If I change jobs while gaining experience, do I need to meet a higher threshold?

Most people do not: you can change jobs without meeting the threshold in effect when you start the new role, as long as you stay at or above your locked threshold. The exception is applicants on the six-point pathway who move from a skill level 1–3 occupation to a level 4–5 occupation, who may need to meet a higher threshold.

If the threshold rises again later, could I lose my eligibility?

No. For most applicants the threshold is locked when you start gaining skilled work experience. No matter how the median wage moves afterwards, only the locked threshold applies when you are invited to apply — but your pay must stay at or above that locked threshold.

Who can use the 5-month grace period?

Three conditions must all be met: you start skilled work within 5 months of your work visa being granted; the threshold rose between the grant date and your start date; and the experience falls inside the qualifying time window. If so, the threshold on your visa grant date applies.

How is the lock-in time window calculated?

The window is twice the number of years of experience you need, counted back from the date you are invited to apply. For example, if you need 2 years of experience, the window is 4 years, so you can lock in a threshold as early as 4 years before your invitation.

Guides

SMC Wage Threshold Lock 2026: One Threshold, 5-Month Grace Period

Updated: 2026-08-18 · Data verified: 2026-08-18

From 24 August 2026, the wage threshold rules for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa change in one substantive way: most applicants only need to meet a single wage threshold — the one in effect when they started gaining their skilled work experience. If the median wage rises afterwards, you no longer need to meet the higher threshold in effect when you are invited to apply for residence. The SMC wage threshold (median wage) has been NZD $35.00 per hour since 9 March 2026; earlier thresholds are listed in the table below.

The change also applies to the two new pathways: the Skilled Work Experience pathway and the Trades & Technician pathway.

Current rules vs new rules

Scenario	Current rules (before 24 Aug 2026)	New rules (from 24 Aug 2026)
Your current job or offer	Must meet the threshold in effect when you submit your EOI	Only needs to meet the threshold in effect when you started your skilled work experience
Skilled work experience claimed for points	Must meet the threshold in effect when you started gaining it	Unchanged
Changing jobs while gaining experience	The new job must meet the threshold in effect when you start it (which may be higher)	Most people do not need to meet a higher threshold (one exception)

Under the current rules, the experience period and the application stage can be measured against two different standards; the new rules unify them into one.

Two exceptions

Applicants who do not need skilled work experience (for example, a PhD worth 6 points on its own): the lock does not apply. You must meet the threshold in effect when you are invited to apply for residence — usually the day you submit your EOI.
Six-point pathway applicants who move from a skill level 1–3 occupation to a level 4–5 occupation may need to meet a higher threshold when changing jobs. Outside this situation, changing jobs does not require meeting a higher threshold.

The lock-in time window

The experience you use to lock in a threshold must fall within a qualifying time window. The window length equals twice the years of experience you need, counted back from the date you are invited to apply:

1 year of experience needed → 2-year window
2 years of experience needed → 4-year window (you can lock in a threshold as early as 4 years before your invitation)
3 years of experience needed → 6-year window

Experience gained outside the window cannot be used to lock in a threshold.

The 5-month grace period

If you were still preparing to start work after your work visa was granted and the threshold rose in the meantime, the grace period protects you. Meet all three conditions and the threshold on your work visa grant date applies:

You start skilled work within 5 months of the visa grant;
The threshold changed (rose) between the grant date and your start date;
The experience falls within the qualifying time window.

Three official worked examples

Example 1: Max — the basic lock

Six-point pathway applicant in a skill level 1–3 occupation.
Started gaining skilled work experience in November 2025 at NZD $34.00 per hour, when the threshold was $33.56.
Suppose he is invited to apply in October 2026.
Result: his current job only needs to meet the $33.56 threshold from when his experience started; his current pay of $34.00 ≥ $33.56, so he qualifies — no need to meet any higher threshold in effect at invitation.

