Wage Thresholds for New Zealand Visas
New Zealand uses three kinds of pay threshold: the median wage rate, the market rate, and other rates such as the minimum wage or occupation-specific pay equity rates. From 9 March 2026 the Skilled Migrant Category skilled work thresholds are NZ$35.00 an hour for skill levels 1 to 3 and NZ$52.50 for skill levels 4 to 5. Employer-assisted work visas use market rate instead.
Quick Facts
| Threshold types in use | Three: median wage rate · market rate · other rates |
| Current median wage | NZ$35.00 an hour, from 9 March 2026 |
| SMC skilled work, skill levels 1–3 | NZ$35.00 an hour |
| SMC skilled work, skill levels 4–5 and unlisted | NZ$52.50 an hour |
| SMC income points | 3 points at NZ$52.50 · 4 points at NZ$70.00 · 6 points at NZ$105.00 |
| Partner support, skill levels 1–3 | NZ$28.00 an hour |
| Partner support, Green List role | NZ$35.00 an hour |
| Employer-assisted work visas | Market rate, with the adult minimum wage as the floor |
| All figures effective | 9 March 2026, unless a later date is stated |
The three kinds of threshold
Almost every argument about New Zealand immigration pay rules comes from mixing these up.
The median wage rate. A single national figure, indexed annually, currently NZ$35.00 an hour. Multiples of it set thresholds across residence, Green List, partner support and family categories. See the immigration median wage history.
The market rate. Not a number at all. INZ defines it as "a range of pay that a New Zealander or resident would be paid within to do the job, or equivalent work". It is assessed role by role, using evidence about the specific job and labour market. See the market rate explained.
Other rates. The adult minimum wage, which rises each 1 April, and occupation-specific rates such as pay equity settlement rates. These operate as floors underneath the other two.
Skilled Migrant Category — skilled work thresholds
To count as skilled work for the Skilled Migrant Category, a job must be paid at or above these rates, effective 9 March 2026:
| Job skill level | Threshold | Multiple of median |
|---|---|---|
| ANZSCO skill levels 1, 2 and 3 | NZ$35.00 an hour | 1.0× |
| ANZSCO skill levels 4 and 5, and unlisted occupations | NZ$52.50 an hour | 1.5× |
The gap between the two bands is deliberate and large. A role classified at skill level 4 or 5 must be paid 50% more than a skill level 1–3 role to count as skilled work at all. That single rule does more to shape who can access skilled residence than any points figure. See occupation skill levels explained and SMC wage thresholds explained.
Skilled Migrant Category — income points
Pay also earns points in its own right, on a separate scale:
| Points | Hourly rate | Multiple | Approximate annual at 40 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 points | NZ$52.50 | 1.5× | ~NZ$109,200 |
| 4 points | NZ$70.00 | 2× | ~NZ$145,600 |
| 6 points | NZ$105.00 | 3× | ~NZ$218,400 |
The annual figures use INZ's own convention of 40 hours a week over 52 weeks.
Do not treat these as a complete points table. The Skilled Migrant Category was restructured on 24 August 2026, and the full post-change points values — including points for qualifications, occupational registration and New Zealand study — were not published in retrievable form before that date. Confirm the current points table on INZ before relying on any figure. See the Skilled Migrant Category changes explained and SMC points explained.
The two new residence pathways, from 24 August 2026
The 24 August 2026 restructure added two pathways alongside the points route, each with its own wage rule.
| Pathway | Wage threshold | Multiple |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Work Experience | NZ$38.50 an hour | 1.1× |
| Trades and Technician | NZ$35.00 an hour | 1.0× |
The Skilled Work Experience pathway requires experience in a skill level 1–3 occupation paid at 1.1× the threshold, including New Zealand experience. The Trades and Technician pathway uses the plain median with no multiplier, alongside a qualification requirement at NZQF Level 4 or above.
Two occupation lists sit over the Skilled Work Experience pathway only — the Trades and Technician pathway has neither, running instead on a positive list of 109 eligible occupations. A red list of 6 occupations is excluded from the Skilled Work Experience pathway altogether, and an amber list of 14 faces a longer experience requirement at 1.2× the threshold (NZ$42.00/hr), with 3 of those years required to be gained in New Zealand. See the Skilled Work Experience pathway, the Trades and Technician pathway and SMC red list and amber list occupations.
A significant easing came with the restructure. From 24 August 2026, applicants need only meet the wage threshold in force when they started gaining the relevant skilled work experience — not the rate current at the time they apply. A five-month grace period also applies where a threshold rose between a work visa being granted and the work starting. Because the median wage rises most years, that change removes a trap where experience gained legitimately at one rate stopped counting when the rate moved.
Partner support thresholds
To support a partner for a work visa, the principal worker must earn at least the following, effective 9 March 2026:
| Principal's role | Threshold from 9 March 2026 | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Skill levels 1 to 3 | NZ$28.00 an hour | NZ$26.85 |
| Skill levels 4 to 5 | NZ$52.50 an hour | NZ$50.34 |
| Green List role | NZ$35.00 an hour | NZ$33.56 |
Note that the skill level 1–3 partner support threshold, at NZ$28.00, is below the median wage. It is the lowest median-linked threshold in the system, and it is the one that decides whether a large share of work visa holders can bring a partner at all. See income thresholds to support a partner visa and the Partner of a Worker Work Visa.
