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SMC Points in NZ: How the 6-Point System Works

The Skilled Migrant Category points-based pathway needs 6 skilled resident points. INZ lets points come from one category only (qualification, occupational registration or income), topped up by up to 3 points of New Zealand skilled work experience. This guide sets out INZ's published tables as read on 9 October 2026.

People searching for "SMC points" or "SMC 6 points" are usually trying to understand one rule: the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa has three pathways, and one of them, the Points-based pathway, runs on a points table. INZ calls the currency "skilled resident points". An applicant needs 6.

This guide explains how that table works, based on Immigration New Zealand's own SMC page and SMC overview page, both read on 9 October 2026. It reports the rules as INZ publishes them. It does not tell any reader how many points they would have or which pathway they should use, because applying the table to a person's own facts is immigration advice under section 7 of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and in New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer may give it. INZ runs its own points checker on the SMC page; that is the official tool for a quick check.

All figures are in New Zealand dollars (NZD) and are INZ's published figures as read on 9 October 2026. INZ changes thresholds during the year, so check the live page before relying on any number here.

Where the points pathway fits among the three SMC pathways

The SMC Resident Visa has three pathways. An applicant needs to meet the requirements of only one of them.

  • The Points-based pathway, covered here.
  • The Skilled Work Experience pathway, which relies on work experience rather than a formal qualification.
  • The Trades and Technician pathway, for people in listed trades and technician occupations.

INZ's SMC page opens the points pathway with a single sentence: "You must have 6 points to be eligible for the Points-based pathway." It adds that points can be claimed from "either your: qualification, income (pay), or occupational registration (for example, if you are a chartered accountant or registered plumber)". If a person cannot reach 6 points from one of those categories, INZ says they "may be able to claim an additional 1 to 3 points from skilled work experience in New Zealand".

Points are only one part of eligibility. INZ lists requirements that apply to every SMC pathway: the applicant must be aged 55 or younger when they apply, must have an offer of or be working in a skilled job with an accredited employer, must be in good health, of good character, speak and understand English, and have a genuine relationship with any partner or dependent children included in the application. Reaching 6 points does not replace any of those.

The one-category rule

The most common misreading of the SMC table is to add points from several categories. INZ's overview page rules that out in plain words: "You cannot mix points from different skill categories. For example, you cannot combine qualification points with income points. You can only combine 1 skill category with skilled work experience in New Zealand."

So the arithmetic has a fixed shape. INZ says an applicant can claim "3 to 6 points from 1 skill category", and then "up to 3 more points from skilled work experience in New Zealand (if required)". The three skill categories are qualification, New Zealand occupational registration and income. Only one of them is used. The remaining gap, if any, is filled from New Zealand work experience, and from nowhere else.

INZ adds a second restriction inside each category. If the applicant is using qualification points and falls short of 6, the page says "You cannot use your occupational registration or income to claim more points." The same sentence is repeated, with the categories swapped, under registration and under income.

Points for qualifications

A qualification can be used for points if it is a New Zealand qualification recognised on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, if it has an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), or if it is on INZ's List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment. INZ's table for New Zealand qualifications, as read on 9 October 2026:

  • Level 10 doctoral degree: 6 points; bachelor's degree not required.
  • Level 9 master's degree with 30 weeks of full-time study: 6 points; a bachelor's degree is required.
  • Level 9 master's degree without 30 weeks of full-time study: 5 points; bachelor's degree not required.
  • Level 8 honours degree, postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate: 5 points; a bachelor's degree is required.
  • Level 7 bachelor's degree: 5 points.

INZ spells out the master's rule: "You can claim 6 points for a New Zealand master's degree if you have completed at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand and have a bachelor's degree." The 5-point result applies where the 30 weeks of full-time New Zealand study were not completed or there is no bachelor's degree.

For qualifications gained outside New Zealand, an IQA is needed unless the qualification is on the exempt list. The table is lower at most levels:

  • Level 10 doctoral degree: 6 points.
  • Level 9 master's degree: 5 points; a bachelor's degree is required.
  • Level 8 honours degree, postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate: 4 points; a bachelor's degree is required.
  • Level 7 bachelor's degree: 4 points.

INZ states that "You cannot claim points for a non-degree qualification at level 7 or below." A separate INZ page on IQAs adds that engineering degrees accredited under the Washington Accord, and engineering technology degrees under the Sydney Accord, do not need an IQA if the awarding country was a signatory when the degree was awarded. It also warns that INZ may still ask for an IQA during processing even for an exempt qualification.

One timing rule matters in practice. INZ says "Evidence that you have applied for an IQA but have not yet received the results will not be accepted", and that an applicant who needs an IQA should apply for one before submitting the expression of interest, because the IQA reference number goes into the EOI.