Example 2: Amira — clipped by the time window

She is claiming 1 point for work experience: 1 year of experience needed, so a 2-year window.
She plans to submit her EOI on 10 September 2026, making her lock-in window 10 September 2024 to 10 September 2026.
First job: 1 April 2023 to 1 April 2025 at $32.00 per hour, above the then-threshold of $29.66. But the part before 10 September 2024 falls outside the window, so her threshold locks at $31.61, the rate at the start of the window.
Current job: started 5 October 2025 at $40.20 per hour ≥ $31.61, so she qualifies.

Example 3: Peter — the grace period

Skilled Work Experience pathway (not on the Amber List, 1.1 times the median wage).
Work visa granted on 23 February 2024, when the pathway required $32.62 per hour.
He only started work on 1 May 2024 at $34.56 per hour — by then the threshold had risen to $34.77, so judged on his start date alone he would fall short.
But he started within 5 months of the grant, so the grace period applies: he only needs to meet the grant-date rate of $32.62. Since $34.56 ≥ $32.62, he qualifies.

Hourly rates for the two new pathways

The Trades & Technician pathway uses the median-wage threshold; the Skilled Work Experience pathway uses 1.1 times the median; Amber List occupations use 1.2 times. Rates by threshold period:

Threshold period	T&T (= median threshold)	SWE 1.1×	Amber List 1.2×
From 2026-03-09	$35.00	$38.50	$42.00
2025-08-18 to 2026-03-08	$33.56	$36.91	$40.27
2024-02-28 to 2025-08-17	$31.61	$34.77	$37.93
2023-02-27 to 2024-02-27	$29.66	$32.62	$35.59
2022-10-24 to 2023-02-26	$27.76	$30.53	$33.31
2021-07-19 to 2022-10-23	$27.00	$29.70	$32.40
2020-02-24 to 2021-07-18	$25.50	$28.05	$30.60

The salary rate table for the six-point pathway does not change on 24 August. Immigration New Zealand publishes the list of eligible occupations for the Trades & Technician pathway separately — see the INZ page on the 2026 SMC changes.

Work to Residence adjusted in step

The same approach extends to three work-to-residence visas: the Work to Residence Visa, the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa and the Transport Work to Residence Visa.

Applicants can start counting New Zealand work experience at the wage rate applicable to their occupation when their work visa was granted, provided that:

they start earning at least that rate within 5 months of the work visa being granted; and
they complete the required experience within the specified maximum timeframe (for Work to Residence, within the 30 months before the residence application).

If the occupation’s wage rate rises afterwards, they do not need to meet the higher rate when applying for residence — they only need to keep earning at least the rate that applied when they started counting experience. Note: Work to Residence applicants must still complete 24 months of New Zealand work experience within the 30 months before applying for residence; that requirement is unchanged.

Next steps

Use the SMC points calculator to confirm your points breakdown first, then find your locked threshold in the table above. If you are on a work-to-residence route, read the Work to Residence visa guide. For the two new pathways also taking effect on 24 August, see the new SMC pathways explained; for the underlying threshold rules, see the SMC salary threshold guide.

Frequently asked questions

If I change jobs while gaining experience, do I need to meet a higher threshold?: Most people do not: you can change jobs without meeting the threshold in effect when you start the new role, as long as you stay at or above your locked threshold. The exception is applicants on the six-point pathway who move from a skill level 1–3 occupation to a level 4–5 occupation, who may need to meet a higher threshold.
If the threshold rises again later, could I lose my eligibility?: No. For most applicants the threshold is locked when you start gaining skilled work experience. No matter how the median wage moves afterwards, only the locked threshold applies when you are invited to apply — but your pay must stay at or above that locked threshold.
I qualify for 6 points with a PhD and need no work experience. Which threshold applies to me?: The lock does not apply to you. You must meet the wage threshold in effect when you are invited to apply for residence — usually the day you submit your EOI.
Who can use the 5-month grace period?: Three conditions must all be met: you start skilled work within 5 months of your work visa being granted; the threshold rose between the grant date and your start date; and the experience falls inside the qualifying time window. If so, the threshold on your visa grant date applies.
How is the lock-in time window calculated?: The window is twice the number of years of experience you need, counted back from the date you are invited to apply. For example, if you need 2 years of experience, the window is 4 years, so you can lock in a threshold as early as 4 years before your invitation.

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