The Skilled Migrant Category is the most popular visa pathway to residence in New Zealand for migrants and their families.
A resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category will allow you to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, and it can include your partner and your dependent children aged 24 and under.
This visa policy is based on a points system that factors in multiple elements considered to be employability and settlement indicators.
Applicants submit an online Expression of Interest to start the process of becoming a New Zealand resident.
A job offer is usually required to meet the points threshold and to proceed to the next step of the visa application process, the actual Resident Visa Application.
Our Fusion Service will provide you with the support you will need to successfully complete this process.
The resident visa application process formally consists of two main stages, the Expression of Interest and the actual Residence Visa Application.
In some cases an external assessment of the applicant's qualifications by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority will be necessary as well, and for certain professions registration with the professional body in charge might be required.
However, in practice the process of becoming a permanent resident under the SMC policy is a lot more complicated than that.
"NZIC guided me all the way through getting my first work visa to permanent residency. Their job seeking support was key when I first arrived in NZ, communication was always easy and clear. I'm very thankful for their help and definitely recommend their services."
Find out how NZIC can help you navigate the pathway to becoming a skilled migrant under the SMC policy.
Unless you can claim at least 160 points in your EOI, you will not be able to move to the next stage of your residence process, your Resident Visa Application.
Most migrants will depend on finding a job in New Zealand to reach the 160 points threshold.
A job offer will entitle you to 50-110 points for your Expression on Interest, and probably lift you over the minimum points mark.
Again you are facing the Catch 22 dilemma: you need a job to apply for a visa - a job offer is a vital component of your immigration process.
Once you have found a job, your New Zealand employer will expect you to be available to start working as soon as possible.
Your actual resident visa process will probably be in its very early stages at this point and you will therefore need to apply for a work visa to bridge the time until you will have obtained your resident visa.
A work visa will give you the legal right to start working in your new job while you are waiting for your residence process to be completed.
Becoming a permanent resident in New Zealand as skilled migrant requires a well developed strategy and a multi-layered approach.
NZIC's carefully developed Fusion Service is the result of many years of experience with working with skilled migrants, knowing their needs and finding solutions that really work for migrants.
Our team of Licensed Immigration Advisers and Job Search Professionals has helped many skilled migrants from all over the world with their migration process.
We know exactly what it takes to successfully migrate to New Zealand.
As migrant under the Skilled Migrant Category you will not only need a visa and a job, but you will also face the Catch 22 dilemma.
To empower you to reach your goal, a comprehensive job search strategy will become an integral part of your overall immigration strategy.
Our team of Licensed Immigration Advisers and Job Search Professionals will work hand in hand to align your visa process with your job hunt, based on your professional
background.
Our Fusion Service strategy will include your job search, your resident visa and a work visa application.
Your immigration strategy will be your guideline for the coming months, and it will be important to follow each step in the prescribed manner.
We will refer back to it throughout the process to ensure that you will stay on track with making the desired progress towards your goal of becoming a New Zealand resident.
Meticulous preparation will ensure that all necessary paperwork is complete and all documents are available in the required format.
In order to optimise your visa process and work for you as efficiently as possible, we will collate and prepare all necessary documentation for your visa application right at the beginning of your migration journey.
A lot of this work can be done before you arrive in New Zealand, and we recommend that you commence working with our team well ahead of your arrival in New Zealand.
This will put us in a position where we are able to submit your visa application to Immigration New Zealand as soon as you fulfil all visa eligibility requirements.
Your New Zealand employer will expect you to be available to start working with them as soon as possible.
To achieve this, it is important to be document ready and avoid any delays caused by queries coming back from INZ.
Most migrants will need to be able to claim points for skilled employment in New Zealand in their EOI in order to reach the current points threshold of 160.
The consequence of this points requirement is that you will not be able to proceed with your residence application unless you have found a job and are in a position to successfully complete this step of the process!
Working with our Job Search Professionals will vastly improve your chances of finding a job and moving on to the next step of your immigration process.
Our Job Search Program is designed to prepare you for your job hunt and actively support you throughout your job hunt.
It helps you understand the NZ workplace, access New Zealand's Hidden Job Market, teaches interview skills and provides CV training, tailoring and preparation.
An important component of our Fusion Service: Your Job Search Professional will not only actively work with you on finding a job, but also liaise closely with your Licensed Immigration Adviser to ensure that positions you apply for will meet complex visa requirements.
Working with a Licensed Immigration Adviser during your job search can lower potential employer resistance.
While our Job Search Professionals will support you with finding a job that suits your professional background, our Licensed Immigration Advisers will support your job hunt by offering to assist your potential New Zealand employer with the necessary work visa requirements.
