The Trades and Technician Pathway to Residence
The Trades and Technician pathway is a new route to New Zealand residence opening on 24 August 2026. It needs four years of relevant experience in total, including 18 months in New Zealand paid at the median wage of NZ$35.00 an hour, plus a qualification at Level 4 or above. It is the first Skilled Migrant Category route open to sub-degree qualifications.
Quick Facts
| Part of | The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa |
| Opens | 24 August 2026 |
| Experience required | 4 years of relevant experience in total |
| Of which in New Zealand | 18 months |
| Pay required | The median wage — NZ$35.00 an hour. No multiplier |
| Qualification required | NZQF Level 4 or above |
| NZ qualification credit rule | New Zealand qualifications must carry 120 credits |
| Overseas qualifications | Level 4 or above, no credit minimum |
| Recognition of prior learning | RPL credits are excluded |
| Points required | None — this pathway does not use points |
| Occupation | ANZSCO skill level 1–3 only |
| Eligible occupations | A published list of 109 trades and technician occupations |
| Excluded | Any occupation not on that list; ANZSCO skill level 4 and 5 occupations |
| Red / amber lists | Do not apply to this pathway |
| Cost | NZ$6,450 = NZ$2,880 fee + NZ$3,570 immigration levy (Band A/C) |
| Age limit | 55 or younger at the date of application |
| Leads to residence? | It is a residence visa. Permanent residence usually available after 2 years |
All figures as at August 2026. This pathway had not opened when this page was written — re-check every figure on INZ on or after 24 August 2026.
Why this pathway exists
New Zealand has spent years asking for electricians, diesel mechanics, welders, plumbers and machine operators, while running a residence system that gave their qualifications a score of zero.
That is not an exaggeration. Under the Skilled Migrant Category points table, New Zealand qualification levels 3, 4, 5 and 6 earn no points at all. The ladder starts at Level 7 — a bachelor's degree. A completed apprenticeship producing a Level 4 certificate scored the same as no qualification: nothing.
The only workaround was the New Zealand work experience top-up, capped at 3 points, which on its own could never reach the 6-point threshold. Trades workers without a degree were structurally locked out of the category, and the only alternative was the Green List — which covers some trades but not all of them.
The Trades and Technician pathway is the fix. It drops points entirely and asks for a Level 4 qualification plus four years of relevant experience, of which 18 months must be in New Zealand.
The experience requirement, both ways it is described
INZ describes this requirement two ways, and both are accurate.
The news release version: four years of relevant experience, including 18 months in New Zealand.
The detailed policy page version:
| Component | Requirement | Must fall within |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant post-qualification experience | 2.5 years | the preceding 10 years |
| New Zealand post-qualification experience at the SMC threshold | 1.5 years | the preceding 3 years |
Two and a half plus one and a half is four, and 1.5 years is 18 months. The news release quotes the total; the policy page separates the general component from the New Zealand component and attaches a recency window to each.
Note the word post-qualification. Experience gained before you finished the qualifying certificate does not appear to count towards either component. That is a real constraint for someone who worked for years and only later formalised the qualification, and it is worth checking carefully against INZ's published instructions.
The recency windows do the heavy lifting: ten years is generous, three years is not. The 18 months of New Zealand experience must sit inside the three years before you apply.
The qualification rule
This is the part that makes the pathway distinctive, and it has more detail than it first appears.
The level: NZQF Level 4 or above. Level 4 is roughly where a completed New Zealand apprenticeship or trade certificate sits.
New Zealand qualifications must carry 120 credits. Not every Level 4 certificate does. A short Level 4 certificate of 40 or 60 credits will not meet the requirement even though its level is right. Check the credit value on the qualification itself, not just the level.
Overseas qualifications at Level 4 or above have no credit minimum. This is an asymmetry, and it is deliberate — overseas systems do not use New Zealand's credit framework, so a credit test would be meaningless. What matters is that the qualification maps to Level 4 or above. That mapping usually needs an assessment from NZQA — see what an NZQA IQA is.
Recognition-of-prior-learning credits are excluded. If part of your qualification was awarded by having existing skills assessed rather than by study or assessed training, those credits do not count towards the 120. For anyone who converted long experience into a certificate through an RPL process, this is the detail most likely to cause a problem.
