SMC Red List Occupations NZ (2026): The 6 Roles and Your Residence Options

Six occupations sit on the Skilled Migrant Category red list from 24 August 2026: Beauty Therapist, Hair or Beauty Salon Manager, Hairdresser, Hospitality Retail and Service Manager nec, Massage Therapist, and Retail Manager (General). Red list roles are excluded from the new Skilled Work Experience pathway and the Trades and Technician pathway. Residence is still possible, but only through the Points-based pathway, and that changes what you should be working towards.

What is the SMC red list?

The red list is one of two occupation lists Immigration New Zealand introduced with the 2026 Skilled Migrant Category reform (immigration.govt.nz). INZ placed occupations on it based on evidence of historic immigration risk, including indicators of role inflation and immigration fraud. If your current job or job offer is a red list occupation, you are not eligible for the Skilled Work Experience pathway. Red list roles are also excluded from the Trades and Technician pathway (immigration.govt.nz).

The companion amber list works differently: those 14 roles keep access to the Skilled Work Experience pathway on stricter terms. For both lists side by side with the full Trades and Technician table, see our red list, amber list and trades list overview.

Which occupations are on the red list?

The list is checked against your job or job offer’s ANZSCO classification, which depends on your actual duties, not just the title on your contract. Getting the classification right matters: ANZSCO 149999 and 142111 in particular are broad codes that some genuinely different management roles get lumped into by default.

What the red list means in practice

Being on the red list does not affect your current work visa. The Accredited Employer Work Visa and other temporary visas are untouched; the red list only controls which SMC residence pathways you can use. What it does mean:

• No Skilled Work Experience pathway. You cannot qualify for residence on NZ work experience alone.
• No Trades and Technician pathway. The qualification-plus-experience route is closed to red list roles.
• The Points-based pathway remains open. You need 6 skilled resident points plus a skilled job or job offer with an accredited employer.

Your residence options if your job is on the red list

Under the Points-based pathway, you claim 3 to 6 points from one of income, qualification or occupational registration, and up to 3 more points from skilled work experience in New Zealand. For red list applicants the realistic anchors are:

• Income: earn at least 1.5 times the SMC wage threshold. That is NZD $52.50 per hour from 9 March 2026 (immigration.govt.nz). This is the common route for senior managers.
• Qualification: hold a bachelor’s degree (NZQCF Level 7) or higher. Overseas degrees need an International Qualification Assessment unless exempt; see our IQA guide. New Zealand qualifications now earn 1 more point than the overseas equivalent at most levels.
• Registration: hold a recognised occupational registration that required at least 2 years of training. This rarely applies to the six red list roles, but matters if your background spans another registered occupation.

Each anchor still needs to be combined with enough skilled work experience in New Zealand to reach 6 points, unless you land on 6 points outright (a doctorate, a registration requiring 6 or more years of training, or pay of at least 3 times the wage threshold).

Hairdressers, beauty therapists and massage therapists

For most people in these roles the honest answer is that the Points-based pathway is hard to reach on wages alone, and a Level 7 qualification (in any discipline, with an IQA if gained overseas) is usually the strongest anchor to check first. If you hold a degree you have never used for immigration purposes, have it assessed before assuming you have no route. We cover these four roles in depth in the hair and beauty residence options guide.

Retail, salon and hospitality managers

Manager salaries sit closer to the 1.5x threshold, so the income anchor is worth modelling properly: guaranteed hourly rates count, and how your package is structured can decide the outcome. It is also worth confirming your true ANZSCO classification, because duties that genuinely match a different, non-red code change your position entirely. That is an evidence question, not a labelling trick, and it is exactly what a licensed adviser should test before you lodge anything.

Other routes worth checking

• The Green List is a separate system. If your background fits a Green List occupation (in health, engineering, trades and more), Straight to Residence or Work to Residence may be open regardless of the SMC red list.
• Work to Residence suits Green List Tier 2 roles after 24 months of qualifying work.
• Partner pathways. If your partner qualifies under the SMC or holds residence, a partnership-based route may be faster than forcing your own SMC case.

Will the red list change?

Yes, possibly. INZ has said the red and amber lists will be reviewed regularly, with occupations added and removed as immigration risk changes (immigration.govt.nz). If your occupation is on the list today, that is not necessarily permanent, but building your plan around a hoped-for removal is not a strategy. Anchor your case on points you can actually evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Is hairdresser on the SMC red list?

Yes. Hairdresser (ANZSCO 391111) is one of the six red list occupations, alongside Beauty Therapist, Hair or Beauty Salon Manager, Hospitality Retail and Service Manager nec, Massage Therapist, and Retail Manager (General).

Can red list occupations still get New Zealand residence?

Yes. Red list roles are excluded from the two new SMC pathways but keep access to the Points-based pathway: 6 skilled resident points from income (1.5x the SMC wage threshold), a bachelor’s degree or higher, or a recognised occupational registration, combined with skilled work experience in New Zealand.

Does the red list affect my AEWV or other work visa?

No. The red list controls eligibility for Skilled Migrant Category residence pathways only. Your Accredited Employer Work Visa and other temporary visas are unaffected.

Is the SMC red list permanent?

No. INZ reviews the red and amber lists regularly and can add or remove occupations as evidence of immigration risk changes. Always confirm your occupation’s current status on immigration.govt.nz before lodging.

What is the difference between the red list and the amber list?

Red list occupations (6 roles) are excluded from both new SMC pathways and can use only the Points-based pathway. Amber list occupations (14 roles) can still use the Skilled Work Experience pathway, but with stricter requirements, including pay of at least 1.2 times the SMC wage threshold.

What is the difference between the red list and the Green List?

They are separate systems. The Green List names in-demand occupations with fast-track residence routes (Straight to Residence and Work to Residence). The red list names occupations excluded from the new SMC pathways. An occupation cannot benefit from both; check each list against your actual ANZSCO code.

Current as at 24 August 2026, based on Immigration New Zealand policy. For advice on your own situation, talk to a ProVisas Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 201301110).