Start here
Use these pages when the route family or current rule set still needs orientation.
Skilled migration
Skilled migration pathways with structured clarity
Green List, Skilled Migrant Category, future rules, and document readiness in one hub so occupation evidence and sequencing stay coherent before any filing.
- SMC, Green List, and AEWV context
- Evidence-led occupation framing
- Structured next steps before filing
Skilled Migration is where work, occupation fit, employer evidence, registration, qualifications, English, health, character, and family timing need to be read together. RTNZ helps serious applicants move beyond route headlines and build a disciplined evidence story before they commit money, resign from work, or make household decisions.
Who this hub suits: Professionals, tradespeople, care and transport workers, and employer-backed applicants who need to understand whether SMC, Green List, AEWV, Work to Residence, or a staged plan is the right conversation for their facts.
Instructions and lists change. Use this hub to understand what should happen first, then confirm what this means for your situation before relying on any route.
Planning lens
If you are planning from Pakistan, the UAE, or Saudi Arabia
Skilled routes are sensitive everywhere, but long-distance planning often surfaces the same issues: employment substance, payslip coherence, and household consistency across time zones. This section is guidance only, not a promise about outcomes.
- Treat employer evidence and role narrative as something you can defend under scrutiny, not something you optimise for keyword searches.
- If study or visitor history exists in the household, keep sequencing explicit so short-stay intent does not undermine a longer skilled plan.
- Use tools for orientation, then cross-check against official instructions; policy settings can change without the public site updating instantly.
Next steps: Skilled migration from Pakistan · Evidence checklist · Document readiness · Compliance & trust centre · How RTNZ tools work
Current routes · future rules · readiness
Use SMC and Green List for today’s framing. Future rules and document readiness sit beside them, never blended into current eligibility messaging.
- Skilled Migrant CategoryResidence planning through skilled employment, recognised skill evidence, English, health, character, and family facts. Start here when the wider skilled profile matters more than one occupation list row.Read SMC hub →
- Green ListListed occupation planning for roles that may connect to Straight to Residence or Work to Residence. Exact occupation wording, registration, qualification, pay, and employer context still matter.Read Green List hub →
- AEWV orientationEmployer-backed temporary work planning. Useful when a New Zealand work chapter is real, but not a residence promise and not a substitute for skilled-route review.Read AEWV orientation →
- Work to ResidenceStaged residence planning where New Zealand work history, employer continuity, Green List branch logic, pay, and evidence over time need careful sequencing.Read Work to Residence →
- Document readinessBundle quality for passports, names, employer letters, pay records, qualification evidence, relationship documents, and source-market inconsistencies before filing pressure builds.Check document readiness →
- Cost breakdownCategory-first budgeting for visa charges, assessments, registration, English tests, documents, medicals, police certificates, relocation, and advisory review without a fake universal total.Plan cost categories →
- Skilled Migration FAQRoute-neutral answers for applicants comparing SMC, Green List, AEWV, Work to Residence, tools, document readiness, and when to move into structured review.Read FAQ →
Orientation tools
Use tools alongside these hubs. Outputs are advisory and always link onward so you are not stranded.
- Pathway FinderA first-pass advisory flow when skilled work is only one part of the picture and you need to know which route family to open first.Open Pathway Finder →
- SMC 6-Point orientationA structured way to organise SMC themes before human review. It is orientation only and not official INZ scoring.Open SMC orientation →
- Green List CheckerAn advisory occupation-list check that points users toward the correct branch discussion without confirming eligibility or registration readiness.Open Green List Checker →
- NZ Green List Job IntelligenceEmployer-targeting and role-market context for Green List occupations after occupation/pathway orientation is clearer. Not a visa or job-offer guarantee.Open Job Intelligence →
- Work to Residence TrackerA preparation pass for employer continuity, staged evidence, pay, registration, and the timing pressure that builds across work-led residence planning.Open tracker →
- Care Workforce TrackerA care-sector preparation pass for duties, employer stability, registration awareness, shift-based evidence, and route-specific caution.Open Care tracker →
- Transport TrackerA transport-role preparation pass for licence class, roster evidence, safety context, employer facts, and staged work-route planning.Open Transport tracker →
- Student Journey MapUseful when study, post-study work, or a New Zealand qualification may later feed into skilled-route planning.Open Student Journey Map →
Readiness
- Write the job story first: title, duties, hours, pay, employer, location, and contract terms should all support the same skilled narrative.
- Check registration, qualification recognition, and English early when the pathway depends on them.
- Keep partner, dependent-child, health, character, travel, and refusal history in the same planning brief as the principal route.
- Use tools for orientation, then move to Check Eligibility or a strategy session before relying on a route conclusion.
FAQ
Skilled Migration hub
No. It helps you understand which skilled-route conversation to open first. A real pathway decision depends on current instructions and your full evidence file.
Start with Green List when exact occupation-list fit is central. Start with SMC when the broader skilled profile, employment, qualification, income, registration, or New Zealand work history needs to be tested. Many applicants should read both.
AEWV can be a temporary employer-backed work chapter. It should not be treated as residence. If residence may matter later, the skilled route should be mapped separately before major commitments are made.
Because skilled migration problems often appear when the public route label sounds promising but the documents do not support the same story. Strong planning makes the evidence coherent before the application pressure begins.
Skilled routes need disciplined evidence
Check Eligibility structures your profile for review; Book Strategy Session is for a focused conversation when timing and employer context need a live pass.
Journey map
Choose the next skilled-migration step by journey stage
The full route set remains available, but the next step is grouped by starting point, comparison need, evidence readiness, tool use, and wider guidance.
Compare options
Use these when the question is between routes, rule states, or Green List branches.
Check evidence
Use these when the practical issue is readiness, documents, list fit, or future-rule separation.
Use a tool
Use tools for orientation, then return to route pages before treating results as decisions.
Read source-aware guidance
Use these supporting areas when skilled planning intersects with sector, destination, or household context.
Still deciding where to start?
Pathway Finder is a short advisory pass when skilled work is only part of the picture. Check Eligibility structures your profile for review; Book Strategy Session is for a live pass on timing and employer context.
Open Pathway Finder →Premium brief
The 60/40 gated strategy
How we split your next quarter between role-substance evidence and employer and residence positioning. Available in full after eligibility review.
Members
How we weight occupation alignment against visa sequencing
Skilled pathways turn on technical clarity. The 60/40 framework balances ANZSCO-grade duty capture with accredited-employer and residence timing, so job titles, pay evidence, and registration gates stay coherent under INZ review.
- Green List tier logic vs staged work-to-residence where both appear viable
- Registration and provisional practice relative to lawful work start
- RFI-prone evidence gaps for cross-border careers from Pakistan, UAE, and KSA
Unlock the full 60/40 playbook, mapped to your role and timeline
Start with a structured eligibility view. We only open detailed strategy where there is a realistic path. No generic PDFs.
Check EligibilityPrefer to talk first? Book Strategy Session