Service Manager
351111	Baker
141911	Bed and Breakfast Operator
141111	Café or Restaurant Manager
141211	Caravan Park and Camping Ground Manager
351311	Chef
149212	Customer Service Manager
313112	ICT Customer Support Officer
313199	ICT Support Technicians nec
512111	Office Manager
351112	Pastrycook
313113	Web Administrator

Red List: these occupations cannot use this pathway

ANZSCO	Occupation
451111	Beauty Therapist
142114	Hair or Beauty Salon Manager
391111	Hairdresser
149999	Hospitality, Retail and Service Manager nec
411611	Massage Therapist
142111	Retail Manager (General)

ANZSCO skill level 4–5 occupations are also ineligible for the Skilled Work Experience pathway. Being on the Red List does not mean you cannot migrate — you should still check whether you qualify under the 6-point system or another pathway.

Trades and Technician pathway

This pathway targets trades and technical roles and is built on “qualification + experience”. You must meet all of the following:

• Occupation: work in an eligible trade or technician occupation. INZ publishes the list of eligible occupations — see the official guidance.
• Pay: at or above the SMC wage threshold, i.e. $35.00/hour.
• Qualification: a relevant NZQCF level 4 or higher qualification.
• Experience: at least 2.5 years of relevant post-qualification work experience (ANZSCO skill level 1–3), plus at least 1.5 years of New Zealand post-qualification skilled work experience paid at or above the threshold.

How the credit requirement works

• New Zealand qualifications: must total 120 credits. Credits can be accumulated across multiple qualifications with a prerequisite relationship (the lower qualification is a prerequisite for the higher one). Credits gained through RPL (recognition of prior learning) do not count.
• Overseas qualifications: only need an IQA assessment at level 4 or above — no credit-count requirement. Note that NZQA does consider credit volume in an IQA; for example, benchmarking at level 4 generally requires at least 40 credits at level 4.

Rules common to both new pathways

Self-employment does not count

Neither new pathway accepts self-employment as directly relevant work experience. INZ’s stated reason is that the nature and skill level of self-employed work is difficult to verify independently.

Experience time windows

• Relevant work experience: must be gained within 10 years before you apply for residence.
• New Zealand skilled work experience: the window is twice the required duration. For example, if a pathway requires 2 years of New Zealand experience, those 2 years must fall within the 4 years before you apply.

Evidence of experience

Acceptable evidence includes job descriptions, employment agreements, and tax records. From 24 August 2026, overseas work experience without tax records can instead be supported by an employer-issued certificate of service — this alternative applies only to the two new pathways and cannot be used for New Zealand work experience.

Next steps

If you already have skilled work experience in New Zealand, start with the SMC points calculator to see how close you are under the current 6-point system, then compare that against the two new pathways above. If your occupation is on the Green List, use the Green List checker to confirm whether a faster residence route exists. For the current and historical wage thresholds, see SMC wage thresholds.