Employer-assisted work visas: market rate, not median wage
This is the correction that matters most, because it is the one most widely published wrong.
On 10 March 2025 the median wage stopped being the pay threshold for employer-assisted work visas. Pay is now assessed against the market rate for the specific role, with the adult minimum wage as the underlying floor. Employers evidence the market rate for the position; there is no single national number to meet.
Guides that still describe a median-wage pay rule for employer-assisted work visas are describing a system that ended in March 2025. See the median wage removed from work visas and market rate pay.
Two legacy figures on the work-visa side still reference the 2024 median rather than the current rate, and neither was re-indexed:
- A role paid at or above NZ$67.12 an hour is exempt from skill requirements
- Sector agreements may permit jobs paying below NZ$29.66 an hour
Both are unusual cases. If either applies to a role you are dealing with, confirm the current position with INZ rather than assuming the figures have moved with the median.
Seasonal and minimum wage floors
Third-season Recognised Seasonal Employer returnees are paid at the adult minimum wage plus 10%. That is a returnee premium built into the RSE scheme rather than a median-linked threshold. See the RSE visa explained.
The adult minimum wage itself rises on 1 April each year and sits underneath every other pay rule in the system. Where a market rate assessment produces a figure below it, the minimum wage governs.
The threshold we do not publish
The dependent child income threshold. This was set at NZ$55,844 a year, calculated as 80% of the median wage on a 40-hour week — but it was set against the previous median wage of NZ$33.56. With the median now NZ$35.00, the figure should have been re-indexed on 9 March 2026, and the re-indexed amount was not confirmed from a primary source.
We therefore do not publish a current number for it. If you need this threshold, confirm it with INZ or a licensed immigration adviser before relying on any figure, including NZ$55,844. See dependent children of work visa holders.
Every current threshold in one table
| Threshold | Rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration median wage | NZ$35.00/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| SMC skilled work, skill levels 1–3 | NZ$35.00/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| SMC skilled work, skill levels 4–5 and unlisted | NZ$52.50/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| SMC income points — 3 points | NZ$52.50/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| SMC income points — 4 points | NZ$70.00/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| SMC income points — 6 points | NZ$105.00/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| Skilled Work Experience pathway | NZ$38.50/hr | 24 August 2026 |
| Trades and Technician pathway | NZ$35.00/hr | 24 August 2026 |
| Partner support, skill levels 1–3 | NZ$28.00/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| Partner support, skill levels 4–5 | NZ$52.50/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| Partner support, Green List role | NZ$35.00/hr | 9 March 2026 |
| Skill requirement exemption (legacy anchor) | NZ$67.12/hr | 2024 median |
| Sector agreement floor (legacy anchor) | NZ$29.66/hr | 2024 median |
| Third-season RSE returnee | Minimum wage + 10% | — |
| Dependent child income | Not published here — confirm with INZ | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What wage do I need for New Zealand skilled residence?
From 9 March 2026, NZ$35.00 an hour for a job at ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3, and NZ$52.50 an hour for skill levels 4 and 5 or an unlisted occupation. Pay above those levels also earns points on a separate scale.
Does an employer-assisted work visa have a minimum wage rate?
Not a median-linked one. Since 10 March 2025 pay is assessed against the market rate for the specific role, with the adult minimum wage as the floor. There is no single national figure to meet.
How much do I need to earn to bring my partner to New Zealand?
From 9 March 2026: NZ$28.00 an hour if your role is at skill level 1 to 3, NZ$52.50 an hour at skill levels 4 to 5, and NZ$35.00 an hour if your role is on the Green List. The threshold applies to the principal worker, not the partner.
What are the SMC income points thresholds?
Three points at NZ$52.50 an hour, four points at NZ$70.00, and six points at NZ$105.00. At INZ's 40-hour convention those are roughly NZ$109,200, NZ$145,600 and NZ$218,400 a year.
Did the wage thresholds change on 24 August 2026?
Two new residence pathways were added with their own rates: NZ$38.50 an hour for the Skilled Work Experience pathway and NZ$35.00 for the Trades and Technician pathway. The existing 9 March 2026 rates continued alongside them.
Do I have to meet the new threshold if my pay was set under the old one?
INZ's published position is that where you already hold a visa and its wage threshold rises, you do not need to meet the new rate. From 24 August 2026 the Skilled Migrant Category goes further: you need only meet the threshold in force when you started gaining the relevant experience.
What is the market rate?
INZ defines it as the range of pay a New Zealander or resident would be paid to do the job, or equivalent work. It is assessed for the specific role rather than set as a national figure, and the employer provides the evidence.
What is the dependent child income threshold?
It was set at NZ$55,844 a year against the previous median wage, and should have been re-indexed when the median rose on 9 March 2026. The re-indexed figure could not be verified, so we do not publish one. Confirm it with INZ before relying on any number.
Primary source: Immigration New Zealand's pay rates for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, the wage rates for work visas page, and the INZ news release on the annual median wage increase. Verified 20 August 2026. Thresholds change with the median wage and the effective date is not fixed — re-check before relying on any figure.
This page is general information about published thresholds. It is not immigration advice and does not assess whether a particular threshold applies to you.
