Good morning,

 

Thank you for contacting us. 

 

As per the Immigration New Zealand policy SR3.35.1b & c and the note
section beneath this policy, skilled work experience will start to be
counted when you earn at least the median wage required at the time.

The skilled work experience will then stop being counted if you change
employment or your income decreases, and your new income is below the wage
required at that time.

 

The notes section in the following policy link has an example you may find
helpful to explain this matter further.

[1]Operational Manual - Immigration New Zealand. Issue Date: 23 March
2026Operational Manual - Immigration New Zealand. Issue Date: 22 August
2016

Kind regards,

 

Shaquille

CLIENT SERVICES ADVISOR

 

MBIE Customer Service Centre, Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki

 

+64 (9) 914 4100
PO Box 1473, Wellington, New Zealand

 

NZBN 9429000106078

 

 

If you wish to provide service feedback, here is the link:
[2]https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/

Make sure you check out our [3]Immigration ONLINE system when applying for
your next visa.

 

 

------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: [FOI #34213 email]; 
Received: Mon Mar 23 2026 19:55:47 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: OIA <[MBIE request email]>; 
Subject: Official Information request - Inquiry regarding Skilled Work
Experience for SMC – Median Wage Threshold Transition

[Some people who received this message don't often get email from
[FOI #34213 email]. Learn why this is
important at [4]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,

Yours faithfully,
I am writing to seek clarification regarding the assessment of "skilled
work experience" for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) in relation to the
median wage threshold changes in 2023.

My situation is as follows:

Visa Approval: My Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) was granted on 02
February 2023.

Median Wage at Grant: At the time of my visa approval, the applicable
median wage threshold was $27.76 per hour.

Employment Start Date: I commenced my employment under this visa in April
2023.

Policy Change: On 27 February 2023, the median wage threshold was
increased to $29.66 per hour.

Could you please clarify whether the work experience I have gained since
April 2023 will be recognized as "skilled work experience" for the
purposes of an SMC application, given that my visa was granted and my
employment terms were settled based on the threshold in effect prior to
the February 27 update?

I would appreciate guidance on whether I am required to meet the new
median wage threshold ($29.66) for this experience to be counted, or if
the threshold from the date of my visa grant ($27.76) remains the
benchmark for my current period of employment.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your response.

Kind regards, Jon

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References

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1. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanua...
2. https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/
https://feedback.immigration.govt.nz/
3. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-...
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5. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
6. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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