Points for occupational registration

A New Zealand occupational registration can be used for points if it is on INZ's list of eligible registrations. INZ gives chartered accountant and registered plumber as examples. INZ's table ties the points to how much training or experience the registration itself requires:

  • A registration that requires a minimum of 6 years of experience or training: 6 points.
  • 5 years: 5 points.
  • 4 years: 4 points.
  • 2 years: 3 points.

INZ's statement is that "Registrations that require more training are worth more points." Which registrations are eligible, and what each is worth, is looked up through a search tool on INZ's page for occupational registration points. INZ says that if the search returns no result, "you cannot claim any points from your occupational registration."

Two further points from INZ's pages. First, if an applicant is using registration points and also needs skilled work experience to reach 6, "you can only include skilled work experience you gained after getting your occupational registration." Second, INZ allows an English language test result to be up to 5 years old, rather than the usual 2, for the person who holds an eligible registration, provided it is a full registration rather than a provisional or limited one. INZ says this applies even if the application is made under another pathway.

Points for income

Pay from a current New Zealand job or job offer can earn points if it is at least 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold. INZ's table, with the threshold at NZD 35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026:

  • 3 times the threshold (currently NZD 105.00 an hour) or more: 6 points.
  • 2 times the threshold (NZD 70.00 an hour): 4 points.
  • 1.5 times the threshold (NZD 52.50 an hour): 3 points.

If pay is an annual salary, INZ says the hourly rate has to be worked out from the hours in the employment agreement; it provides an hourly pay rate calculator for that.

The subtle part is what happens when income points are combined with work experience. INZ's page says: "If you earn enough to claim 6 points from your income the current SMC wage threshold will apply. If you need to claim additional points from skilled work experience, the SMC wage threshold that applies to you can be lower, depending on when you started gaining this work experience and if it was within the eligible timeframe."

INZ gives a worked example. "Elle is claiming 4 points for being paid 2 times the SMC wage threshold. She needs to claim 2 more points from skilled work experience to get to 6 points. To claim 2 points from skilled work experience, she must have 1.5 years of work experience in New Zealand paid at 2 times the SMC wage threshold. … Elle started working in New Zealand in October 2023, which means she must earn at least NZD $59.32 an hour (2 times the SMC wage threshold at that time) to begin counting her skilled work experience – and to claim 4 points from her income." The detail behind that example is on the separate wage threshold page; see the related guide linked below.

Extra points from New Zealand skilled work experience

Work experience is the only thing that can be added to a skill category. INZ's table:

  • 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand: 3 points.
  • 1.5 years: 2 points.
  • 1 year: 1 point.

INZ caps it: "You can claim points for skilled work experience you have in New Zealand, up to a maximum of 3 points." The experience must be:

  • in a full-time job, meaning at least 30 hours a week;
  • paid at or above the minimum pay requirement for the job's ANZSCO skill level, or the income multiple if income points are being claimed; and
  • a close match to the job title and description for the occupation in ANZSCO.

On pay, INZ's rule is that ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 jobs must have been paid at least the SMC wage threshold, and ANZSCO skill level 4 to 5 jobs at least 1.5 times the threshold. The skill level of an occupation is looked up on Stats NZ's ANZSCO tool. INZ describes ANZSCO skill levels as running from 1 to 5, with 1 the most skilled, and notes that skill levels describe the typical requirements of an occupation, not the skill of an individual worker. An occupation is assessed at one level only: INZ's example is a bricklayer, who is assessed as level 3 whatever their experience.

Extended leave can be included if it was parental leave, ACC leave or sick leave. The window for counting the experience is covered on the wage threshold page: for the points pathway, INZ counts back from the date of the residence application.

INZ's summary of the combinations, as on its overview page, is that 6 points can be reached in different ways, for example a bachelor's degree plus some skilled New Zealand experience, an eligible registration plus some experience, pay of at least 1.5 times the threshold plus some experience, or a qualifying New Zealand master's degree on its own. Those are INZ's illustrations of how the table works, not an assessment of anyone.

What the points do not decide

Points get an applicant to the invitation stage. They are not the whole assessment.

When an applicant submits the expression of interest, INZ says it tells them "immediately" whether the requirements are met. If so, INZ emails an invitation to apply. The applicant then has 4 months to submit the residence application, under the pathway they were invited for. At that point, INZ says, "you must provide evidence that you qualify for the points you are claiming."

