New Zealand SMC Revision! Effective from August 2026
Hello, this is SOL Study Abroad.
Recently, from the New Zealand Min-sung Lee Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Announced the revision of the system. This change brings the opportunity to obtain permanent residency much closer for international students who have completed their master’s in New Zealand!
SMC(Skilled Migrant Category)란 무엇인가요?
The SMC (Skilled Migrant Category) is a system that allows people who have a skilled job or have received a job offer in New Zealand to apply for a permanent residence visa through various criteria such as education, work experience, and annual salary. Currently, you need to meet 6 points or more to be eligible for permanent residency, which is filled ✔with your degree, ✔work experience ✔in New Zealand, and salary level.
2026년 8월 이후 무엇이 달라지나요?
The biggest change is that New Zealand Master’s graduates will be awarded 6 points. This means that you don’t need to complete one year of experience to meet the requirements for permanent residency (6 points) right away.
6 points
- PhD
- NZ Required Experience: Not Required
- Job or Job Offer required
- PhD or NZ Master’s
- NZ Required Experience: Not Required
- Job or Job Offer required
5 points
- Master’s
- NZ Required Experience: 1 year
- Job or Job Offer required
- Master’s degree abroad or
obtained from NZ:
Bachelor’s degree, Honour’s degree, Post-graduate diploma, or Post-graduate certificate - NZ Required Experience: 1 year
- Job or Job Offer required
4 points
- Honours degree, Post-graduate diploma
- NZ Required Experience: 2 years
- Job or Job Offer required
- Obtained abroad:
Bachelor’s degree, Honour’s degree, Post-graduate diploma, or Post-graduate certificate - NZ required experience: 1.5 years
- Job or Job Offer required
3 points
- Bachelor’s degree or Post-graduate certificate
- NZ Required Experience: 3 years
- Job or Job Offer required
이 변화가 누구에게 유리할까요?
📌 International students
📌 planning or studying for a Master’s degree in New Zealand Students
📌 who have found it difficult to build a career after graduation International students who wanted a fast path to apply for permanent residency
왜 뉴질랜드 석사 과정이 매력적일까요?
1. Permanent residency points can be met with a degree alone
- Previously, one year of New Zealand experience was required after a master’s degree, but now you will earn
6 points just by obtaining a New Zealand master’s degree
2. Save time and money
- The burden of finding a job and building a career for one year after graduation is reduced, and the time until permanent residency is shortened by at least one year.
3. Adapt locally and expand career opportunities
- During the master’s program, there is a high possibility that local internships and industry-academia cooperation will lead to employment in skilled jobs upon graduation.
4. Central to immigration strategy
- A one-stop pathway (Study → Work → Residence) will be completed to stable study, → employment → permanent residency within New Zealand.
If you are still considering only a bachelor’s degree, you can get much more advantageous immigration points by going to a master’s degree. When applying for permanent residency, it is important to consult with a job strategy as it is mandatory to work at a certified company or apply for employment.
The New Zealand government’s revision of the SMC is in line with the direction of strengthening immigration routes through study. Now that it is possible to meet permanent residency points with just a degree through a master’s program in New Zealand, studying in New Zealand can be a decisive choice that goes beyond just obtaining a degree and expands your life opportunities.
At our SOL Study Abroad Institute, we offer expert counseling on the New Zealand Masters and SMC Permanent Residency pathways. If you want more details, please contact us now by clicking the consultation application button below.
