Eligibility requirements and costs
Who is the six-point pathway for?
The points-based Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) requires at least six points and an eligible skilled job or offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. A qualification alone does not secure residence. This is not a traditional points table where age, English, assets and every year of overseas experience are added together.
Choose one main skill category
Use qualifications, New Zealand occupational registration or income. These categories cannot be combined. Eligible New Zealand skilled work experience can supplement your chosen category. An overseas bachelor's degree worth four points plus income worth three does not make seven.
Do six points remove the job requirement?
No. Eligible employment, age, pay, English, health and character still matter. Submit an expression of interest, and apply for residence if invited. Neither an EOI nor an invitation is an approval.
Other SMC pathways
SMC now also includes Skilled Work Experience and Trades and Technician pathways. They have separate criteria. Experienced workers and trade-qualified applicants should compare those options rather than force their background into qualification points.
How the six points are calculated
New Zealand qualifications
A doctorate earns six points. A master's can earn six with a bachelor's degree and at least 30 weeks of full-time New Zealand study; other qualifying master's cases are listed at five. Eligible Level 8 honours, postgraduate diplomas or certificates earn five with a bachelor's; a Level 7 bachelor's earns five. Check the actual award and study conditions.
Overseas qualifications
A doctorate earns six; a master's earns five with the bachelor's requirement; eligible Level 8 awards earn four with a bachelor's; a bachelor's earns four. An NZQA IQA or an assessment exemption may be required. Non-degree awards at Level 7 or below do not earn qualification points. Overseas and New Zealand qualifications use different tables.
Occupational registration
Only an eligible New Zealand registration counts. Required training or experience of two, four, five or six years corresponds to three, four, five or six points. An overseas licence or general membership is not automatically an eligible registration.
Income
Income of 1.5, two or three times the applicable SMC wage threshold earns three, four or six points. The current NZD 35 hourly base corresponds to NZD 52.50, 70 and 105. The applicable threshold can depend on when qualifying work began. Convert annual pay using contracted hours before making a claim.
Additional New Zealand work points
Current requirements list one year for one point, 1.5 years for two and two years for three. Check the eligible timeframe, hours, duties and pay. These points supplement one chosen category; overseas work is not New Zealand work experience.
Examples to help compare
An eligible New Zealand bachelor's with one qualifying work year can reach six. An eligible overseas bachelor's with 1.5 qualifying work years can reach six. A six-point doctorate still needs an eligible job or offer. These examples explain the arithmetic, not an individual eligibility decision.
Application process and PremierVisa services
Requirements and PremierVisa services
Employment, pay and English
The principal applicant must be 55 or younger and hold an eligible skilled job or offer from an accredited employer. Check full-time hours, skill level and pay. ANZSCO levels 1 to 3 normally use the applicable base threshold; levels 4 to 5 or unlisted jobs normally use 1.5 times it. Income claims use their own multiples.
Approved background evidence or English tests can meet the language requirement. IELTS overall 6.5 is one option, with results no more than two years old when applying. Family has separate English requirements. Health, character and relationships must also be assessed.
Initial points and evidence review
PremierVisa helps organise your qualifications, study method, registration, pay, hours and New Zealand employment dates. Compare the usable skill category and remaining gaps. The question is whether your documents support the claim, not just whether a calculator displays six.
Prepare qualification and work documents
Organise degree and transcript, IQA or exemption, registration, contracts, duties, payslips and tax records. Review consistency between points, work periods and evidence. Plan translations, replacement documents and validity periods before submission.
Confirm the engagement and responsible provider
Before a formal engagement, establish the responsible party, required New Zealand licence or statutory exemption, scope and itemised fees. EOI, residence, temporary visas and NZQA are separate procedures. Australian migration credentials cannot substitute for New Zealand authorisation.
Family and relocation
A qualifying partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be assessed for inclusion. School, partner work, temporary visas and moving dates depend on their own status and requirements, not simply on the principal applicant's points.
Fees, process and common questions
What does SMC cost?
The official residence fee currently starts from NZD 6,450. Check the applicable fee for your location and circumstances before payment. List advisory fees, IQA, tests, medicals, police certificates, translation, temporary visas, study and living costs separately. This is not an investment migration route; tuition or buying a position is not a statutory investment threshold.
What is the application process?
Confirm eligible employment and the main points category, organise evidence and address gaps. Submit an EOI once eligible; if invited, apply for residence, respond to any information requests and await a decision. Maintain lawful temporary status and applicable employment conditions while waiting.
Must an overseas bachelor's graduate study for a New Zealand master's?
Not necessarily. Compare the existing qualification plus eligible local work, registration or income routes first. Assess job prospects before spending on study; graduating does not automatically produce an eligible job.
Does reaching six guarantee approval?
No. Evidence must support the points and the other requirements. Skill categories cannot be mixed, not every job counts as skilled experience, and Immigration New Zealand assesses the application.
SMC or the Green List?
First check whether your occupation and qualifications fit a Green List entry. Then compare points and required work periods. Genuine eligible work and evidence should guide the decision.
What should you share for the initial assessment?
Contact details and a summary of age, qualification country and level, registration, English, offer, hourly pay and New Zealand employment dates. Discuss the usable category, gaps and next steps. Start with a summary; supply identity documents after confirming the service and data arrangements.