SR3.25 Points-based pathway

SR3.25.1 Skilled employment for the Points based pathway

Principal applicants applying via the Points-based pathway must have current employment, or an offer of employment, in New Zealand that pays at least the equivalent of:

1. the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5) if their occupation is listed at ANZSCO skill level 1-3; or
2. 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5) if their occupation is listed at ANZSCO skill level 4-5 or not included in ANZSCO.

   Note: The SMC wage threshold in effect over time (including any applicable multiplier) can be found in SR3.10.5, to determine the date that applies, refer to SR3.10(f).

SR3.25.5 Points Summary for the Points-based pathway

1. Principal applicants applying via the Points-based pathway must qualify for 6 points from:
   1. one points-based skill category (income, qualification, or New Zealand registration); or
   2. a combination of one points-based skill category and their skilled work experience in New Zealand (see SR3.25.25).
2. The principal applicant may qualify for the following points from one skill category (income, qualification, or New Zealand registration):

   Income (SR3.25.10)	Points
   At least 3 times the SMC wage threshold	6
   At least 2 times the SMC wage threshold	4
   At least 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold	3

   Or

   Qualification Equivalent under the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework* (SR3.25.15)	Points
   Level 10 doctoral degree Level 9 New Zealand master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 9 New Zealand combined master’s and bachelor’s degree	6
   Level 9 New Zealand master’s degree Level 9 overseas master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 9 overseas combined master’s and bachelor’s degree Level 8 New Zealand honours degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 8 New Zealand postgraduate diploma and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 8 New Zealand postgraduate certificate and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 7 New Zealand bachelor’s degree	5
   Level 8 overseas honours degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 8 overseas postgraduate Diploma and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 8 overseas postgraduate certificate and a bachelor’s degree (from any country) Level 7 overseas bachelor’s degree	4

   *If the principal applicant provides an International Qualification Assessment that does not specify a listed qualification type, they may qualify for the points listed at SR3.25.15(c).

   New Zealand registration, licensing, or certification (SR3.25.20, SR3.30)	Points
   A registration, license, or certification must be listed at SR3.30, which defines the requirements and number of points awarded for each.	6
   	5
   	4
   	3

3. In addition to one points-based skill category, applicants may qualify for points for their skilled work experience in New Zealand:

   Skilled work experience in New Zealand (SR3.25.25)	Points
   2 years	3
   1 year and 6 months	2
   1 year	1

SR3.25.10 Income

1. When claiming points for income, the principal applicant must have full-time employment or an offer of full-time employment in New Zealand (employment is full time if it amounts to at least 30 guaranteed hours per week for every week worked) which pays at least the equivalent of:
   1. 3 times the SMC wage threshold to qualify for 6 points; or
   2. 2 times the SMC wage threshold to qualify for 4 points; or
   3. 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold to qualify for 3 points.

      Note: The SMC wage threshold in effect over time (including any applicable multiplier) can be found in SR3.10.5, to determine the date that applies, refer to SR3.10(f).

2. As evidence of income, applicants must provide an employment agreement and job description specifying the name of the applicant, name of the employer (their legal entity), occupation, hours and remuneration of the employment.
3. For the avoidance of doubt, where an applicant is applying via the points-based pathway and is claiming points for income, the SMC wage threshold for any skilled work experience must also meet the applicable multiplier.

   Example:

   - An applicant is claiming four points for skilled employment paid at two times the SMC wage threshold.

   - Their work visa was granted on 12 December 2024, and they began their skilled work experience on 10 January 2025. They applied for their SMC resident visa on 10 September 2026.

   - As the applicant began working within 5 months of their work visa grant date, the SMC wage threshold in effect on 12 December 2024 applies.

   - Two times the SMC wage threshold on that date was $63.22.

