The Immigration Median Wage
The immigration median wage is the hourly figure New Zealand uses to index thresholds across its visa system. It is NZD $35.00 an hour, effective 9 March 2026, based on Stats NZ June 2025 data. It governs residence pathways and family support thresholds — it is not what a work visa holder must be paid.
Quick Facts
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Current rate | NZD $35.00 per hour, from 9 March 2026 |
| Previous rate | NZD $33.56 per hour |
| Data source | Stats NZ, June 2025 quarter |
| Annualised by INZ at | 40 hours a week — about NZD $72,800 a year |
| Updated | Once a year. The effective month is not fixed |
| Governs | Skilled residence thresholds, Green List pay rates, partner support, dependent-child income, Parent Boost and Parent Resident sponsor income |
| Does not govern | The Accredited Employer Work Visa pay test since 10 March 2025 |
As at 20 August 2026.
The multiples — where the figure actually shows up
The median wage is rarely quoted on its own. It appears as a multiplier, and the multiples re-index every time the base rate moves.
| Multiple | Hourly | Approximate annual (40 hrs/week) | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8× | $28.00 | $58,240 | Partner support at skill level 1–3; dependent-child income threshold |
| 1.0× | $35.00 | $72,800 | Skilled work threshold at skill levels 1–3; Green List pay floor |
| 1.15× | $40.25 | $83,720 | Certain Green List trade and technician rates |
| 1.3× | $45.50 | $94,640 | Certain Green List occupation rates |
| 1.5× | $52.50 | $109,200 | Skill level 4–5 skilled work threshold; 3 residence points |
| 2× | $70.00 | $145,600 | 4 residence points; the advertising exemption threshold |
| 3× | $105.00 | $218,400 | 6 residence points |
Two figures worth pinning down because they are widely mis-stated. The dependent-child income threshold is NZD $58,240 a year, which is exactly 80% × $35.00 × 2,080 hours. It superseded the older $55,844 figure when the median wage rose on 9 March 2026. And the advertising exemption for a Job Check applies where a role pays at least $70.00 an hour, which is exactly twice the median.
Why it matters
The median wage is the spine of New Zealand's wage-linked immigration rules. When it moves, a long list of thresholds moves with it in the same instant — skilled residence pay bands, Green List occupation rates, what a worker must earn to support a partner or a child's visa, and the income a sponsor must show for parent categories.
That means one number, published once a year, changes the eligibility arithmetic for tens of thousands of people simultaneously. It is also why so much online content about New Zealand immigration goes stale within months: it quotes a threshold without noticing that the threshold is derived.
What people get wrong about it
Treating it as the work visa pay rule. It is not. The median wage requirement for the Accredited Employer Work Visa was removed on 10 March 2025 and replaced by market rate. This is the most repeated error about New Zealand work visas, and it is repeated by sites that otherwise look authoritative. The full correction is at the AEWV median wage requirement, removed.
Assuming a fixed update month. The median wage is reviewed once a year, but the month it changes has moved repeatedly: 27 February 2023, 28 February 2024, 18 August 2025, and 9 March 2026. Any source promising an annual date in a specific month is guessing. The only safe statement is that INZ announces an effective date, derived from Stats NZ June-quarter median hourly earnings.
Assuming a rise applies to a visa you already hold. INZ's published rule is that if you already have a visa and the wage threshold for that visa increases, you do not need to meet the new rate. The new figure applies to new applications.
Confusing it with the minimum wage. They are different instruments. The minimum wage is statutory employment law and applies to everyone working in New Zealand. The median wage is an immigration index derived from earnings data.
Reading the "2025 median wage" label as a 2025 start date. One INZ page labels the $35.00 figure the 2025 median wage because it is built on June 2025 data. Two other INZ sources state the commencement date explicitly as 9 March 2026. The data year and the effective date are not the same thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the immigration median wage in New Zealand?
NZD $35.00 an hour, effective 9 March 2026, based on Stats NZ June 2025 quarter data. The previous rate was NZD $33.56. INZ annualises it on a 40-hour week, which is about NZD $72,800 a year.
Does the median wage apply to the Accredited Employer Work Visa?
No. That requirement was removed on 10 March 2025. Employers must now pay the market rate for the occupation, and at least the minimum wage. The median wage survives as an index for residence and family thresholds.
How often is the immigration median wage updated?
Once a year, derived from Stats NZ June-quarter median hourly earnings, with the effective date announced by INZ. The month has moved between February, August and March across recent updates, so no fixed month should be relied on.
If the median wage goes up, do I have to meet the new rate?
INZ's published position is that if you already hold a visa and its wage threshold increases, you do not need to meet the new rate. From 24 August 2026, Skilled Migrant Category applicants also only need to meet the threshold that was in force when they started gaining the relevant skilled work experience.
What is 1.5 times the median wage in New Zealand?
NZD $52.50 an hour, or roughly $109,200 a year on a 40-hour week. It is the skilled work threshold for skill level 4–5 occupations and the entry point for 3 residence points on income.
Where can I see the full history of median wage rates?
Immigration median wage history sets out the series and the effective dates. Note that two INZ sources give conflicting dates for some historical rates; the current rate of $35.00 from 9 March 2026 is confirmed by two INZ pages and is the safe one to rely on.
What is the dependent child income threshold now?
NZD $58,240 a year — 80% of the median wage on a 2,080-hour year. Older material quoting $55,844 was set against the previous $33.56 median and is superseded. A grandparented figure of $43,322.76 applies to some earlier cases.
