Step 1
Confirm whether the applicant's occupation is listed on Immigration New Zealand's Green List.
Advising Indian families on Asia-Pacific migration since 2009, from our Koramangala office in Bangalore.
The Skilled Migrant Category was rewritten again on 24 August 2026
New Zealand moved to a six-point system in October 2023, and then materially rewrote how the points are earned with effect from 24 August 2026:
- New Zealand qualifications now score one point more than the overseas equivalent
- Level 8 and 9 points now require a bachelor's degree
- The Trades experience requirement was reduced
- The wage threshold is now tested as at the date your experience began, not the date you apply
- English-test validity extended to five years for registered occupations
The SMC wage threshold is NZ$35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026, so the points multiples work out at NZ$52.50, NZ$70.00 and NZ$105.00 an hour.
The Red and Amber lists now gate the skilled work experience pathway
This is new and it disqualifies people who would previously have been fine:
- Amber list occupations need 1.2× the wage threshold plus three years of New Zealand experience
- Red list occupations are not eligible for this pathway — including beauty therapists, hairdressers and retail managers
If your occupation is on either list, the arithmetic changes completely. Check both lists before you apply.
Green List additions
Ten trades occupations were added to the Work to Residence pathway on 18 August 2025 — welders, fitters, metal fabricators, panel beaters, vehicle painters and paving plant operators — at NZ$43.63 or NZ$38.59 an hour, each requiring 24 months of New Zealand experience.
New Zealand citizenship and your Indian passport
New Zealand does permit dual citizenship. India does not. So the constraint here is entirely on the Indian side.
New Zealand citizenship becomes possible after 1,350 days over five years, with at least 240 days in each of those years. Taking it would end your Indian citizenship automatically under Section 9(1) of the Citizenship Act 1955, regardless of New Zealand's own generosity on the point.
Residence and permanent residence carry no such consequence. Most Indian families stop at permanent residence for exactly that reason, and there is nothing wrong with doing so.
Talk to an immigration consultant in Bangalore
XIPHIAS Immigration has guided Indian families abroad since 2009, from our office in Koramangala, Bangalore. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022. Our immigration consultants in Bangalore will take you through the current official requirements, costs and timeline for New Zealand.
Sources
- Immigration New Zealand
- Immigration New Zealand — Active Investor Plus visa
- Immigration New Zealand — Skilled Migrant Category
- Immigration New Zealand — Green List
Verified against government sources on 30 September 2026.