The evidence INZ lists for a points claim includes certificates and transcripts for qualifications, an IQA recognition statement where one is required, proof of registration, an employment agreement and job description for the current job, and for skilled work experience in New Zealand an employment agreement and job description for each period plus an Inland Revenue (IRD) summary of earnings with a monthly breakdown. The pay evidence has to show that the threshold was met throughout the period claimed.

The application fee INZ showed for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa on 9 October 2026 was NZD 6,450 for the passports queried (India, the United Kingdom and the Philippines, each applying from their home country), with no fee to submit the EOI. INZ says the application fee is not refunded if the application is declined, and that a non-refundable immigration levy is included. Fees vary by passport and place of application, so the fee finder on INZ's site is the authority for any individual case.

Where points claims tend to fail is rarely the arithmetic. It is the paper: an IQA not yet received, a registration obtained after the work experience being counted, pay that dipped below the threshold during a period, or a job that INZ assesses at a lower ANZSCO skill level than the applicant assumed. Those are the questions a licensed adviser handles, because each turns on a person's own documents.

When it is worth paying a licensed adviser

INZ publishes the points tables, the points checker and the evidence lists at no charge, and many applicants use them without help. A licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer adds value where a claim depends on judgement about someone's own papers: whether an overseas qualification will be assessed at the level claimed, which registration counts, how a pay history lines up with several historical thresholds, or whether a job matches an ANZSCO occupation closely enough.

An adviser's role is regulated. Under the Licensed Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct 2014, an adviser must give a written agreement setting out services and fees before work starts. The Immigration Advisers Authority's register shows every licensed adviser and their licence status. The IAA says anyone who provides immigration advice without being licensed or exempt could face a fine of up to NZD 100,000 and/or up to 7 years' imprisonment, even if no fee is charged, so checking the register is worth the minute it takes.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or pathway fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

How many points do you need for the Skilled Migrant Category?

INZ says an applicant must have 6 skilled resident points to be eligible under the Points-based pathway. The points come from one category (qualification, occupational registration or income) plus, if needed, up to 3 points from New Zealand skilled work experience.

Can you combine points from a degree and a high salary?

No. INZ states that points from different skill categories cannot be mixed. Only one skill category can be combined with skilled work experience in New Zealand.

How many points is a New Zealand master's degree worth?

INZ's table gives 6 points for a Level 9 master's degree where the applicant completed at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand and holds a bachelor's degree, and 5 points otherwise.

How many SMC points do skilled work experience years give?

INZ's table gives 3 points for 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand, 2 points for 1.5 years and 1 point for 1 year. The maximum is 3 points. The experience must be full-time and paid at the required rate.

Is there an SMC points calculator?

Yes. INZ publishes a points checker on the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa page. INZ notes that passing it does not remove the need to meet every requirement and provide evidence in the visa application.

Is the income points threshold the same every year?

No. The SMC wage threshold is based on the median wage and INZ updates it each year. It has been NZD 35.00 an hour since 9 March 2026, which makes 3 times the threshold NZD 105.00.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • SMC Wage Threshold 2026: NZD 35 an Hour and the Rate History — From 9 March 2026 the Skilled Migrant Category wage threshold is NZD 35.00 an hour. INZ fixes the rate that applies to a person when their skilled work experience starts counting, and says that once set, it does not change. This guide sets out INZ's published rate history, multiples and worked examples as read on 9 October 2026.
  • SMC Skilled Work Experience Pathway Explained — INZ's Skilled Work Experience pathway to residence is built on work history, not a degree: a skill level 1 to 3 job paid at 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold, 3 years of relevant experience and a further 2 years of skilled experience in New Zealand. Amber List jobs face higher requirements; Red List jobs are excluded. All rules here are INZ's, read on 9 October 2026.
  • SMC Trades and Technician Pathway Explained — INZ's Trades and Technician pathway to residence needs a job in a listed trades or technician occupation paid at least the SMC wage threshold, a level 4 or higher qualification, 2.5 years of post-qualification experience and a further 1.5 years of post-qualification skilled experience in New Zealand. The occupation list has 109 entries. Rules as read on 9 October 2026.
  • SMC EOI and Invitation to Apply: Step by Step — A Skilled Migrant Category application starts with an expression of interest (EOI). INZ charges no fee for it, tells the applicant immediately whether the requirements are met, and, if so, emails an invitation to apply that must be used within 4 months. This guide follows INZ's published steps as read on 9 October 2026.
  • Green List and SMC Rules Side by Side — New Zealand has three main skilled residence routes: Straight to Residence (Green List Tier 1), Work to Residence (Tier 2) and the Skilled Migrant Category. All three need an applicant aged 55 or younger, an accredited employer and English, and all cost from NZD 6,450. They differ in how they start, how much New Zealand work is needed and how pay is measured.