The pay rule: no multiplier
The New Zealand component of the experience has to be paid at the Skilled Migrant Category wage threshold — the plain immigration median wage, with no multiplier applied.
The median wage has been NZ$35.00 an hour since 9 March 2026, based on Stats NZ June 2025 data. On INZ's 40-hour annualisation convention that is roughly NZ$72,800 a year.
Compare that with the sibling route. The Skilled Work Experience pathway requires 1.1× the median — NZ$38.50 an hour. This pathway requires NZ$35.00. The trade-off is the qualification: this route asks for a Level 4 certificate and accepts a lower rate of pay; the other asks for no qualification and a 10% higher rate.
Which year's threshold applies
From 24 August 2026, applicants only need to meet the wage threshold in force when they started gaining the relevant experience, not the current rate. A 5-month grace period applies where the threshold rose between the grant of a work visa and the day work actually started.
Given this pathway measures years of history, that rule does real work. SMC wage thresholds explained covers it in detail.
Who cannot use this pathway
Anyone whose occupation is not on the eligible list. This pathway works the opposite way round from the Skilled Work Experience pathway. Instead of barring named occupations, it names the ones that qualify: INZ publishes a list of 109 eligible trades and technician occupations, each with an ANZSCO code. If your occupation is not on that list, this pathway is not open to you, however long you have worked.
There is no red list and no amber list on this pathway. Those two lists govern the Skilled Work Experience pathway only — both of INZ's tables are titled for that pathway, and the rules appear nowhere in the Trades and Technician policy. If you have read that chefs or hairdressers are "barred from the new pathways", that is a statement about the other one. See the SMC red list and amber list occupations.
ANZSCO skill level 4 and 5 occupations cannot use this pathway. The occupation must be ANZSCO skill level 1–3. This catches people out, because the ANZSCO skill level of an occupation and the qualification level of a certificate are two different scales that both use small numbers. A Level 4 qualification is required; an ANZSCO skill level 4 occupation is excluded. They are not related. See what ANZSCO is.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee — Band A (in New Zealand) and Band C (rest of world) | NZ$2,880 |
| Application fee — Band B (Pacific countries, offshore) | NZ$1,860 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$3,570 |
| Total, Band A or C | NZ$6,450 |
The immigration levy is charged per application rather than per person, so partners and dependent children included in the same application do not each add NZ$3,570. The International Visitor Levy does not apply to residence visas, and nothing is refunded if the application is declined. See what New Zealand residence actually costs.
Step 1: Check the qualification qualifies
Confirm the level is 4 or above. If it is a New Zealand qualification, confirm it carries 120 credits and that none of those credits came from recognition of prior learning. If it is an overseas qualification, expect to need an NZQA assessment of its level.
Step 2: Check the occupation is eligible
Find the ANZSCO code and skill level for the job. Skill levels 4 and 5 are excluded. Then check that code against INZ's list of 109 eligible trades and technician occupations — the code has to appear on it.
Step 3: Map post-qualification experience against the windows
You need 2.5 years of relevant post-qualification experience within the last 10 years, and 1.5 years of New Zealand post-qualification experience at the threshold within the last 3. Work done before the qualification was completed sits outside both.
Step 4: Check the pay rate that applied at the time
For each period of New Zealand work claimed, identify the median wage rate in force when that work started and whether your pay met it. The current rate is NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026.
Step 5: Submit an Expression of Interest
The Skilled Migrant Category runs on an Expression of Interest, and the SMC EOI carries no fee. If it meets the threshold, INZ issues an Invitation to Apply and you have 4 months to lodge the full residence application. See the residence Expression of Interest, explained.
Step 6: Lodge the application with evidence
Qualification documents, credit transcripts, employment agreements, payslips and tax records. For overseas experience only, a certificate of service becomes an acceptable substitute for tax records from 24 August 2026. Medicals, chest x-ray and police certificates under 6 months old are also required.
Everything else that still applies
- Age. 55 or younger at the date of application — see the age limit for New Zealand skilled residence.
