Skilled Migration Category
Publication: Document sourced from official NZIS material
Introduction
New Zealand offers many opportunities particularly in industries and regions experiencing growth and skill categories. The Skilled Migrant Category has been designed to give priority to meeting those needs and opportunities.
If you are interested in migrating to NZ as a skilled migrant, and if you have the skills New Zealand need, then we are ready to guide and work with you to meet our mutual goals.
How does the Skilled Migrant Category Work?
The Prerequisites
To be considered under this category you need to be of good health, good character, have a reasonable standard of English* and be no older than 55 years of age. You will also need to meet the threshold of 100 points to register an EOI.
The Points System
The points system is designed to allow Expressions of interest to be ranked so that the New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) can extend invitations to apply for residence to those who have the most to offer NZ. The points are set out by the NZIS and points are available for current skilled employment in New Zealand or offer of employment in New Zealand, work experience, qualifications and age. Bonus points are available for employment, work experience and qualifications in identified areas of growth or absolute skill shortage, or within identified clusters. Bonus points are also available for employment outside Auckland and for NZ qualifications gained in NZ over at least two years. Your partner’s employment and qualification can also gain bonus points. Under new policy there are bonus points if principal applicant or partner have a close family member living in New Zealand, who is a resident or citizen of New Zealand.
What are the objectives of the Skilled Migrant Category?
You will see from the prerequisites and points system that the Skilled Migrant Category is designed to minimize the risk of a mismatch between the skills migrants bring and the skills NZ needs. The highest points will be available to qualified, skilled migrants who are already working in skilled employment in NZ. Research has confirmed that such migrants settle more quickly and are able to match their NZ counterparts in salary levels and standards of living.
Although a skilled job offer is not a prerequisite, you can see how important it is to ensure that your skills are needed in NZ before you sell your home, leave your job and move to NZ. Be wary of anyone who offers to guarantee you residence or to sell you a job offer—it may be a fraudulent practice and could result in your Expression of Interest or application being declined. If anyone attempts to bribe an NZIS officer then the application will be declined and charges may be laid. If you have any doubts check with the NZIS—and check the NZIS fees before paying any money to an agent.
Principal applicants (and their partners if that person is claiming points for a job or qualification) must have an English speaking background, or have reached an average IELTS score of 6.5 or pre-purchase a specified amount of ESOL tuition.
A principal applicant qualifies for bonus points for support from a close family member in New Zealand.
Close Family in New Zealand
You can earn points under the Skilled Migrant Category if you have a close family member in New Zealand.
Your New Zealand family member must be you or your partner’s adult brother or sister, adult child, or parent living in New Zealand. To be eligible to provide their support they must be a resident or citizen of New Zealand, and New Zealand must be their primary place of residence.
Step 1: Complete an initial self-assessment.
A skilled Migrant Quick Check (point calculator) is available on the NZIS website and in the NZIS Self Assessment Guide for Residence. This will help you to decide whether or not it is worth submitting an Expression of Interest.
You will can get the form from either the NZIS website or from the NZIS office. In this you will provide information about your health, character, age, English language ability, as well as the factors that will earn you points. When it is completed submit it to the NZIS, the form will be checked by the EOI Team to ensure that all relevant information has been supplied.
Step 2: NZIS rank EOIs and invite those with the top points to apply for residence.
EOI submitted over a number of weeks will be pooled (selected) and ranked from highest to lowest points. It is not a case of first in, first served.
NZIS will priorities an EOI in terms of points claimed, and following some verification, those with the top points will be invited to lodge an application for residence.
If your EOI is not selected from the pool the first time it will remain in the pool for three months. If it is still unsuccessful, NZIS will inform you that your EOI has been withdrawn from the pool. You can lodge another EOI if you wish to.
Step 3: Apply for Residence
If you have been successful NZIS will send you an official invitation to apply for residence. You will need to send all the necessary documents to support the claims you made in your EOI—such as birth certificate, passports, qualifications, work experience, and relevant certificates along with your residence application. The application for residence will be a much shorter form, because you will have supplied all the necessary information with your EOI application.
Step 4: Decision Making
NZIS will assess your application for residence against Government residence policy, and look at your ability to settle successfully and make a real contribution to New Zealand’s social and economic development. NZIS will also undertake further verification of some of the information you have provided in your EOI application. Depending on how you are able to demonstrate your ability to settle in NZ successfully, your application can be approved with a residence visa or permit.
Step 5: Welcome to New Zealand
If you are not already in New Zealand, NZIS will arrange a Welcome Pack on your arrival, as well as providing you with an NZIS contact person who can help you access information you need to help you settle in New Zealand.
On a more formal basis NZIS will follow up with a questionnaire after three months, so that they can use your feedback to help them to help future skilled migrants.
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