Immigration New Zealand has released the operational instructions that immigration officers will actually use to assess Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) applications from 24 August 2026. These instructions go further than the earlier policy announcements — they set out the exact work experience splits, lookback windows, and evidence requirements for each pathway. If you've been working from the general summaries, a few details are worth correcting.
Here's what the instructions actually say.
Three pathways, not one set of rules
From 24 August 2026, the SMC offers three ways to qualify. All three sit alongside each other — none replaces the others, and you only need to meet the requirements of the one pathway you apply under.
Points-based pathway (the existing 6-point system) — largely unchanged, but now sits formally alongside the two new options.
Skilled Work Experience pathway — for migrants with substantial work experience, regardless of qualification.
Trades and Technician pathway — for migrants with a relevant trade qualification and post-qualification experience.
The Skilled Work Experience pathway: the real split
This is the pathway most likely to be misunderstood. It is not simply "5 years' experience, 2 of them in New Zealand." The instructions specify two distinct components that must both be met:
At least 3 years of directly relevant work experience, which can be gained in any country, including New Zealand, and must fall within the 10 years immediately before you submit your residence application. This experience must be full-time and directly relevant to your skilled employment — but critically, it cannot be self-employment.
An additional 2 years of skilled work experience in New Zealand, separate from the 3 years above, paid at 1.1 times the SMC median wage (or 1.2 times if your occupation is on the Amber List), and completed within the 4 years immediately before you apply.
The two components can't overlap — the same period of work can't count toward both. Combined, you need at least 5 years total, but the structure matters: 3 years can be from anywhere, but the remaining 2 years must specifically be in New Zealand at the higher wage rate.
Your skilled employment itself must be in an occupation at ANZSCO skill level 1 to 3 that isn't on the Red List.
The Trades and Technician pathway: the real split
Similarly, this pathway isn't simply "4 years' experience including 18 months in New Zealand." The actual structure is:
At least 2 years and 6 months of relevant work experience, gained in any country, completed in the 10 years before you apply, and full-time (not self-employment).
An additional 18 months of skilled work experience in New Zealand, paid at the standard SMC median wage, completed within the 3 years immediately before you apply.
All of this work experience — both components — must be accrued after you receive your Level 4 (or higher) qualification. Work experience gained before you qualified doesn't count, even if it was in the same field.
Your qualification must be relevant to your occupation and, if gained in New Zealand, made up of at least 120 credits (either in one qualification or across a qualification plus its prerequisites). Your occupation must also appear on the confirmed Trades and Technician occupations list — we've published the full list with ANZSCO codes separately.
Why the wage timing rule matters
Across all three pathways, the wage threshold you need to meet is generally the one in effect when you started accruing the relevant work experience — not the rate in effect when you apply. This protects you from wage increases during your work experience period.
There's also a grace period: if your work visa was granted in the five months before you started your qualifying work experience, the wage rate from your visa grant date applies instead, even if the median wage moved in between.
One detail that's easy to miss: the instructions place a backstop on this. The protection from the wage threshold in effect at the start only holds as long as you're invited to apply for residence within 4 years of when you started accruing that work experience (and you must apply within 4 months of the invitation). If too much time passes, the wage threshold resets.
What you should do now
If you're planning around the Skilled Work Experience pathway, check whether your earlier overseas experience falls within the 10-year lookback before assuming it will count, and separately track your New Zealand experience to ensure it sits within its own 4-year window at the right wage rate.
If you're planning around Trades and Technician, confirm the exact date you received your qualification, since no experience before that date will count, and check your occupation against the confirmed eligible occupations list.
Don't assume your occupation sits outside the Red or Amber lists — both lists include some roles that surprise people, and being on either one changes which pathway is realistic for you.
Final thoughts
These instructions are far more specific than the original policy announcements, and the lookback windows are the detail most likely to trip people up — particularly the 10-year limit on overseas experience and the requirement that Trades and Technician experience only counts after qualifying. Getting the timing right matters as much as meeting the headline numbers.
Check your pathway: Use our SMC Pathfinder to map your work experience against the confirmed 3+2 and 2.5+1.5 year splits for each pathway.
These are detailed, date-sensitive rules, and getting a lookback window wrong can mean a declined application. Book a consultation with our licensed immigration advisers before you apply.