New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa Guide 2027

The Skilled Migrant Visa and Its Benefits

The New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Visa is one of the main ways skilled workers can move to New Zealand for good. It is a resident visa, which means you can live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. Your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included in the same application. As residents, your family may be eligible for public healthcare, and your children may be able to attend state schools as domestic students. Unlike temporary work visas, this visa offers a pathway to long-term residence in New Zealand.

Basic Requirements for Applicants

You must be 55 or younger when you apply. You also need a skilled job, or a job offer, with a New Zealand employer accredited by the government, for at least 30 hours a week. Your pay must meet the Skilled Migrant wage threshold, which has been 35 New Zealand dollars an hour since 9 March 2026, and some pathways ask for more. For English, the main applicant needs a score of 6.5 overall in the International English Language Testing System exam, or an equal score in another approved test. You must also be in good health and of good character, which usually means providing medical results and police certificates.

Three Pathways to Residence

Since 24 August 2026, there are three ways to qualify. The points-based pathway needs 6 points, which you earn from your qualification, your professional registration or your pay, and you can add points for skilled work in New Zealand. The Skilled Work Experience pathway is for people with at least five years of relevant experience, including two years in New Zealand paid at least 1.1 times the wage threshold. The Trades and Technician pathway is for eligible trade roles, and needs a relevant qualification plus at least 1.5 years of work in New Zealand after qualifying. The two newer pathways do not use points, so they can open the door for experienced workers without a university degree. Note that some higher-risk jobs, known as Red List jobs, cannot use the two newer pathways at all.

How to Apply Step by Step

First, take your English test and, if your degree is from overseas, get it assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Next, find a skilled job with an accredited employer, since most applicants start on a work visa and build up New Zealand experience. Then create a free RealMe account and submit an Expression of Interest, an online form where you show how you meet the rules. If Immigration New Zealand invites you to apply, you have four months to submit your full application and pay the fee. Finally, upload your passport, job documents, qualifications, English results, medical results and police certificates, then wait for the decision.

Costs, Waiting Time and Permanent Residence

The visa application fee starts from 6,450 New Zealand dollars for the main applicant. Extra costs include your English test, qualification assessment, translations, medical exams and police certificates. Waiting times change often, so check the official processing times page before you plan your move. Once you have held your resident visa for two years and met certain conditions, such as spending enough time in New Zealand, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. This permanent visa has no travel conditions, so you can leave and return to New Zealand freely, for life.

Check if you qualify for New Zealand residence →