Posted 27/08/2026
Median Wage NZ: What $35 an Hour Means for Your Visa
New Zealand’s immigration median wage is $35.00 an hour. Immigration New Zealand set this rate on 9 March 2026, replacing the previous figure of $33.56 an hour, and it remains the current, settled rate as at the date of this page. It is not a single visa rule. It is a reference figure that Immigration New Zealand threads through several different thresholds across the visa system, each recalculated whenever the median wage moves.
Which parts of the $35.00 rate apply to you depends entirely on which pathway you are on.
A partner visa sponsor, a Skilled Migrant Category applicant, a Green List occupation holder, an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holder chasing the five-year maximum stay, and an employer running a Job Check all meet the median wage at a different point and a different multiple. This guide sets out, pathway by pathway, exactly what $35.00 an hour changes for you. New Zealand Shores prepares applications against these thresholds every week and can confirm where you sit before you apply.
If You’re a Partner Visa Applicant or Sponsor
Partner support income requirements are set as a multiple of the median wage, and the multiple that applies to you depends on the skill level of the sponsoring partner’s occupation. From 9 March 2026, the figures are:
- Sponsor working in a skill level 1 to 3 occupation: the sponsor must earn at least $28.00 an hour, up from $26.85.
- Sponsor working in a skill level 4 or 5 occupation: the sponsor must earn at least $52.50 an hour, up from $50.34.
- Sponsor working in a Green List occupation: the sponsor must earn at least $35.00 an hour, matching the median wage in full, up from $33.56.
These figures set the minimum income the sponsoring partner needs to support a partner visa application. If your combined circumstances sit close to one of these lines, the skill level classification of the sponsor’s occupation, not just the hourly rate, can decide whether the application meets the requirement. Partner support assessments lodged on or before 8 March 2026 are assessed against the previous figures; anything lodged from 9 March 2026 onward is assessed against the $28.00, $52.50 and $35.00 figures above.
New Zealand Shores checks the sponsor’s occupation skill level and income against the correct threshold before a partner visa application is lodged, so the supporting evidence is built around the right figure from the outset. Some exemptions may apply if you supported your partner in a previous application on a lower rate, and are applying for a further visa.
If You Are Applying Under the Skilled Migrant Category
The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) was restructured on 24 August 2026 under Amendment Circular 2026-16 into three residence pathways: the Points-based pathway, the Skilled Work Experience pathway, and the Trades and Technician pathway. The $35.00 median wage remains the base wage threshold that all three pathways are built from; the 24 August 2026 changes altered how and when that threshold is locked in, not the rate itself.
Wage thresholds by SMC pathway, from 9 March 2026
- Points-based pathway, skill level 1 to 3 occupation, qualification, or occupational registration claim: $35.00 an hour.
- Points-based pathway, skill level 4 or 5 occupation, or an occupation with no listed skill level: $52.50 an hour (1.5 times the median wage).
- Points-based pathway, claiming points for income at the 2-times rate: $70.00 an hour.
- Points-based pathway, claiming points for income at the 3-times rate: $105.00 an hour.
- Trades and Technician pathway: $35.00 an hour.
- Skilled Work Experience pathway: $38.50 an hour (1.1 times the median wage).
- Skilled Work Experience pathway, Amber List occupations: $42.00 an hour (1.2 times the median wage).
The rule that matters most since 24 August 2026
Before 24 August 2026, most SMC applicants had to clear one wage threshold while gaining their skilled work experience and a second, often higher, threshold at the point they applied for residence. From 24 August 2026, most applicants only need to meet one threshold: generally the rate that was in force when they started accruing their skilled work experience in New Zealand, not the rate in force when they submit their residence application. Once that threshold is locked in, it does not rise again for that applicant, provided their pay stays at or above it.
A grace period also applies. If an applicant starts their skilled work experience within five months of their work visa being granted, and the median wage increased between the visa grant date and the start date, they can still use the lower rate that applied when the visa was granted.
Skilled Migrant Category and Green List Straight to Residence income thresholds have both moved in line with the $35.00 rate. From 9 March 2026, 47 further occupations at skill levels 1 to 3 were added to the National Occupation List (NOL), which now replaces ANZSCO as the occupation reference list for skill level and eligibility checks.
New Zealand Shores runs a full Skilled Migrant Category eligibility check against the pathway that fits your work history, confirms which wage threshold locks in and when, and maps out the points and evidence you need before you submit an expression of interest.
If You Are Applying Under the Green List
Green List Straight to Residence income thresholds have been updated in line with the $35.00 median wage. For Green List occupations that do not carry their own specific wage threshold in the Green List instructions, the minimum pay requirement is now $35.00 an hour, up from $33.56.
Where a partner is supporting a partner visa application on the strength of a Green List occupation, the same $35.00 an hour figure applies to that sponsor, as set out in the partner visa section above.
Occupations on the Green List that carry their own fixed remuneration threshold in the immigration instructions are not affected by the median wage movement; those figures are set independently and reviewed separately by Immigration New Zealand.
New Zealand Shores confirms which category of Green List threshold applies to your occupation, the fixed remuneration figure or the $35.00 median wage floor, before you gather supporting payslips or an employment agreement.
If You Hold an AEWV and Want the Five-Year Maximum Stay
The median wage stopped being a blanket AEWV pay floor in March 2025. Since then, AEWV pay has been set by the market rate for the specific occupation, with pay never allowed to fall below minimum wage. Most AEWV holders no longer check their pay against the median wage at all.
The median wage still decides one important thing for some AEWV holders. If you are in a skill level 4 or 5 role, then to be granted an AEWV for the full five years rather than a shorter term tied to the role’s skill level, your pay must reach 1.5 times the median wage. From 9 March 2026, that figure is $52.50 an hour, up from $50.34.