- The job. Accredited employer, at least 30 hours a week, permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months (or contracts of at least 6 months). See how to check if an employer is accredited.
- English. An IELTS 6.5 or above requirement applies under the restructure, with test validity extending to 5 years for applicants holding an eligible occupational registration. See English requirements for New Zealand residence.
- Health and character. Medical, chest x-ray, and police certificates less than 6 months old.
- Two-stage residence. A Resident Visa first; a Permanent Resident Visa later, usually after 2 years.
Trades routes compared
If you work in a trade, this is not your only option — and it may not be the fastest one.
| Route | Core test | NZ time needed | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trades and Technician | 4 years' experience | 18 months | Level 4 or above |
| Work to Residence (Green List Tier 2) | A Green List Tier 2 job | 24 months | Set per occupation |
| Straight to Residence (Green List Tier 1) | A Green List Tier 1 job offer | None | Set per occupation |
| Skilled Work Experience | 5 years' experience | 2 years | None |
| Points-based | 6 points | Up to 2 years | Level 7+ to score |
Several trades already sit on Green List Tier 2 — electricians, plumbers, gasfitters, drainlayers, automotive and diesel mechanics, welders, fitters and metal fabricators among them, each with its own pay and registration conditions. Where a Tier 2 route exists, the comparison is really 18 months against 24 months, against different pay and qualification tests. See the Green List explained and Green List pay thresholds explained.
Before you rely on any of this
This pathway had not opened when this page was written. The figures here come from INZ's pre-launch policy page and news release; the binding immigration instructions publish on the day it opens. Re-check the credit rules, the experience windows, the wage threshold and the occupation lists on INZ on or after 24 August 2026.
This page explains what the pathway requires. It does not assess whether your certificate, your credits or your work history satisfy it. Whether an overseas qualification maps to Level 4, whether RPL credits have been correctly identified, and whether a period of employment counts as post-qualification experience are all judgements about an individual's circumstances — immigration advice under New Zealand law, which only a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer may give. The public register is at app.mbieregisters.govt.nz.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get New Zealand residence with a Level 4 qualification?
From 24 August 2026, yes — through the Trades and Technician pathway. It is the first Skilled Migrant Category route open to sub-degree qualifications. Under the points-based pathway, Levels 3, 4, 5 and 6 earn zero points.
How much experience does the Trades and Technician pathway need?
Four years in total: 2.5 years of relevant post-qualification experience within the preceding 10 years, plus 1.5 years — 18 months — of New Zealand post-qualification experience within the preceding 3 years.
What do I have to be paid?
The Skilled Migrant Category wage threshold, which is the plain immigration median wage of NZ$35.00 an hour as at August 2026. No multiplier applies, unlike the Skilled Work Experience pathway which requires 1.1× the median.
Does my overseas trade certificate count?
Overseas qualifications at Level 4 or above are accepted and, unlike New Zealand qualifications, carry no credit minimum. The level normally has to be established through an NZQA assessment.
Why does my New Zealand certificate need 120 credits?
New Zealand qualifications must carry 120 credits at Level 4 or above to meet the requirement. Shorter Level 4 certificates fall short even though the level is correct. Credits awarded through recognition of prior learning are excluded from the count.
Do recognition-of-prior-learning credits count?
No. RPL credits are specifically excluded. If a large share of your qualification came from having existing skills assessed rather than from study or assessed training, check the composition of the credits carefully.
Which trades are excluded?
This pathway does not use an exclusion list. It uses an eligibility list of 109 trades and technician occupations, and an occupation that is not on it cannot use the pathway. Occupations at ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 are excluded. The red and amber lists are not relevant here — they apply to the Skilled Work Experience pathway.
Is this faster than the Green List Work to Residence route?
The New Zealand time requirement is shorter — 18 months here against 24 months for Green List Tier 2 Work to Residence. But the two routes test different things, and Tier 2 occupations carry their own pay rates and registration conditions. Which is available depends entirely on the occupation.
What does it cost?
NZ$6,450 for most applicants as at August 2026 — a NZ$2,880 application fee plus a NZ$3,570 immigration levy, under the Skilled Residence fee line. Pacific fee-band applicants applying offshore pay NZ$1,860 plus the same levy.
