SR3.35 Skilled Work Experience Pathway

SR3.35.1 Skilled employment for the Skilled Work Experience pathway 

1. Principal applicants applying via the Skilled Work Experience pathway must have current employment, or an offer of employment, in New Zealand that:
   1. is in an occupation listed at ANZSCO skill level 1-3, that is not listed in Appendix 22 (The Red List); and either
   2. pays at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5); or
   3. pays at least 1.2 times the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5) if the occupation is listed in Appendix 21 (The Amber List).

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).

SR3.35.5 Work experience requirements for the Skilled Work Experience pathway

1. Principal applicants applying via the Skilled Work Experience pathway must demonstrate that they have at least a total of 5 years of work experience, including:  
   1. at least 3 years of directly relevant work experience (see SR3.35.5.1); and 
   2. at least an additional 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand (see SR3.35.5.5).
2. Skilled work experience must be in an ANZSCO skill level 1-3 role.
3. The same time period cannot be counted for both directly relevant (SR3.35.5.1) and skilled work experience in New Zealand (SR3.35.5.5).

SR3.35.5.1 Directly relevant work experience requirements for the Skilled Work Experience pathway 

1. Directly relevant work experience must be: 
   1. full-time (employment is full-time if it amounts to at least 30 hours per week for every week worked); and
   2. in an occupation listed at ANZSCO skill level 1-3; and 
   3. directly relevant to the offer of skilled employment; and 
   4. completed in the 10 years immediately prior to submitting the current residence application.  
2. Work experience must not be self-employment.  
3. Directly relevant work experience can be accrued in any country (including New Zealand), unless the applicant’s skilled employment is in an occupation in Appendix 21 (The Amber List), in which case, it must be accrued in New Zealand. 
4. As evidence of work experience, applicants must provide: 
   1. an employment agreement or an employment contract or a service agreement (previous and current), and job description specifying the name of the applicant, name of the employer (their legal entity), occupation, hours and remuneration of any employment; and
   2. a summary of earnings or a tax statement confirming the period of work and income over any period of work or (for overseas work experience only) a certificate of service.

SR3.35.5.5 Skilled work experience in New Zealand for the Skilled Work Experience pathway

1. Skilled work experience in New Zealand for the Skilled Work Experience pathway must be:
   1. directly relevant to the offer of employment or skilled employment; and
   2. completed within the 4 years prior to submitting the residence application; and either
   3. paid at least 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5) unless (iv) below applies; or
   4. paid at least 1.2 times the SMC wage threshold (see SR3.10.5) for occupations listed in Appendix 21 (The Amber List).

      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 $31.00 per hour on 14 January 2023, when 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold was $30.53, and they need to accrue 2 years of work experience in the 4 years prior to their SMC application, they will meet the SMC wage threshold provided they maintain a pay rate of over $30.53 and are invited to apply for their resident visa before 13 January 2027 (see SR3.10.5).

      Note: Skilled work experience is considered to be directly relevant to the offer of employment if it meets SR3.35.10(c).

SR3.35.10 Determining work experience for the Skilled Work Experience pathway 

1. In determining the ANZSCO skill level of an applicant’s work experience an immigration officer:
   1. will determine whether the applicant’s employment is substantially consistent with the ANZSCO ‘Occupation’ (6-digit) level job title and description for that occupation; and
   2. may undertake a substantial match assessment (see SR2.1.1).
2. If an immigration officer is unable to determine a claimed substantial match to an ANZSCO occupation, they may request evidence of the tasks associated with that employment to assess whether the previous employment displays the characteristics of that occupation in terms of the relevant ANZSCO ‘Unit Group’ (4-digit) level description of tasks for that role.
3. Work experience is directly relevant to employment if the employer considers, and an immigration officer is satisfied, that the work experience is directly applicable to the employment, or the offer of employment could not reasonably have been made, or the employment could not reasonably have been undertaken, if the principal applicant did not have that work experience.

Effective 24/08/2026