Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa

New Zealand · for applicants from Nigeria

Verified · 20 August 2026

New Zealand's main points-based skilled residence visa. Under the current 6-point system you must reach 6 points, claiming from ONLY ONE skill category (NZ occupational registration, a recognised qualification, OR income at 1.5x median wage), plus points for skilled work in NZ. A simplified pathway model (Skilled Work Experience, Trades & Technician) takes effect 24 Aug 2026.

Rules last verified: 20 August 2026 · by Elizabeth O

At a glance

Embassy processing

Varies; check INZ current times

Our turnaround

5–7 working days

Done-for-you Standard

Government fees

~£2,755

≈ ₦5,019,610

Why applications get refused

Points combined across categories

Applicant tried to combine qualification + income/registration points.

Fix: Pick the single strongest category and top up with NZ skilled-work points only.

Job not ANZSCO skill level 1-3

Role assessed as not skilled.

Fix: Confirm the ANZSCO classification before applying.

Wage below required threshold

Pay under the median-wage-linked threshold for the pathway.

Fix: Ensure pay meets the threshold throughout the work-experience period.

English not evidenced

No acceptable English test/exemption.

Fix: Provide an acceptable English test result or evidence an exemption.

Document checklist

Required

Valid passport

When: "all"

Evidence of skilled employment / job offer in NZ

When: "all"

Qualification certificates + NZQA assessment (if claiming qualification points)

When: "qualification route"

NZ occupational registration (if claiming registration points)

When: "registration route"

Evidence of income (if claiming income points)

When: "income route"

English language evidence (IELTS/equivalent)

When: "unless exempt"

Medical certificate & chest X-ray

When: "all"

Police certificates

When: "all"

Application timeline

1. Prepare your application

Gather documents, draft supporting letters, complete forms

1–3 weeks

2. Rekoja review (if Done-for-you)

Specialist checks your file before you submit

5–7 working days

3. Submit online or at visa centre

Biometrics appointment may be required

1 day

4. Embassy decision

Standard processing. Priority options may be available.

Varies; check INZ current times

All-in government fees

These are the fees you pay to the government, not Rekoja's service fee. Shown at the indicative exchange rate.

Mandatory

Skilled Migrant resident visa

£2,755

5,019,610

Total government fees

2,755

≈ ₦5,019,610

Indicative. 1 GBP = 1,822 NGN · 16 September 2026. Government fees change. Confirm on the official website before paying.

What a free chatbot cannot do

A free AI can tell you the rules. Rekoja does the harder part: we verify them against the official government source, prepare the actual application file, catch what gets people refused, and a specialist checks everything before you submit. We stand behind our work.

  • Rules verified against the official source, with the date
  • Document checklist built for your specific profile
  • The inconsistency check that catches what gets people refused
  • A human reviews your complete file before submission

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Common questions about the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa

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Real outcomes

Real, consented, initials-only outcomes with days-to-decision will appear here as cases close. The embassy decides; past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

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Not a visa decision or legal advice. Rules shown are as of the last verification date above. Immigration rules change. Confirm before filing. The embassy decides, not Rekoja.