Median Wage Rises to $35.00 and 47 Occupations Join the NOL
On 9 March 2026 New Zealand's immigration median wage rose from NZ$33.56 to NZ$35.00 an hour. The same change recognised 47 more occupations on the National Occupation List at skill levels 1 to 3, and moved three roles down to skill level 4. Both are in force now.
Quick Facts
| Effective | 9 March 2026 — in force |
| New median wage | NZ$35.00 an hour, up from NZ$33.56 |
| Annual equivalent | About NZ$72,800 a year at Immigration New Zealand's 40-hour convention |
| Data source | Statistics New Zealand, June 2025 quarter median hourly earnings |
| Occupation list change | 47 occupations recognised at National Occupation List skill levels 1 to 3 |
| Moved down a level | Pet groomer, nanny and kennel hand — from skill level 3 to skill level 4 |
| Who it affects | Skilled residence applicants, Green List roles, workers supporting a partner, sponsors |
| Grandfathering | If you already hold a visa and the threshold for it rises, you do not have to meet the new rate |
| Next update | Annual, but the month is not fixed. Do not plan around a date |
What the immigration median wage is
The immigration median wage is a single hourly figure that Immigration New Zealand uses as an index. It is derived from Statistics New Zealand's median hourly earnings for the June quarter, and Immigration New Zealand announces the date it takes effect.
It is not a wage anyone is guaranteed. It is a reference number that other rules multiply, divide or compare against. See what the immigration median wage is.
As at 20 August 2026 the rate is NZ$35.00 an hour. At the 40-hour week Immigration New Zealand uses to annualise, that is roughly NZ$72,800 a year.
The rate history
| Rate | Took effect |
|---|---|
| NZ$29.66 | 27 February 2023 |
| NZ$31.61 | 28 February 2024 |
| NZ$33.56 | 18 August 2025 |
| NZ$35.00 | 9 March 2026 |
The 2026 increase is NZ$1.44 an hour, or about 4.3%.
Look at the effective dates rather than the rates and you will see the more useful pattern: February, February, August, March. There is no fixed month. Some guides tell readers to expect a February change; two of the last four did not land in February. The safe statement is that the rate changes once a year, derived from June-quarter data, with the effective date announced by Immigration New Zealand. The full series is at immigration median wage history.
What the new rate changes
The median wage sets thresholds across the residence and family parts of the system. These moved on 9 March 2026:
| Threshold | From 9 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Skilled work threshold, skill levels 1–3 | NZ$35.00 an hour (1.0× median) |
| Skilled work threshold, skill levels 4–5 and unlisted occupations | NZ$52.50 an hour (1.5× median) |
| Income points at 1.5× median | NZ$52.50 an hour |
| Income points at 2× median | NZ$70.00 an hour |
| Income points at 3× median | NZ$105.00 an hour |
Those figures feed the Skilled Migrant Category directly — see SMC wage thresholds, explained.
Partner support thresholds also moved. To support a partner's work visa, the principal worker must earn at least:
| Principal's job skill level | From 9 March 2026 | Previously |
|---|---|---|
| Skill level 1–3 | NZ$28.00 an hour | NZ$26.85 |
| Skill level 4–5 | NZ$52.50 an hour | NZ$50.34 |
| Green List role | NZ$35.00 an hour | NZ$33.56 |
More detail sits at income thresholds to support a partner visa and Green List pay thresholds, explained.
Sponsor income thresholds for the Parent Category and Parent Boost are also multiples of the median wage, and were re-indexed to it. They were separately updated on 30 April 2026 — see parent visa sponsor income thresholds.
The dependent child income threshold is set as a percentage of the median wage and is updated with it. Immigration New Zealand's published figure for that threshold was not confirmed as re-indexed to the NZ$35.00 rate at the time of writing, and we are not going to state a number that may be a year out of date. Check the current figure on immigration.govt.nz before relying on it. See dependent children of work visa holders.
What the new rate does not change
The immigration median wage is not the pay threshold for the Accredited Employer Work Visa. That threshold was removed on 10 March 2025 and replaced with a market-rate test, so the March 2026 increase did not raise the pay bar on that visa. See the median wage removed from work visas.
