New Zealand
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: total cost to complete
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
A source-linked budget for a single Skilled Migrant Category principal applicant after invitation: zero-fee EOI, INZ resident-visa application fee, skilled-job pay evidence, medical and chest X-ray, police certificates, English evidence, IQA, photos and translations.
What does the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa actually cost?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are NZ$6,810-NZ$8,925. Refundable proof-of-funds requirements are tracked separately at NZ$72,800-NZ$109,200, because that money is shown or blocked rather than normally lost.
Source checked against Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category family English on 1 July 2026.
Australia skilled-route cost and points layer
Australia skilled points, nomination and Skills in Demand cost answer
Use this answer stack to compare Australia points routes with the sponsor-led Skills in Demand route without merging applicant costs, employer costs and salary evidence.
Calculator context
A points result does not guarantee an invitation, nomination or visa grant. It only says whether the profile clears the 65-point SkillSelect EOI floor. Skills assessment, occupation demand, state nomination, sponsorship, salary thresholds and post-invitation fees still need separate evidence.
| Australia route | Points or sponsor trigger | Mandatory paid-away baseline | Skills, nomination or salary dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 189 Skilled Independent | Points-tested SkillSelect route. The EOI floor is 65 points; there is no sponsor or state nomination bonus. | A$7,501-A$8,705 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment before the EOI can become usable. No fixed salary floor in the route model; invitation depends on occupation demand and invitation rounds. |
| Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated | Points-tested SkillSelect route plus state or territory nomination. Nomination can add 5 points after the state gate is met. | A$7,506-A$9,010 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment plus A$0-A$300 state or territory fee exposure. No employer sponsor or national salary floor; state criteria can add occupation, residence and funds declarations. |
| Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional | Points-tested regional route. State/territory nomination or eligible-relative sponsorship can add 15 points. | A$7,506-A$9,010 | A$550-A$1,200 skills assessment plus A$0-A$300 nomination or eligible-relative gate exposure. No upfront national salary floor; later subclass 191 context is income-evidence timing, not an upfront 491 fee. |
| Subclass 482 Skills in Demand | Sponsor-led route. It is not a points-tested SkillSelect invitation route. | A$10,381-A$13,335 | A$0-A$1,200 skills-assessment exposure where required by occupation, nationality or stream. A$420 sponsor fee, A$330 nomination fee and A$4,800-A$7,200 SAF levy are employer-side; A$79,423/yr CSIT or A$146,576/yr SSIT, plus AMSR where the stream requires it. |
| Comparator route | Route type | Paid-away baseline | Do not collapse these lines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore S Pass | Employer-sponsored pass with quota, levy and insurance duties. | SGD 16,405-SGD 18,205 | SGD 15,600 levy and SGD 600-SGD 2,400 insurance stay employer-side; SGD 39,600-SGD 45,600 salary evidence is not a visa fee. |
| New Zealand AEWV | Employer-accredited work route with job-check approval before the worker applies. | NZ$3,060-NZ$4,325 | NZ$775 accreditation and NZ$735 job check are employer-side; variable market-rate job evidence is not paid away. |
| New Zealand SMC | Residence route with points, skilled-employment evidence and post-invitation filing. | NZ$6,810-NZ$8,925 | NZ$0 EOI and NZ$6,450 resident-stage application; NZ$72,800-NZ$109,200 skilled-job pay evidence is not a fee. |
| Austria Red-White-Red Card | Points and employer-declaration route with AMS assessment. | €228-€363 | €218 application fee; €0 points and labour-market gate; €41,580 salary evidence remains a category condition. |
- Australia points calculator
- Subclass 189 guide
- Subclass 190 guide
- Subclass 491 guide
- Skills in Demand guide
- 189 cost-to-complete
- 190 cost-to-complete
- 491 cost-to-complete
- Skills in Demand cost
- Skills in Demand fees
- Australia salary thresholds
- Singapore S Pass cost
- New Zealand AEWV cost
- Austria RWR cost
- Austria RWR calculator
- Cost-to-complete JSON feed
Source dates: Australia cost and salary data checked 1 July 2026; comparator cost rows checked 1 July 2026. Latest source record in this cluster: 1 July 2026. Compare the local-currency costs with the linked route requirements before deciding which option fits your circumstances.
