Is your job on New Zealand’s red or amber list? What Kenyan applicants should check first

Visa guide · 2026-08-26 · 4 min read

Two Kenyan colleagues discuss a metal assembly at a workbench in a sunlit New Zealand engineering workshop.

Short answer: from 24 August 2026 New Zealand offers two extra routes to residence beside the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), but your occupation decides which are open to you. Some roles are red-listed and shut out of both new routes, others are amber-listed and face a higher bar. If you are a Kenyan technician, tradesperson or experienced professional, the first job is to find out where your role sits.

The reasoning behind the reform

The old SMC rewarded qualifications and points, but it did not always recognise people who had simply proven themselves at work over many years. At the same time, Immigration New Zealand had data suggesting certain occupations were being used to game the system, with inflated job titles and roles dressed up as skilled. So the response has two parts: new pathways based on real work history, and tighter scrutiny of the roles linked to past abuse. These changes were flagged in September 2025 and detailed further in March 2026.

Comparing the routes

Route	Who it suits	Experience	Wage condition
Skilled Work Experience	People doing skilled work at ANZSCO levels 1–3	Five years overall	At least two years in New Zealand at 1.1 times the SMC median wage
Trades and Technician	Tradespeople and technicians with a Level 4+ qualification	Four years since qualifying	1.5 years of it in New Zealand at the median wage
Amber-listed roles (Skilled Work Experience)	Some ICT support and food service roles	Five years	Two of them in New Zealand at 1.2 times the median wage

Where red-listed roles end up

Red-listed occupations, which include some accommodation management, generic management and health-and-beauty roles, are locked out of both new pathways entirely. Workers in them go back to the traditional SMC route and must clear a higher bar: 1.5 times the median wage, or a bachelor’s degree at Level 7+. The lists will be revisited regularly, so a borderline role today could change category. Employers in flagged sectors should sort out contracts and pay well ahead of any residence application.

Smaller changes with real impact

Migrants now need only meet the SMC median wage current when they started accruing skilled experience, with a five-month grace period for people who take a little time to move into skilled work after the visa is granted.
Claiming points for a Level 8 or 9 qualification generally needs a bachelor’s degree as well. A New Zealand master’s claimed for 5 points is the main exception; claiming 6 points needs 30+ weeks of full-time New Zealand study and a bachelor’s.
For applicants with recognised New Zealand occupational registration, English test results stay valid for five years. You can practise for an English test with PractiseNow while you plan.
CPA Australia members able to perform Qualified Statutory Accountant work in New Zealand gain SMC eligibility outright.
In 2027, migrants needing up to 12 more months of skilled experience will be able to extend their Accredited Employer Work Visa instead of restarting the residence clock.

Common mistakes Kenyan applicants make

Using an inflated job title. Titles are exactly what is being watched.
Assuming a KNEC certificate or a NITA trade test certificate automatically meets the Level 4+ trades requirement or a New Zealand licence. Check what applies to your trade.
Measuring pay against today’s median wage instead of the one in force when skilled work began.
Gathering payslips and role descriptions at the last minute.

Use a licensed immigration adviser, or someone lawfully exempt, for New Zealand, and a migration agent on the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) register for Australia. See also our guide to the trades pathway and what the first fortnight of numbers showed, and browse the jobs page.

Frequently asked questions

When do the new pathways start?

From 24 August 2026.

Can I use them if my role is red-listed?

No. Red-listed roles are locked out of both and return to the traditional SMC route.

What changes for amber-listed roles?

They can use the Skilled Work Experience route, but need five years with two in New Zealand at 1.2 times the median wage.

Which wage figure applies?

The SMC median wage current when you began accruing skilled experience.

Do the lists stay the same?

They will be revisited regularly, so a role can move category.

Key takeaways

Two new pathways start on 24 August 2026 beside the SMC.
Skilled Work Experience needs five years, two of them in New Zealand at 1.1 times the median wage.
Trades and Technician needs Level 4+, four years since qualifying and 1.5 years in New Zealand at the median wage.
Red-listed roles are locked out; amber-listed roles face a higher bar.
Check your occupation’s list and keep strong records.

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