Your Licensed Immigration Adviser will endorse your visa eligibility and communicate with potential employers to discuss visa requirements, including advice on Labour Market Testing.
Once the job offer is attained, the employer will likely expect you to start working as soon as possible.
As the residence application will take several months to complete, we can arrange to apply for a temporary work visa to enable you to work in New Zealand during the residence process.
By the end of this step you will be able to live and work in New Zealand temporarily.
You are now ready to continue on your pathway to permanent residence.
In line with your immigration strategy your Licensed Immigration Adviser is now confident that you will reach the necessary points score for your Expression of Interest, and have a realistic chance for your EOI to be selected.
We will submit your Expression of Interest, EOI.
A successful outcome of this step can be expected within two weeks after submission: Your Expression of Interest will be selected!
We strongly advise clients not to submit an EOI until absolutely confident that it will be selected in the subsequent selection, as it will lead to disappointment and frustration if it will eventually be removed from the pool.
Check our Points Guide for an initial assessment, or ask us for a Free Assessment of your chances to confirm that you will qualify before you submit your EOI.
Once your EOI has been selected from the pool, Immigration New Zealand undertakes a first verification of the points claimed by you in your EOI.
Any inconsistencies with your points claims, i.e. points claimed for non-relevant work experience or lack of qualification recognition, will result in queries from Immigration New Zealand and will then have to be rectified.
This can be quite stressful and your process might end here if your points claim does not add up with Skilled Migrant Category policy requirements.
It is essential to check your points eligibility well ahead of submitting your EOI to avoid being rejected at this stage of the process.
A positive outcome of this step:
If Immigration New Zealand can be convinced that you are eligible for the points claimed in your Expression of Interest, you will receive your Invitation to Apply for Residence.
Once you have received your Invitation to Apply for Residence, you can finally apply for your Permanent Resident Visa!
All your documents and other supporting evidence are in place well ahead of time, and ready to be submitted to Immigration New Zealand to provide the necessary evidence for all points claimed in your Expression of Interest.
Your Licensed Immigration Adviser will complete your residence application, ensure that all formalities are observed, and submit your application to Immigration New Zealand for you and all family members included.
Your Licensed Immigration Adviser will liaise with Immigration New Zealand on your behalf and take care of any queries and correspondence for you.
On approval of your application, your residence visa is granted!
You have made it through this long and multi-layered process of becoming a permanent resident!
Getting here was a huge effort and we congratulate you on staying with it and not giving up!
We hope that our support has helped you reaching your goal of living in New Zealand, and that you will enjoy our beautiful country as much as we do!
You must provide proof of your identity. This includes:
You must have a chest x-ray and a medical examination as proof of your good health.
You must be 55 years or under when you apply for residence.
To claim points for your qualification, it must be a recognised qualification. A qualification can be recognised if:
This visa requires an Expression of Interest
EOI's need to claim at least 100 points to enter the Expression of Interest pool. Working with both our job search team and immigration advisers will help you get the most points.
If you are 17 or over, you must provide a police certificate from:
your country of citizenship
any other country where you have spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years, even if you did not spend that 12 months all in one visit.
You don’t need to provide any Police Certificates until you’re invited to apply for residence.
You must be able to speak English. Test results must be no older than 2 years.
You can show us you speak English by either providing:
Your current employment or offer of employment must be skilled.
If invited to apply for residence, you must provide evidence of your skilled employment, including having the necessary work experience, qualifications and occupational registration.
Your work experience must be skilled to meet requirements
Skilled work is recognised in two ways
If bringing family, your partner and dependant children will also need to meet requirements. You must provide evidence:
Very pleased and satisfied with the service we received from NZIC. They assisted me and my family from start to finish. Always willing to assist, and communicated our progress every step of the way. With their assistance we managed to obtain permanent resident visa status.
“In contrast to another Immigration consultancy that we contacted, your company offered a free webinar and an assessment, warm, approachable staff that communicates openly with potential customers. I found your website and it was very detailed and informative. I understand that your company is a fee for services provider, but that has not been conveyed as a prerequisite during the decision making process.”
At first, Maj kindly explained the whole process and what to expect. I was coached and introduced to New Zealand job market by their Job Search team, and getting assistance until I got a job in the country. The Visa team would also follow me up on my pending documents, so I never felt left out. Truly recommended for those seeking out an option to live in New Zealand. Big thanks from me and my whole family for things NZIC did for us..!
NZIC helped me in my way to get a Visa and job search. They were always available to talk to and were open to all sorts of questions. No matter how random they were. Very friendly staff. And even when they had changes in employee and advisors, they always stayed professional and up to date. I can only say good things and recommend them highly.
