Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (SMC)
The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is the points-based residence pathway for skilled workers with a job at an accredited employer. Immigration New Zealand describes it this way: “You can submit an expression of interest (EOI) if you have a job or job offer from an accredited employer, and meet the requirements for one of the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) pathways.” It costs from NZD $6,450.
Checked against immigration.govt.nz on 2026-09-15
What Immigration New Zealand publishes
- Length of stay
- Live, work and study
- indefinitely
- Cost
- From
- NZD $6450
- Age range
- From
- 55 years or younger
Copied from the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa page at immigration.govt.nz on 2026-09-15. Figures change without notice.
To apply you must
- be aged 55 or younger when you apply
- be working for, or have a job offer from, an accredited employer, and the job is full-time
- meet the requirements for an SMC pathway, and
- speak and understand English.
INZ’s own wording, unedited.
This visa lets you
- live, work and study in New Zealand
- include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in your visa application.
INZ’s own wording, unedited.
Where to apply
You apply to Immigration New Zealand, not to us. The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa page carries the application link, the full requirements and the current fee.
Questions about the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
What does the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa cost?
Immigration New Zealand publishes a cost of NZD $6,450 for this visa, as the "from" figure — the lowest published amount. Medicals, police certificates, translations and any adviser's fee are separate. Checked on 2026-09-15; confirm on the INZ page.
How long does the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa take?
Immigration New Zealand does not publish a processing time on this visa's page. Check the INZ page.
Who can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa?
INZ's own summary is: "You can submit an expression of interest (EOI) if you have a job or job offer from an accredited employer, and meet the requirements for one of the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) pathways." The published criteria are listed above, word for word. Whether any particular person meets them is a question for Immigration New Zealand, or for a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer — not for this site.
Where do I apply?
On Immigration New Zealand's own website. Start at Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa. Applying through this site is not possible: we are an information site and we cannot lodge or handle an application.
Can NZ Visas tell me whether I qualify?
No, and we would be breaking the law if we did. Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, telling somebody how the rules apply to their own immigration matter is licensed work. We republish the published rules and stop there. More on where that line sits.
Sources
- Immigration New Zealand — Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
- Immigration New Zealand — every visa
Read on 2026-09-15. Immigration rules change: if this page and the source disagree, the source is right.
Once you have a decision
Getting the visa is one job; landing here is another. Our settling-in guides cover the IRD number, a bank account, a rental, schools, a doctor and a driver licence — all free, and all separate from anything to do with your visa.