Skilled migrant visa changes: Median wage fix and a rare dose of pragmatism by INZ
Two of the announcements made on March 5, 2026, are of particular interest for migrants.
Changes announced today to the Skilled Migrant Category visa are a mix of wins and losses, but provide migrants with a clearer roadmap.
Just a couple of days ago, a prospective client called me frantically. She wanted to know if there was any way to submit her residence application before the new, higher median wage requirement kicks in on March 9 2026. To become eligible, she would need to upgrade to the new wage, something her employer was not prepared to do.
Many migrants are, or have been, in this exact same boat. Current immigration settings require applicants under Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) to be earning the prevailing median wage. In my opinion, this has always been an illogical requirement. Merely hiking a wage has no material effect on an applicant’s actual occupation; it serves only as an additional financial burden on the employer.
Here is another all-too-common scenario: a skilled migrant worker has their visa approved at a specific wage rate that met the median requirement at the time. However, by the time they wrap up their affairs, arrive in New Zealand, and start work, the required median wage has increased. Consequently, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) informs them that their skilled work experience will not be counted.
This makes even less sense. How is the migrant at fault? Why does INZ expect a migrant to drop everything and teleport to New Zealand the moment their visa is approved?
Bureaucrats tend to display the same characteristics: formulating policies without real-world feedback and implementing them without foresight. However, as proven today, INZ officials have displayed a rare sense of clarity and practicality. In my opinion, the two most beneficial and far-reaching aspects of announcements made on March 5, 2026, are as follows:
1. Fixed wage requirements: Migrants applying under skilled migrant instructions will no longer need to meet the median wage prevailing at the exact time of their application lodgment. For example, if you start working as an ECE teacher today at $33.56/hour, and you become eligible for residence in one or two years, you will not be forced to meet whatever higher median wage exists at that future date.
2. Five-month grace period: Migrants will now have a five-month window to arrive in New Zealand and begin working at the median wage for which their visa was originally approved. If they do so, their work experience will be counted. For instance, if you are a chef whose visa is approved at $35/hour on October 1, 2026, and you start your employment within five months, subsequent changes to the median wage will not jeopardize your ability to count your skilled work experience.
Much-needed clarity has also been provided regarding the Trades and Technicians Pathway. Who stands to benefit? These are the essential people we see around us every day but often only notice in a time of need, think of mechanics, painters, tilers, building supervisors, draughts persons, agricultural technicians, school lab technicians, and welders.
As anticipated, occupations like retail managers, beauty therapists and hairdressers have been banished to the Red List. The easiest way for them to qualify for residence is if they complete a master’s qualification and earn at least the median wage.
Meanwhile, occupations like chefs, cafe and restaurant managers, and hotel/motel managers in Amber List can qualify if they have at least five years of relevant work experience in New Zealand, out of which two can be at 1.2 times the median wage.
Given that the average hospitality operation cannot afford to pay managerial employees 1.2 times ($42/hour) the median wage ($35/hour), the master’s qualification route may also be the most viable option for these roles.
All in all, today’s announcement brings a mix of wins and losses, but it undeniably provides migrants with a clearer roadmap for their future pathways to residence.
(Hemant Kaushal is a Licensed Immigration Adviser who runs his own practice in Auckland. His practice handles various simple and complicated immigration matters.)