It is also not the New Zealand minimum wage, which is set separately and usually rises on 1 April.
The grandfathering rule
This is the most reassuring sentence Immigration New Zealand publishes on the subject, and the one most often missed:
"If you already have a visa and the wage threshold for your visa increases, you do not need to meet the new wage threshold rate."
You are held to the threshold that applied when your visa was granted. An indexation change does not put an existing visa holder out of compliance.
There is a related fairness change for skilled residence from 24 August 2026: applicants need only meet the wage threshold in force when they started gaining the relevant skilled work experience, plus a five-month grace period in defined circumstances. That is covered at the Skilled Migrant Category overhaul.
The pay-step problem
An increase of NZ$1.44 an hour sounds small. For people paid on a published pay scale, it is not, because you cannot negotiate a scale — you can only move up a step.
Immigration New Zealand's own example is teachers: to stay eligible, a teacher must now be on Step 5 of the pay scale rather than Step 4. The same shape of problem exists anywhere pay is set by a collective agreement or a fixed scale, in health, education and the public sector.
The threshold moved; the step you sit on did not. That is a conversation with an employer about scale placement, and it has a deadline attached to it whenever a visa is due for renewal.
The National Occupation List change
The same announcement made two changes to the National Occupation List, New Zealand's own occupation classification.
47 additional occupations were recognised at skill levels 1 to 3. Skill level matters for more than classification. It determines whether English evidence is required, maximum continuous stay on a work visa, and which residence pathways a role can lead to. Moving into levels 1 to 3 is a substantive gain.
Three roles moved down from skill level 3 to skill level 4:
- Pet groomer
- Nanny
- Kennel hand
A move down is not cosmetic. Skill level 4 roles face a higher wage threshold for skilled residence purposes (1.5× the median wage), a shorter maximum stay on a work visa, and an English language evidence requirement.
Why New Zealand built its own list, and how it sits alongside the older ANZSCO classification, is set out at the National Occupation List replaced ANZSCO for the AEWV and ANZSCO vs NOL skill levels.
What to do differently now
- Check your occupation's current skill level rather than the one you looked up in 2025. Forty-seven occupations changed band in one day, and three moved the other way. See work visa skill levels, explained.
- Recalculate any threshold you are working towards from NZ$35.00, not NZ$33.56. Multiples of the median wage all moved on the same day.
- If you are on a published pay scale, check which step now clears the threshold that applies to you.
- Do not assume a February update next time. The month has moved twice in four years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the immigration median wage in New Zealand?
NZ$35.00 an hour, effective 9 March 2026, based on Statistics New Zealand June 2025 quarter data. That is about NZ$72,800 a year at Immigration New Zealand's 40-hour annualisation.
When did the median wage go up to $35?
9 March 2026. The previous rate, NZ$33.56, took effect on 18 August 2025.
Does the median wage change every year in February?
It changes once a year, but the month is not fixed. The last four changes took effect in February 2023, February 2024, August 2025 and March 2026. Immigration New Zealand announces each effective date.
Do I have to meet the new wage rate if I already hold a visa?
Immigration New Zealand publishes a grandfathering rule: if you already hold a visa and the wage threshold for that visa increases, you do not need to meet the new rate. The threshold that applied when your visa was granted continues to apply to it.
Which occupations were added to the National Occupation List in 2026?
Forty-seven occupations were recognised at skill levels 1 to 3 on 9 March 2026. Immigration New Zealand publishes the list itself; we do not reproduce it here because it is long and it changes. Three roles — pet groomer, nanny and kennel hand — moved down from skill level 3 to skill level 4 on the same date.
Does the median wage increase affect my work visa pay?
Not through the median wage itself. The pay threshold for the Accredited Employer Work Visa is the market rate for the occupation, not a national figure, and has been since 10 March 2025. What the increase does affect is skilled residence thresholds, Green List pay floors and partner support.
Are the fees going up too?
No. There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026 — Immigration New Zealand's fee page still describes its rates as current "as of 1 October 2024". Wage thresholds and application fees move independently. See wage thresholds for New Zealand visas.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and we do not assess anyone's individual circumstances. For advice about your own case, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer, and check the licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register.
