Skilled Migrant Category residence applications prepared by a dedicated immigration team.
Points review, evidence preparation, EOI and ITA management, and family inclusion — the full SMC residence pathway, handled by licensed immigration professionals.
The basics
A points-based residence visa from Immigration New Zealand for skilled workers — with an Expression of Interest and Invitation to Apply stage before the substantive application.
Residency pathway
The main non-family, non-sector residence route. Direct-to-residence for skilled employees in acceptable roles.
Process
Runs in two stages. An Expression of Interest (EOI) is assessed against the current point threshold; where the threshold is met, INZ issues an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and the full application is filed within a fixed window.
Points
Points come from a primary source — occupational registration, qualifications, or income earned in an acceptable skilled job with an accredited employer — plus optional points for NZ skilled work experience.
Dependency
Partner and dependent children can be included in the same application.
Self-employment
Not a self-employment pathway. Applicants whose income comes from their own business are directed to a separate pathway.
Transition
The rules are in transition. A policy update is scheduled to take effect in August 2026, changing how points, occupations, and wage thresholds interact.
Not sure if SMC fits your situation?The points path that looks cleanest from the outside isn't always the right one — and the rules are shifting. Talk to us before you submit an EOI so we can match the pathway to your facts.
New Zealand residence changes what you can plan for: longer-term work decisions, a mortgage conversation, family arrangements that sit still long enough to settle in.
When our help makes a difference
Some immigration processes are approved without much friction. Some situations carry real risk of delay, hard pushback or decline.
Real cases · Illustrative
Every case is different. These are illustrative and don't guarantee a particular outcome.
Avoidable problems
Visitor Visa applications can be declined or delayed for reasons that are sometimes avoidable with better preparation.
Weak ties to a home country, inconsistent travel history, or vague explanations of the purpose of a visit can raise concerns. A well-prepared application addresses these points directly with supporting evidence.
Bare-minimum bank balances, unclear income sources, or missing sponsorship documentation can lead to requests for further information or decline.
Applicants from countries without a low TB incidence may need a chest X-ray. Those with criminal history may need police certificates. Out-of-date evidence delays processing.
Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure date. Travelling on a passport close to expiry can result in being refused boarding or refused entry at the border.
Providing false, misleading, or incomplete information — even unintentionally — can result in decline, and may affect future visa applications.
Applying too close to your intended travel date, or failing to apply for an extension before your current visa expires, creates complications that are difficult to resolve.
Important constraints
SMC is a points-based residence pathway for skilled employees in acceptable roles. If your circumstances point elsewhere, a different visa is the right starting point.
Not permitted
Lodging under the wrong pathway wastes time and money. We'll tell you up front if a different residence route fits your situation better.
Build the application on self-employment income
SMC isn’t a self-employment pathway. We can discuss the alternatives in an initial conversation.
Apply when your role is on the Tier 1 Green List
The Green List Straight to Residence Visa tends to be the quicker route.
Apply when your role is on the Tier 2 Green List
Depending on your points under SMC, the Green List Work to Residence Visa may be the quicker route.
Apply as the partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident
The Partnership Residence Visa is usually a more direct route.
Apply to bring a parent here as a resident
See the Parent Residence Visa or Parent Retirement Residence Visa.
Find the right pathway
If a different immigration process fits your situation, we can take you there directly.
Working with us
We will guide you step by step on your Skilled Migrant Category Residence Visa process, from start to finish.
Short email discussion to understand your role, employer, qualifications, and points picture. We'll tell you up front whether SMC is the right pathway and where the file currently stands.
Letter of engagement signed, invoice paid. We open the file and map the EOI timeline against your circumstances — including any policy-transition timing.
We work the points file: occupational registration, qualifications (with IQA where needed), income evidence, NZ work experience, and family inclusion — building the EOI around the strongest points path.
We submit the EOI, then the substantive application within the ITA window once you're invited. We file on your behalf and confirm receipt with INZ.
If INZ requests further information mid-process, we draft the response with you — promptly, in the right form.
We walk you through the outcome. If granted, we explain what comes next — including the residence-conditions and travel-conditions picture, and the path to a Permanent Resident Visa. If declined, we work through reasons and your realistic options.
FAQ
Requests for further information are a routine part of SMC processing and, on their own, are not an indication that the application is in trouble. Immigration New Zealand may ask for additional evidence on a particular point, clarification of a role description, or further documentation for a family member. Responses are subject to deadlines, and how the response is framed can matter. Where we act on a file, we manage that correspondence on your behalf and coordinate any additional evidence so the response reads consistently with the rest of the application.
The policy announcement made in late 2025 and the scheduled 2026 rollout introduce changes to how points, occupations, and wage thresholds interact. Whether to submit under current settings or wait depends on the particular case — points mix, occupation classification, employment stability, and the timing of other evidence all bear on the decision. A timing conversation before lodgement is generally more useful than a recalculation afterwards. We are happy to work through the variables in an initial discussion so the decision rests on your circumstances rather than on a default assumption.
A decline does not necessarily end the pathway. Depending on the decision and the grounds, options may include a request for reconsideration, a new application addressing the issues raised, or in some circumstances an appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. Where status is at risk because a temporary visa has lapsed in the meantime, a Section 61 request may also be relevant. The right next step depends on why the application was declined and on the applicant’s current status.
Yes — and for most clients it is the right approach. Partners in a genuine and stable partnership, and dependent children, may be included in the principal applicant’s residence application, subject to relationship and dependency evidence. Timing and age thresholds for dependent children matter; where a child is approaching the cut-off, we generally address that early in the process.
We set out the scope and the fee basis in writing at the start of the engagement, after an initial discussion in which we understand the shape of your situation. For straightforward SMC files the scope is usually predictable; for files that involve prior-immigration questions, character concerns, or family-inclusion complications, the scope is broader, and we explain which components are involved before any commitment is made. We do not recommend engaging professional assistance on an open-ended basis, and we would rather decline a matter than accept one where the scope is unclear.
Yes. An initial discussion is a chance for us to understand your circumstances and explain how we would approach the matter, and for you to decide whether you would like to proceed. It is treated in confidence and does not commit you to engaging us. If, after that conversation, another service or another adviser would be a better fit for your situation, we will say so directly.
Whether your immigration process is straightforward or involves complicating factors, we can help you understand your options and put your best case forward.
MyLaw is a New Zealand law firm with a focus on immigration law.
Our team is led by Michael Yoon, a New Zealand lawyer and member of the New Zealand Law Society.
He holds a current practising certificate and works across a range of immigration matters, from Skilled Migrant Category Residence Visa matters to complex cases involving prior refusals, character issues, and multi-visa strategies.
If you are considering an SMC application and would like to talk through where your case is strong, where it may need work, and how the current transition affects your timing, we are happy to hear from you. The initial discussion is a chance to understand your situation and explain how we would approach the matter — without commitment on your part.
We assist with both straightforward applications and cases involving prior-immigration questions, character concerns, or family-inclusion complications. Contact us to arrange a time.
