The Skilled Migrant Pathway to Residence

You must provide proof of your identity. This includes:

• 2 acceptable photos of your head and shoulders
• your original or a certified copy of your passport or certificate of identity
• your original or a certified copy of your full birth certificate.

You must have a chest x-ray and a medical examination as proof of your good health.

• You don’t need to have an x-ray or medical examination until you’re invited to apply for residence.

You must be 55 years or under when you apply for residence.

• If you’re invited to apply for residence, we’ll use the documents you provide as proof of your identity to confirm your age.

To claim points for your qualification,  it must be a recognised qualification. A qualification can be recognised if:

• It is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment; or
• It has been assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA); or
• It has been assessed by a New Zealand registration authority at the same level as a qualification on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment as part of an application for New Zealand occupational registration; or
• It is a Washington Accord or Sydney Accord accredited undergraduate degree.

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:

• an acceptable English language test result
• evidence you have an English-speaking background, by being a citizen of Canada, Ireland, the U.K, or the U.S.A.
  
• evidence you are a competent user of English through qualification, such as a comparable bachelor or postgraduate degree gained in Australia, NZ, Ireland, the U.K or the U.S.A.
  

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

• the same occupation you have claimed skilled employment points for, or
• a different occupation at skill levels 1, 2 or 3 on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

If bringing family, your partner and dependant children will also need to meet requirements. You must provide evidence:

• of your relationship with your partner and dependent children, like a marriage certificate and birth certificates
• that your partner and dependent children meet the identity, character, health and English language requirements for this visa.
• if any of your immediate family members hold New Zealand temporary entry visas based on their relationship with you, they must be included in your residence application.
• If your partner and dependent children 16 and over do not speak English, they can learn in New Zealand. You will have to pay for English language classes before your visa is granted.