← All posts

Thinking of settling in New Zealand? The wage and experience bars UK workers need to clear

Visa guide · 2026-08-26 · 5 min read

For a long time, getting New Zealand residence as a skilled worker meant squeezing through a single gate: the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), with one wage bar and one way of proving you belonged. From 24 August 2026, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is building two more routes beside it, each aimed at a different kind of worker.

If you are in the UK and have been told your qualification does not fit the points table, or your line of work has a reputation for misuse, the detail below is worth a careful read. One thing stands out straight away for anyone still in Britain: both new routes ask for time already worked in New Zealand, so for most people they are a second step after arriving on a work visa, not a way in from abroad.

Why INZ is widening the gate

The old SMC rewarded qualifications and stacking up points, but it did not always recognise people who had simply proved themselves at work for years. INZ has also seen data showing some occupations were used to game the system, with inflated job titles and roles described as skilled when they were not. Its answer has two parts: new routes built on real work history, and closer checks on the roles linked to past abuse.

The numbers behind each new route

For the experience route, your payslips and work record carry more weight than your certificates. The trades route makes room for people who are formally trained and highly capable but do not hold a degree, which describes a lot of British electricians, mechanics and technicians. How your UK qualification lines up against New Zealand's levels is something to check before you count on it.

Red and amber lists

Not every job gets the same access. INZ has sorted some occupations into two watch lists based on past misuse:

• Red list: this includes some accommodation management, general management and health and beauty roles. These are shut out of both new routes and must use the traditional SMC, where the bar is higher: 1.5 times the median wage, or a Level 7+ bachelor's degree.
• Amber list: this includes some ICT support and food service roles. They can still use the Skilled Work Experience route, but need five years' experience with two of them in New Zealand at 1.2 times the median wage, rather than 1.1.

The lists will be reviewed regularly, so a role on the edge today could move later.

Smaller changes with real effect

• The wage target stops moving. You only need to meet the SMC median wage that applied when you started building skilled experience, not a higher figure by the time you apply. A five-month grace period covers people who take a little while to move into skilled work after their visa is granted.
• Postgraduate points get tighter. Points for a Level 8 or 9 qualification will usually need a bachelor's degree as well. The main exception is a New Zealand master's claimed for 5 points; claiming 6 points for one needs both 30+ weeks of full-time study in New Zealand and a bachelor's degree.
• English results last longer for applicants with recognised New Zealand occupational registration: five years.
• Accountants gain: CPA Australia members able to do Qualified Statutory Accountant work in New Zealand become eligible for the SMC.
• A safety net from 2027: people needing up to 12 more months of skilled experience will be able to extend their Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) instead of starting their residence clock again.

A practical checklist

1. Find out whether your occupation sits on the red or amber list, since that decides which route is realistic.
2. Compare your pay history with the median wage that applied when your skilled work began, not today's.
3. Keep payslips, job descriptions and qualification evidence together from day one, including records from UK employers.
4. If your trade needs occupational registration in New Zealand, look into that early, as it also affects how long English results stay valid.

None of this is a surprise to people who have followed the reform: it was flagged in September 2025 and set out in more detail in March 2026. The full rules are on the Immigration New Zealand visa pages.

For a wider overview, read our guide to the three residence routes from 24 August and our piece on the first fortnight of the skilled migrant reset. If you are ready to start, see jobs open to people moving from the UK.

#skilled migrant category #new zealand #residence #trades #work in new zealand #median wage