   - The applicant must maintain income at or above $63.22 for both their skilled work experience and their skilled

SR3.25.15 Qualification

1. When claiming points for a qualification, the principal applicant must hold a qualification or qualifications recognised on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) and meet the evidential requirements to qualify for points as per the following table:

   	Qualification	Points	Evidential requirements*   *Despite the list below, an immigration officer may ask for more evidence of qualifications or studies if they consider it necessary to determine whether the requirements are met.
   i	Level 10 New Zealand doctoral degree	6	Qualification certificate, or letter of eligibility to graduate (if applicable) as per SR3.25.15(g)
   ii	Level 10 overseas doctoral degree	6	Qualification certificate; and an International Qualification Assessment (IQA), for the doctoral degree unless the qualification is included on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA) (Appendix 17).
   iii	Level 9 New Zealand master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country); or Level 9 New Zealand combined master’s and bachelor’s degree	6	Master’s degree qualification certificate; and  Bachelor’s degree certificate and transcript unless SR3.25.15(e) applies.
   iv	Level 9 New Zealand master’s	5	Qualification certificate
   v	Level 9 overseas master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country); or Level 9 overseas combined master’s and bachelor’s degree	5	Master’s degree qualification certificate; and  an International Qualification Assessment (IQA), for the master’s degree unless the qualification is included on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA) (Appendix 17); and  Bachelor’s degree qualification certificate; and transcript unless SR3.25.15(e) applies.
   vi	Level 8 New Zealand honour’s degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country); or Level 8 New Zealand postgraduate diploma and a bachelor’s degree (from any country); or Level 8 New Zealand postgraduate certificate and a bachelor’s degree (from any country)	5	Level 8 qualification certificate; and  Bachelor’s degree qualification certificate; and   Bachelor’s degree transcript.
   vii	Level 7 New Zealand bachelor’s degree	5	Bachelor’s degree qualification certificate
   viii	Level 8 overseas honours degree and a bachelor’s degree (from any country); or Level 8 overseas postgraduate diploma and a bachelor’s degree (from any country); or Level 8 overseas postgraduate certificate and a bachelor’s degree (from any country)	4	Level 8 qualification certificate; and  An International Qualification Assessment (IQA) for the level 8 qualification, unless the qualification is included on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA) (Appendix 17); and  Bachelor’s degree qualification certificate; and   Bachelor’s degree transcript.
   ix	Level 7 overseas bachelor’s degree	4	Bachelor’s degree qualification certificate, and  An International Qualification Assessment (IQA) for the bachelor’s degree, unless the qualification is included on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA) (Appendix 17);

2. As evidence of qualifications, for which they are claiming points, applicants must provide their qualification certificate and if the qualification is from outside New Zealand:
   1. an International Qualifications Assessment (IQA) from the NZQA; or
   2. the qualification must be included on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (Appendix 17).
3. If the principal applicant provides an IQA and it does not confirm their qualification is equivalent to a specific New Zealand qualification type listed at (a) above, their IQA must recognise the qualification on the NZQCF as:
   1. a level 10 qualification to qualify for 5 points; or
   2. a level 9 qualification to qualify for 4 points; or
   3. a level 8 qualification to qualify for 3 points.
4. Applicants claiming points for a level 8 or 9 qualification (unless claiming 5 points for a New Zealand master’s degree) must hold a bachelor’s degree (from any country). As evidence of the bachelor’s degree, applicants must provide:
   1. their bachelor’s qualification certificate (or equivalent); and
   2. an academic transcript (or equivalent) of their course.
5. Despite (d), where an applicant has completed a combined master’s and bachelor’s or a combined honours and bachelor’s qualification resulting in a combined master’s or combined honours qualification with no separate bachelor’s qualification certificate, only their academic transcript (or equivalent) is required as evidence for their bachelor’s degree.
6. Despite the requirements in (a) above to hold the qualification, when claiming points for a level 10 Doctoral degree from a New Zealand University an applicant may instead provide evidence they have met all the requirements to graduate with a Doctoral degree to qualify for 6 points.
7. As evidence of meeting requirements in (f) above, the applicant may provide a ‘letter of eligibility to graduate’ from their university stating that they have met all the requirements to graduate with a Doctoral degree.
8. Applicants claiming 6 points for a level 9 New Zealand master’s must have completed at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand as part of their master’s qualification. A definition of ‘full time study’ can be found at U6.1.1.