What it actually costs
A source-linked budget for a single Skilled Migrant Category principal applicant after invitation: zero-fee EOI, INZ resident-visa application fee, skilled-job pay evidence, medical and chest X-ray, police certificates, English evidence, IQA, photos and translations.
Money you don't get back
NZ$6,810-NZ$8,925
Mandatory fees, services and one month of insurance.
Proof of funds (returned to you)
NZ$72,800-NZ$109,200
Not a fee. Range annualises the current SMC skilled-employment pay references: NZD 35/hour for ANZSCO skill levels 1 to 3 and NZD 52.50/hour for skill levels 4 to 5. Income-point claims can require higher bands.
| Cost line | Amount | Type | When / who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Migrant Category Expression of Interest | NZ$0 | Gov fee | INZ states there is no fee to submit the SMC expression of interest. You still need enough points and details to submit it. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa |
| Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa application | NZ$6,450 | Gov fee | Headline INZ application cost for the resident-visa stage after invitation. Submit and pay within 4 months of receiving the invitation to apply. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa |
| Skilled job pay evidence | NZ$72,800-NZ$109,200annual salary at 40h/week | Proof of funds | Not a fee. Range annualises the current SMC skilled-employment pay references: NZD 35/hour for ANZSCO skill levels 1 to 3 and NZD 52.50/hour for skill levels 4 to 5. Income-point claims can require higher bands. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa |
| Medical examination and chest X-ray· indicative | NZ$350-NZ$700 | Service | Residence applicants generally need current health evidence unless recent acceptable certificates are already on file. Panel-physician and radiology prices vary by country and clinic. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category documents |
| Police certificates· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$150 | Service | Character evidence is required where INZ rules require police certificates. Costs vary by country; some certificates are free while others charge issue, fingerprint, translation or courier fees. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category documents |
| English-language evidence· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$450 | Service | All principal applicants need evidence they can speak and understand English; the cost is zero if citizenship, study or qualifications satisfy INZ, or a test fee if they do not. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category documents |
| International Qualification Assessment· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$750 | Service | Conditional. Most overseas qualifications need a NZQA IQA when used for qualification points, but New Zealand qualifications, some engineering degrees and qualifications on the exemption list may not. Immigration New Zealand - International Qualification Assessment guidance |
| Acceptable visa photo· indicative | NZ$10-NZ$25 | Service | INZ requires one acceptable photo at residence-application stage. Local photo prices vary. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category documents |
| Certified translations· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$400 | Service | Required only for documents not in English. INZ requires certified English translations plus copies of the original documents. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category documents |
| Occupational registration or practising certificate(optional)· indicative | NZ$0-NZ$2,000 | Service | Conditional on profession and points strategy. Healthcare, teaching, engineering and other regulated roles can require registration before the SMC claim is usable. Profession-specific New Zealand regulator - verify before filing |
| Family-member English lessons or evidence(optional)· indicative | Variableper adult family member if required | Service | Optional family-scaling line. INZ says partners and dependent children aged 16 or older must show English or pay for English classes in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category family English |
Baseline sunk cost is the zero-fee EOI, INZ resident-visa application fee, medical/X-ray range, police-certificate range, English-evidence range, IQA range, acceptable-photo range and certified-translation range for a single principal applicant. The skilled-job pay line is shown separately because it is salary evidence, not money paid away. Occupational registration and family English/class lines are excluded unless the applicant needs them. Last checked 1 July 2026.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This cost model is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite Visa Atlas for the compiled sunk/refundable split and cite each linked authority or provider source for the underlying line item.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa cost-to-complete model", https://visaatlas.org/cost-to-complete/new-zealand-skilled-migrant-category. Last checked 1 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/cost-to-complete
FAQs
What does the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa actually cost to complete?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are NZ$6,810-NZ$8,925 in the current model. Separately, refundable proof-of-funds requirements are NZ$72,800-NZ$109,200. The line table explains each item and source.
Is proof of funds a sunk cost?
No. Proof of funds is money you must show, hold or block. It can still be a cash-flow barrier, but it is different from application fees, document costs and insurance payments that you do not normally get back.
Why are some lines marked indicative?
Some third-party costs vary by country, provider and document count. Those lines use a range and are marked indicative so they are not confused with a single government tariff.