Points and thresholds explained

Last reviewed 2026-06-24

Some New Zealand immigration categories are described by Immigration New Zealand using points or thresholds. This lesson explains, in general terms, how that kind of published criterion works. It is educational background only. It does not calculate anyone’s eligibility, and the published numbers change over time, so the official pages are the authoritative source.

What a points-based criterion is

A points-based criterion awards a number of points for published attributes (for example a recognised qualification, skilled employment, or income relative to a published benchmark) and compares the total against a published threshold. The published threshold is a number set and changed by Immigration New Zealand.

The important idea is that the points are a published, mechanical tally of attributes. A total at or above the published threshold is one published factor; it is not, by itself, a decision. Applications are assessed against the full published criteria, which include matters beyond the points total.

How the self-check tool uses this

The self-check tool mirrors a published points or gates structure. You enter your own attributes and the tool totals them against the published threshold. The result is a self-calculated tally that reflects what you entered. It is not a determination of eligibility, it does not account for the full published requirements, and it is not a prediction of an outcome.

That distinction is the whole point of the tool. It hands you the published arithmetic so you can do the sum for yourself, the same way you could on the official website. It never does the sum and then tells you what it means for your case.

Reading thresholds carefully

Two cautions when reading any published threshold:

• Thresholds change. A number that is current today may be different next month. Always confirm the current figure on the official page.
• A threshold is a gate, not the whole gate. Meeting a published points threshold is one published requirement among several. The published criteria for the category set out the rest.

For an interpretation of how the published criteria apply to your own circumstances, a Licensed Immigration Adviser is the right person to help.