Back in November 2025, the Government announced its intention to introduce additional pathways for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). The aim was to widen access to SMC and help attract more workers into New Zealand by providing a pathway to residency (you can read our previous article here)

More details about how these pathways will operate have now been released, with the changes set to come into effect in August 2026. These updates not only introduce a new pathway but also make several changes to the existing SMC framework.

What's been added?

We now have further information on how the Trade and Technician pathway will work. The criteria are as follows:

• Must be working in a specified ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 trade and technician job; and
• Must hold a relevant qualification at level 4 or higher; and
• Must have at least 4 years of directly relevant post-qualification experience, including 1.5 years in New Zealand while earning the SMC median wage.

We have highlighted “specified” above, as this forms part of the updated changes from the November announcement. A Red List and an Amber List have now been introduced (no relation to the Green List), which determine whether a role is considered “specified”. These lists also apply to the previously announced Skilled Work Experience pathway.

The Amber List currently only affects the Skilled Work Experience pathway. As a reminder, in our previous blog we explained that this pathway was available to applicants who met the following criteria:

• 5 years of work experience; and
• At least 2 of those years in New Zealand; and
• Paid at least 1.1x the median wage.

These requirements do not appear to have changed. However, if your role is on the Amber List, the criteria are now:

• 5 years of work experience; and
• All 5 years must be in New Zealand; and
• Paid at least 1.2x the median wage.

If your role is on the Red List, you will not be eligible to apply under either the Trade and Technician pathway or the Skilled Work Experience pathway. Instead, you will need to apply through another SMC pathway (such as qualification, income, or occupational registration) or under a different immigration category.

What's been changed?

The ability to extend your Accredited Employer Work Visa for 12 months has been announced. This is intended to allow applicants to gain additional New Zealand work experience to meet SMC requirements. However, further details on eligibility and implementation have not yet been confirmed. This change is expected to be introduced in 2027, so be sure to follow Queen City Law for updates as they become available.

The Qualifications pathway under existing SMC rules is also receiving a minor update. One key change is that qualifications gained in New Zealand will attract an additional point compared to most overseas qualifications. Applicants will also need to provide their qualification certificate and, where required, an International Qualifications Assessment.

Applicants claiming a level 8 or 9 qualification must also hold a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, those claiming a New Zealand master’s degree must have completed at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand.

The way the median wage is assessed for SMC is also changing. Previously, applicants needed to meet the median wage both when they started working and again at the time of application. Because applications can occur years later, increases in the median wage often excluded otherwise eligible applicants.

Under the new changes, applicants will no longer need to meet the current median wage at the time of application.

There will also be a grace period when the median wage increases before employment begins. If you start working within 5 months of your work visa being granted, the median wage will be locked in at the rate applicable when the visa was issued.

Accountants who are qualified to work as a Qualified Statutory Accountant in New Zealand and are members of Certified Practising Accountants Australia will now also be eligible under SMC.

Finally, English language test results will be valid for 5 years (instead of 2 years), but only for applicants holding recognised occupational registration.

There is a lot to take in, and even more changes have already been signalled for the future. Keeping up with New Zealand’s evolving immigration landscape can be challenging, which is why we recommend working with an immigration professional to avoid potential issues.

Queen City Law is an award-winning law firm specialising in litigation, commercial, property, and immigration law. Our team of experts would be happy to assist with your immigration needs.

If you are considering applying under the Skilled Migrant Category or want to understand how these changes affect you, our immigration team can help.

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Get in touch with our team.

Read our previous breakdown of SMC.

Disclaimer:

This article is general commentary only and is not legal advice. Always seek tailored legal advice before making immigration decisions.