NZ Skilled Migrant Category vs the Green List: which path for your occupation

New Zealand runs two main routes to skilled residence, and they work in completely different ways. The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) is points-based. The Green List is occupation-based, with no points at all. Both use ANZSCO to classify occupations, so your 6-digit code is the starting point for either one.

The Skilled Migrant Category: a 6-point system

The SMC asks you to reach 6 skilled resident points. You claim those points from two sources.

First, 3 to 6 points from your qualification, occupational registration, or income — whichever is strongest:

• Occupational registration requiring at least 2 years of training: 3 points
• Bachelor’s degree or postgraduate certificate: 3 points
• Honours degree or postgraduate diploma: 4 points
• Master’s degree: 5 points
• PhD or doctorate: 6 points
• Income at 1.5× the median wage: 3 points; at 2×: 4 points; at 3×: 6 points

Second, up to 3 more points for skilled work experience in New Zealand. If your qualification or registration already gets you to 6 (a PhD, say), you may not need the work-experience points. Otherwise you build up to the total with skilled work here.

The SMC does not require your occupation to sit on a specific list. It reads your skills, not a list membership. That makes it the route for many skilled occupations that the Green List does not name.

The Green List: occupation-based, two tiers

The Green List is a fixed list of roles New Zealand is short of, split into two tiers by skill level:

• Tier 1 — Straight to Residence. With a job offer for a Tier 1 occupation, and meeting the role’s qualification, registration, and wage requirements, you can apply for residence directly.
• Tier 2 — Work to Residence. A Tier 2 occupation is a slower path: you work in New Zealand on an eligible work visa for 2 years first, then apply for residence.

There are no points here. The gate is membership: your occupation either appears on the Green List, at a given tier, with a stated wage and qualification or registration requirement — or it does not. Each role carries its own conditions, so two occupations on the same tier can have different requirements.

The decision a candidate faces

If your occupation is on the Green List at Tier 1, that is usually the fastest route: residence on arrival, no points to assemble, provided you meet the role’s wage and registration conditions. Most people in that position take it.

If your occupation is on the Green List at Tier 2, the choice is real. Tier 2 means 2 years of New Zealand work before residence. The SMC might get you to 6 points sooner — for example if you hold a master’s or PhD, or your salary clears a high multiple of the median wage. It is worth checking both.

If your occupation is not on the Green List at all, the SMC is your main route. The points system does not care that your code is missing from the list; it scores your qualification, registration, or income directly.

Because both routes are keyed to ANZSCO, the first step for either is the same: confirm the 6-digit code that matches your work. The right code decides which Green List tier (if any) you fall under and what registration the SMC will expect.

Changes are coming on 24 August 2026

Immigration NZ has announced further SMC changes from 24 August 2026. The announced changes include an adjustment to qualification points (an extra point for a qualification completed in New Zealand), simplified median-wage settings across the pathways, and a new trades and technician pathway, alongside updates to the Green List and to English-language settings for registered occupations. The specifics are exactly the kind of detail that dates quickly, so read the live page for the current rules rather than relying on a summary.

Check before you rely on it

Both the SMC point values and the Green List tiers and wage rates change, and the August 2026 SMC reforms are due to land. Always check the live SMC pathway page and the Green List pathway page before acting on anything here.

To find the ANZSCO code that matches your work — the starting point for either route — browse the occupation index. If you are unsure which code fits your background, the CV matcher at app.anzscofinder.com shows your closest matches with a confidence score.

For advice on which New Zealand pathway is right for your situation, speak to a registered migration agent. We find codes and show sources. We do not give migration advice.