SMC Points Changes 2026: New Qualification & Experience Tables

From 24 August 2026, the way SMC points are calculated changes in four areas: the qualification points table, the New Zealand work experience points table, a new registration pathway for accountants (CPA Australia), and the validity period of English test results. The underlying rules stay the same: you still need 6 points, a skilled job or offer with an accredited employer, and you can still claim points from only one of the three skill categories (registration, qualification, or income).

For the current 6-point system in full, see NZ’s 6-Point SMC System, Explained — that guide reflects the rules as they stand today. This article covers only what changed on 24 August 2026.

Qualification points: old vs new

Previous table (before 24 August 2026):

Qualification	Points
Level 10 Doctoral degree	6
Level 9 Master’s degree	5
Level 8 Bachelor Honours or Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip)	4
Level 8 Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), or Level 7 Bachelor’s degree	3

If an IQA recognises your qualification on the NZQF but cannot confirm a NZ equivalent, the points drop one step: level 10 → 5, level 9 → 4, level 8 → 3.

From 24 August 2026, the new table distinguishes NZ from overseas qualifications and adds a supporting bachelor’s degree requirement:

Qualification	Points	Supporting bachelor’s required?
Doctoral degree	6	No
NZ Master’s (at least 30 weeks of full-time study in NZ) + bachelor’s	6	Yes
NZ Master’s	5	No (no bachelor’s evidence needed to claim 5 points)
Overseas Master’s	5	Yes
NZ Bachelor Honours / PGDip / PGCert	5	Yes
NZ Bachelor’s	5	Not applicable
Overseas Bachelor Honours / PGDip / PGCert	4	Yes
Overseas Bachelor’s	4	Not applicable

The direct changes:

• Overseas bachelor’s: 3 → 4 points. PGCert qualifications also rise from 3 to 4.
• Qualifications accredited under the Washington Accord or Sydney Accord also rise from 3 to 4 points.
• A new 6-point pathway for NZ Master’s graduates: a Master’s completed with at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand, backed by a bachelor’s degree, is worth the full 6 points with no work experience needed.
• NZ bachelor’s degrees are worth 5 points; overseas bachelor’s 4. The new table prices qualifications by where they were earned.

Evidence for the supporting bachelor’s degree

When you claim points for a level 8 or 9 qualification (except claiming 5 points for a NZ Master’s), you must also hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and provide your bachelor’s certificate and transcript.

Two concessions:

• A bachelor’s degree used only as supporting evidence does not need an IQA.
• When claiming a conjoint Master’s degree, only the transcript is required for the bachelor’s evidence.

IQA and the LQEA: assessment rules for overseas qualifications

Overseas qualifications still need an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from NZQA, unless the qualification is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA). The LQEA has been updated alongside these changes — check the current version before you apply. Note that the reduced-points track for qualifications without a confirmed NZ equivalent is unchanged: level 10 → 5, level 9 → 4, level 8 → 3 (Amendment Circular 2026-16, SR3.25.15(c)). See the NZQA qualification recognition guide for the process and timelines.

New Zealand work experience points: fewer years for the same points

NZ skilled work experience	Before 24 Aug 2026	From 24 Aug 2026
3 years	3	—
2 years	2	3
1.5 years	1 (counts at the 1-year tier)	2
1 year	1	1

In plain terms: the maximum experience points now take 2 years instead of 3, and 2 points take 1.5 years instead of 2. If you were short on local experience, you reach 6 points sooner.

New registration points for accountants: CPA Australia

From 24 August 2026, accountants who are able to work in New Zealand as a Qualified Statutory Accountant and are CPA Australia members can claim 6 points under occupational registration. For accountants who would otherwise reach only 4 or 5 points via the qualification category, this is a faster route. See the accountant’s guide to New Zealand for the broader occupation pathway.

English test validity: 2 years extended to 5

From 24 August 2026, applicants who hold eligible occupational registration get an English test validity of 5 years, up from 2. A partner included in their SMC application gets the same 5-year validity if they also hold eligible occupational registration.

Applicants without eligible occupational registration are unaffected. The English requirement itself (accepted tests and scores) has no announced change.

Worked example: the same person under old and new rules

Case: overseas bachelor’s + NZ work. An applicant with an overseas bachelor’s degree (IQA-assessed or on the LQEA) and 2 years of skilled work with an accredited employer:

• Old rules: 3 (qualification) + 2 (experience) = 5 points. Not enough — one more year of local work is needed.
• From 24 Aug 2026: 4 (qualification) + 3 (experience) = 7 points. Eligible (6 points is the bar).

Case: NZ Master’s + bachelor’s. A Master’s completed with at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand, backed by a bachelor’s degree: 6 points from the qualification alone — no NZ work experience required.

What is not changing

• You still need 6 points plus a skilled job or offer with an accredited employer.
• Registration, qualification and income remain mutually exclusive skill categories — no stacking.
• Age 55 or younger, health, character and English requirements are unchanged.
• Income points have no announced change: 1.5x the median wage = 3 points, 2x = 4 points, 3x = 6 points (median wage is NZD $35.00/hour from 9 March 2026).

Run your own numbers against the new tables with our SMC Points Calculator: if your shortfall was qualification level or years of local experience, the new rules may already have closed the gap.