   Notes: 

   Study weeks include exam preparation time and exclude holiday periods, time spent repeating failed components, and time spent studying a different qualification where the credits have been transferred to the qualification that has been completed.

   An IQA:
   - assesses an overseas qualification (or group of qualifications) by stating the learning outcomes of the closest equivalent New Zealand qualification; and
   - states the NZQCF level and qualification type of that equivalent qualification; and
   - refers to any verification of the applicant's qualifications undertaken by the NZQA.

SR3.25.20 New Zealand registration, licensing, or certification

1. When claiming points for New Zealand registration, licencing, or certification, the principal applicant must hold a recognised New Zealand registration, license or certification and meet the requirements listed in the table at SR3.30, to qualify for the points listed at SR3.30.
2. Unless specified at SR3.30, any form of provisional, trainee, intern, or limited registration, license, certification or scope of practice does not qualify for points.
3. As evidence of New Zealand registration, licensing or certification, principal applicants must provide documentation confirming:
   1. the registration, licensing, or certification body; and
   2. the name of their registration, license, or certification and/or scope of practice; and
   3. any other requirements listed at SR3.30 to be awarded points.

SR3.25.25 Skilled work experience in New Zealand for the Points-based pathway

1. To qualify for points from skilled work experience, principal applicants applying via the Points-based pathway must complete skilled work experience in New Zealand, prior to submitting the residence application, for:
   1. 2 years in the prior 4 years to qualify for 3 points; or
   2. 1 year and 6 months in the prior 3 years to qualify for 2 points; or
   3. 1 year in the prior 2 years to qualify for 1 point.
2. Applicants claiming 6 points from one points-based skilled category (SR3.25.5) and holding contracts for services for their skilled employment must complete 1 year of skilled work experience in New Zealand, in the 2 years prior to submitting the residence instructions.
3. Skilled work experience must be paid at least:
   1. the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5) if the occupation for their skilled work experience is listed at ANZSCO skill level 1-3; or
   2. 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5) if the occupation for their skilled work experience is listed at ANZSCO skill level 4-5 or not included in ANZSCO; or
   3. the wage required by SR3.25.10 if they are claiming points for income.

      Note: The SMC wage threshold in effect over time (including any applicable multiplier) can be found in SR3.10.5, to determine the date that applies, refer to SR3.10(f).

      Example: If an applicant began working in a role paying $28.00 per hour on 14 January 2023 when the SMC wage threshold was $27.76 and they need to accrue 2 years of work experience in the 4 years prior to their SMC application, provided they maintain this rate, and they are invited to apply for residence under SMC before 13 January 2027, they will be considered to meet the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5).

4. Applicants claiming points for recognised New Zealand registration, licensing, or certification, must complete their skilled work experience in New Zealand after gaining that registration, license, or certification.
5. Where an applicant’s skilled work experience was obtained in an ANZSCO skill level 4–5 role, but their offer of employment, is in an ANZSCO skill level 1–3 role (or vice versa), their relevant SMC wage is the rate in effect on the date they began to accrue skilled work experience in New Zealand (see SR3.10.5).
6. Where an applicant has periods of skilled work experience in occupations at different skill levels (i.e. ANZSCO skill levels 1–3 and ANZSCO skill levels 4–5), each period of skilled work experience must meet the relevant multiplier of the SMC wage threshold that was in effect on the date the applicant began to accrue skilled work experience.

   Example:

   - Applicant has 5 points from registration and needs 1 point from 1 year of skilled work experience in New Zealand

   - The applicant’s skilled work experience was in an ANZSCO skill level 4-5 role

   - They began their skilled work experience on 10 August 2025 when 1.5 times SMC wage threshold was $47.71

   - For their skilled work experience in New Zealand, they must have been paid at or above $47.41

   - Now they are applying for SMC, their skilled employment is in an ANZSCO 1-3 role

   - ANZSCO 1-3 roles must be paid the SMC wage threshold

   - The SMC wage threshold on the date they began to accrue their skilled work experience in New Zealand was $31.61

   - As such, the applicant must be paid at or above $31.61 for their skilled employment.

Effective 24/08/2026