You need a job to apply for a visa

Whether you want to apply for a Resident Visa under the Skilled Migrant Category or an Essential Skills Work Visa, a New Zealand job offer will be the crucial requirement for your visa application.

Find out how the Catch 22 Dilemma will affect your Work Visa process as well as your Residence Visa eligibility.

The Essential Skills Work Visa and the Catch 22 Dilemma

In your Essential Skills Work Visa application, you have to prove that:

• you have a full-time job offer,

• you have the necessary skills and experience to work in your occupation,

• you have New Zealand registration if it is required to work in your profession in New Zealand,

• your employer has tried to recruit any suitable New Zealanders who are available to do the work before offering you the job.

You cannot submit a work visa application unless you have a job offer from a New Zealand employer. If you did so, your application would be rejected by Immigration New Zealand.

The Skilled Migrant Category Residence Visa and the Catch 22 Dilemma

In principle, to be eligible for a Skilled Migrant Category Residence Visa

• You must have an acceptable standard of health;

• You must be of good character;

• You must have proven English language capabilities;

• You must be under the age limit of 56 years;

• You need to reach a minimum of 100 points.

However:  Even if you meet the minimum requirements and have a points score of 100, you will currently not be invited to apply for a Residence Visa. You will now need 160 points for your Expression of Interest to be successfully selected!

Feedback from our Licensed Immigration Advisers

"It is highly unlikely that anybody can reach the current minimum score of 160 unless points can be claimed for an offer of skilled employment. As long as you do not have an offer of employment, your Expression of Interested will not be selected from the Pool, and you will not receive an Invitation to Apply for a Residence Visa: You are caught in the Catch 22 Dilemma."

"Many of our clients are overestimating the number of points they can claim in their EOI. To avoid being rejected from the Pool, we advise you to check your points score before submitting your EOI."