New Zealand · NZ-SMC · Live there permanently

Skilled Migrant Category

4 official facts · checked 4 Nov 2026

Cost
NZ$6,450
Time
10 weeks
Stay
to confirm
New Zealand NZ-SMC

Skilled Migrant Category

4 verified facts

Cost
From NZD 6,450.
Time
Average wait (50% processed) for applications decided in the last 4 weeks: 10 weeks (working days).
Stay
To be confirmed with Immigration New Zealand before applying.
Leads to
To be confirmed with Immigration New Zealand before applying.
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The details

What the official rules say

Each line links to its official source and the date we checked it. Anything we could not check is marked.

Cost

NZ$6,450

From NZD 6,450.

≈ USD 3,628 — indicative only, at the ECB reference rate of 3 Nov 2026. Not an official fee.

immigration.govt.nz ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

How long it takes

Average wait (50% processed) for applications decided in the last 4 weeks: 10 weeks (working days).

Half of people waited longer than this

immigration.govt.nz ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

Most completed within (80% processed): 4 months, for applications decided in the last 4 weeks.

1 in 5 people waited longer than this

immigration.govt.nz ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

How long you can stay

To be confirmed with Immigration New Zealand before applying.

Can it lead to living there permanently?

To be confirmed with Immigration New Zealand before applying.

Rules

To be confirmed with Immigration New Zealand before applying.

These are the official rules we have so far. There may be more. Read the official page before you apply.

Official page

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa — Immigration New Zealand

immigration.govt.nz ↗ · checked 4 Nov 2026

What can come next
  1. This visa Skilled Migrant Category
  2. Next step New Zealand Citizenship Time needed: to be confirmed with the Department of Internal Affairs

A possible next step. Times come from each visa's official rules. See what long-term visas need.

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