17/06/2026
A good update as the new SMC is approaching. Still as the fine details have not been written into law there are some unknowns, but overall there are 2 take-aways from this:
1. It will allow a broader range of people to meet the eligibility requirements if they are in genuine skillled employment and are genuinely suitable.
2. Assessment of things like skilled work experience is going to be tougher. It is pretty tough now, but when they mean is that actual strong evidence (in a legal sense) is going to be an absolute requirement rather then leaving it to INZ to figure out.
I think it is this second point which is going to catch a lot of people out because even now we see a lot of (self made) residence applications fail from a lack of proper evidence because what the average person perceives as being sufficient evidence is just not enough.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is announcing final details on changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) ahead of these changes taking effect on 24 August 2026. In addition, INZ is also announcing changes to the wage rate rules for the Work to Residence (WTR) pathway.