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.