Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa for Filipino citizens

Eligibility for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is set by Immigration New Zealand (INZ). Filipino applicants must meet the general route criteria plus any nationality- or location-specific intake requirements described in the current corridor guidance above.

Manila (VFS). Specific intake (online portal, biometrics centre, or in-country lodgement) is determined by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) — confirm the current intake channel on the primary source linked above before filing.

Filipino nationals require a visa for any entry into New Zealand. The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is one of the routes available; tourist entry is a separate application.

The stored worked example (Single principal applicant) totals about NZ$6,450. The SMC resident-visa application can include eligible partner and dependent children; check the current Immigration New Zealand fee schedule for family composition effects. It may combine government charges with other stated route costs. Source: Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, verified 1 July 2026. Treat it as indicative and confirm the current official schedule before budgeting.

The SMC skilled job - ANZSCO levels 1 to 3 floor is NZ$35/hr, effective 9 March 2026 (Immigration New Zealand - Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa). Your occupation's published going rate may bind higher — whichever is greater applies.

SMC resident visa -> Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years -> citizenship after 5 years of qualifying resident presence. The route leads to Permanent Resident Visa, then New Zealand citizenship by grant. See New Zealand Government - Presence in NZ requirements for the qualifying-residence rules.

The Points-based pathway requires 6 points. You can claim points from one skill category — qualification, income, or eligible New Zealand occupational registration — and may add 1 to 3 points from skilled work experience in New Zealand if needed. You cannot combine qualification, income, and registration points with one another.

Examples from the current points table: a recognised doctorate gives 6 points; a New Zealand master's with the required bachelor's evidence and at least 30 weeks of full-time New Zealand study gives 6; a New Zealand bachelor's gives 5; an overseas bachelor's recognised at level 7 gives 4. Other master's and level-8 qualifications have specific conditions. Income gives 3, 4 or 6 points at 1.5, 2 or 3 times the applicable wage threshold. Use only one skill category, then add eligible New Zealand work experience to reach 6 in total.

The Points-based pathway does not use a single general occupation list. The Skilled Work Experience pathway has Amber and Red List rules, and the Trades and Technician pathway requires an occupation on its current eligible list. All SMC applications still require the job to be assessed against the applicable occupation and skill-level rules.

You must qualify for one of the three pathways, have a qualifying skilled job or job offer with an accredited employer, be 55 or younger, and meet the applicable pay, English, health, and character rules. The Points-based pathway requires 6 points; the other pathways have their own work-experience, qualification, occupation, and pay requirements. Residence is granted indefinitely, subject to the visa conditions.

Yes: you need qualifying skilled employment or a job offer from an accredited employer. You do not necessarily need to hold an AEWV first. Whether you must already have New Zealand work experience depends on your pathway, points claim and employment arrangement; income points can be based on an eligible job offer.

The EOI is free to submit. INZ lists the resident visa application from NZD 6,450; use its fee finder for your circumstances. Budget separately for any required English test, medical examinations, police certificates and qualification assessment.

INZ's resident-visa wait-times page, updated weekly, currently reports a 9.5-week average for SMC applications and says 80% are completed within 4 months. This is the processing time after the residence application is submitted; time needed to qualify, submit an EOI, receive an ITA, and gather evidence is separate.

Yes. Your partner and dependent children aged 24 or under can be included in the resident visa application. They must meet the applicable relationship, health, character, and English requirements; check INZ's current family and English guidance for the evidence needed.

The current SMC has three pathways. The Points-based pathway requires 6 points from one skill category, with up to 3 points from New Zealand skilled work experience if needed. The Skilled Work Experience pathway requires an eligible skill-level 1 to 3 role, relevant experience, and additional skilled work experience in New Zealand. The Trades and Technician pathway requires an eligible role, relevant level 4 or higher qualification, and the specified post-qualification work experience. Pay and occupation rules differ by pathway.