New SMC Pathways Launch 24 August 2026 — Key Clarifications from INZ

New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category is about to change in a significant way. From 24 August 2026, two new pathways come into effect. Immigration New Zealand recently held a two-part webinar series for immigration professionals, and the Q&A that followed answered a number of questions that matter for both practitioners and applicants.

Here is what you need to know.

The Cut-Off Is Real — and It Is Midnight on 23 August

If you have a draft Expression of Interest sitting in the system, do not assume you can submit it after the transition date. Draft EOIs will be deleted at midnight on 23 August 2026. Any applicant still on the old instructions must submit before that point. After midnight, the new pathways apply to everyone.

One Form, Dynamic Questions

INZ has confirmed there will be a single online SMC form. The pathway is selected within that form, and subsequent questions are displayed dynamically based on the pathway chosen and information entered. The application fee remains unchanged. The SMC Interim Visa will continue to be available under both new pathways.

The Wage Threshold Rules — Where Most of the Detail Lives

The wage threshold is one of the most technically complex aspects of the new settings, and the webinar Q&A clarified several important points.

Skilled work experience only begins accruing once the applicant first meets the 1.1 times the SMC wage threshold — not from the date employment commences. The threshold is set at the time it is first met, subject to the grace period. Critically, INZ confirmed that skilled work experience stops being counted if the applicant’s wage drops below the threshold they have already set — regardless of whether they change employer or not. The instruction reference to “changing employment” had caused some confusion; INZ has now clarified that it is the wage drop itself that matters, not the employment change.

The grace period applies to any work visa, including both AEWV and open work visas. An applicant who begins skilled work within five months of their work visa grant date may use the wage threshold in effect on the grant date, even if that threshold has since increased.

For applicants claiming points under the Points-based pathway for skilled employment paid at the SMC wage threshold, that threshold must be met at the time of being invited to apply — not at the time of EOI.

ANZSCO and the NOL — Current Position

From 24 August 2026, all SMC applicants must either indicate the ANZSCO 1.3 occupation that best matches their role, or apply under the Points-based pathway indicating their occupation is not in ANZSCO 1.3 — in which case it is treated as ANZSCO skill level 5. The National Occupation List (NOL) is not currently recognised under the new SMC pathways. INZ has confirmed this will transition to the NOL in the future, but that transition has not yet occurred.

Where an applicant’s ANZSCO occupation is assessed, INZ will apply a substantial match test — the majority of the applicant’s duties must correspond to those outlined in ANZSCO, and the role must be consistent with the relevant skill level criteria. INZ will consider the overall nature of the role rather than requiring an exact task-by-task match.

Qualifications — Points Strategy Matters

Several qualification points clarifications are worth noting for practitioners.

An overseas master’s degree without a supporting bachelor’s degree is not eligible for points under the Points-based pathway. Applicants must provide certificates confirming they hold a bachelor’s degree — though an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) is not required for an overseas bachelor’s degree used to support a level 8 or 9 qualification. Undergraduate degrees from countries that use different terminology — including the French licence, Italian laurea, and Spanish grado — are acceptable equivalents.

The bachelor’s degree used to claim points does not need to be relevant to the occupation or the work experience claimed. This applies whether points are being claimed for the bachelor’s degree itself or for a higher-level qualification that requires a supporting bachelor’s.

Applicants holding multiple qualifications are not required to claim points for their highest qualification. They may select the combination that best suits their individual circumstances — in some cases, claiming a lower-level qualification may result in a lower SMC wage threshold requirement.

Work Experience — Key Rules

Work experience may be broken across different periods, provided all of it falls within the eligible period — 12 months within the 24 months prior to application for the skilled work experience requirement, and directly relevant experience within the 10 years prior to application.

Work experience in New Zealand does not need to have been with an accredited employer, but it must have been legally obtained.

Part-time work experience cannot be counted toward the full-time skilled work experience requirement under SR3.20c.