If your pay sits below $52.50 an hour, you can still hold a valid AEWV under the market rate rules, but your visa term will be set by the standard skill-level rules rather than the five-year maximum. New Zealand Shores reviews an AEWV holder’s current pay against the $52.50 five-year threshold ahead of a Job Check renewal, so employers and migrants both know in advance whether the application can be built around the maximum term.
If You Are an Employer Checking Job Check or Advertising Exemption Thresholds
Employers hiring under the AEWV must generally advertise a role in New Zealand before a Job Check application is approved, unless an exemption applies. One of the standard exemptions is available where the role is paid at or above twice the median wage. From 9 March 2026, that advertising exemption threshold is $70.00 an hour, up from $67.12.
An employer offering $70.00 an hour or more for a role can rely on this exemption and is not required to run a standard labour market test before lodging the Job Check. Below that rate, the usual advertising and recruitment requirements continue to apply, alongside the market rate pay requirement that governs AEWV pay more broadly.
New Zealand Shores works directly with employers on accreditation, Job Check applications, and advertising exemption assessments.
Full Summary: NZ Median Wage Thresholds From 9 March 2026
Every threshold below is expressed as a multiple of the $35.00 median wage. Source: Immigration New Zealand, effective 9 March 2026.
| Setting | Before 9 March 2026 | From 9 March 2026 |
| Immigration median wage | $33.56/hr | $35.00/hr |
| Partner support, skill level 1 to 3 | $26.85/hr | $28.00/hr |
| Partner support, skill level 4 to 5 | $50.34/hr | $52.50/hr |
| Partner support, Green List occupation | $33.56/hr | $35.00/hr |
| Green List roles with no specific threshold: minimum pay | $33.56/hr | $35.00/hr |
| AEWV 5-year maximum stay eligibility (1.5x median) | $50.34/hr | $52.50/hr |
| Employer advertising exemption (2x median) | $67.12/hr | $70.00/hr |
How New Zealand Shores Helps
Median wage thresholds sit inside dozens of different visa instructions, and the multiple that applies to you changes by pathway, skill level, and lodgement date. New Zealand Shores checks these details as a matter of course on every application we prepare.
- We confirm which median wage threshold applies to your specific pathway before you gather evidence, so payslips and employment agreements are checked against the right figure from the start.
- Our licensed immigration advisers run a full Skilled Migrant Category eligibility check, mapping your work history against the Points-based, Skilled Work Experience, or Trades and Technician pathway and confirming which wage threshold locks in for you.
- We assess partner support income against the sponsor’s correct occupation skill level, avoiding the common error of applying the wrong multiple of the median wage.
- We work with employers on accreditation and Job Check applications, including confirming eligibility for the advertising exemption at $70.00 an hour.
- We track occupation classification changes on the National Occupation List (NOL) so skill level assessments used for wage thresholds stay current.
New Zealand Shores has helped hundreds of applicants and employers work through Immigration New Zealand’s wage settings correctly the first time. Working with a licensed immigration adviser reduces the risk of an application being queried or declined over a wage threshold that was checked against the wrong figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median wage in New Zealand for immigration purposes in 2026?
New Zealand’s immigration median wage is $35.00 an hour, effective from 9 March 2026. It replaced the previous rate of $33.56 an hour and remains the current rate. It is not itself a visa requirement; it is the base figure that several other thresholds are calculated from.
Does the Accredited Employer Work Visa still require paying the median wage?
No. The median wage stopped being a blanket AEWV pay floor in March 2025. AEWV pay is now set by the market rate for the specific occupation, and must never fall below minimum wage. The median wage still matters for one AEWV setting: an applicant in a low-skilled role needs to earn 1.5 times the median wage, $52.50 an hour from 9 March 2026, to be eligible for the five-year maximum visa term.
How much does a sponsor need to earn to support a partner visa application in New Zealand?
It depends on the sponsor’s occupation skill level. From 9 March 2026, the figures are $28.00 an hour for a skill level 1 to 3 occupation, $52.50 an hour for a skill level 4 or 5 occupation, and $35.00 an hour where the sponsor works in a Green List occupation.
What income do I need for the Skilled Migrant Category residence visa?
It depends on which of the three SMC pathways you apply under. The Points-based and Trades and Technician pathways generally require $35.00 an hour for skill level 1 to 3 occupations and $52.50 an hour for skill level 4, 5, or unlisted occupations. The Skilled Work Experience pathway requires $38.50 an hour, or $42.00 an hour for Amber List occupations. Since 24 August 2026, most applicants lock this threshold in at the rate current when they started their skilled work experience, rather than the rate current when they apply for residence. This means you may be eligible for residency on less than the rates discussed here.
What is the advertising exemption threshold for employers hiring under the AEWV?
An employer offering a role at or above $70.00 an hour, twice the median wage from 9 March 2026, can generally rely on the advertising exemption and is not required to run a standard labour market test before lodging a Job Check. The previous threshold was $67.12 an hour.
Will the median wage increase again after 2026?
Immigration New Zealand reviews the median wage periodically, typically drawing on Stats NZ earnings data. As at the date of this page, $35.00 an hour remains the current rate with no further increase confirmed. Always check for the current figure before relying on it in an application, or contact New Zealand Shores to confirm.
What changed in the Skilled Migrant Category on 24 August 2026?
Amendment Circular 2026-16 restructured the Skilled Migrant Category into three pathways: Points-based, Skilled Work Experience, and Trades and Technician. The $35.00 median wage rate itself did not change. What changed is how the wage threshold is locked in: most applicants now meet one threshold, generally set when they started their skilled work experience, rather than a lower threshold during their work experience and a higher one at the point of applying for residence. A five-month grace period also applies if the threshold rises between visa grant and the start of work.