New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category Points Calculator

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) is New Zealand's main points-based residence pathway for skilled workers. Since the 2023 reset it is a pass/fail 6-point test rather than a ranked selection pool: reach 6 points and meet the requirements, and you can apply. The single most important thing to understand is that you do not add your qualification, registration and income together.

Step 1, base points. Immigration New Zealand lets you claim the single highest of three categories:

• Qualification: bachelor's or postgraduate certificate 3, honours degree or postgraduate diploma 4, master's 5, doctorate 6.
• Occupational registration: by the training length your registration requires, 2+ years 3, 4+ years 4, 5+ years 5, 6+ years 6.
• Income: hourly pay against the NZ median wage of $35.00/hour. At least 1.5× ($52.50/hr) is 3; at least 2× ($70.00/hr) is 4.

Your base is max(qualification, registration, income). A registered nurse with a bachelor's degree, for instance, scores 3 from the qualification and 3 from registration, but the base is 3, not 6, because only the highest single category counts.

Step 2, NZ skilled work experience. Add 1 point for every full year of skilled work in New Zealand, capped at 3 points. Overseas experience does not count here.

Step 3, total and gates. Your total is base + experience, and you qualify at 6 points or more, up to a practical maximum of 9 (a doctorate or 6-point registration plus the 3-point experience cap). Two gates then apply regardless of your score: you must be 55 or younger at application, and you must hold a skilled job or offer with an accredited employer for at least 30 hours a week. If either gate fails, you are not eligible even at 6+ points. To confirm the arithmetic, the tool computes your total twice, once by building the breakdown table and once through an independent re-derivation, and both paths must agree.

• Immigration New Zealand: Skilled Migrant Category pathway to residence (6-point system, qualification / registration / experience points, gates)
• Immigration New Zealand: Pay rates for the SMC Resident Visa (median wage & income points)
• Immigration New Zealand: 2026 changes to the SMC Resident Visa (24 August 2026 update)

The point values, the 6-point threshold and the $35.00/hour median wage were taken from these official Immigration New Zealand pages and last cross-checked on 2026-07-16. This version reflects the rules in force until 24 August 2026; new pathways and extra points begin then and will be added once the final tables are published. The tool scores the points test and the two gates only. It does not verify your qualification, registration, occupation or English/health/character requirements, and it does not make the eligibility decision.