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Skilled Migrant Policy
The "Skilled Migrant Category" offers a pathway to residence for individuals with skilled job offers from New Zealand employers. Points are awarded based on education, New Zealand skilled work experience, occupational registration, and the applicant's pay rate.
Many applicants need to have worked in New Zealand for three years before they can apply under this category. If residence is your goal, seeking immigration advice early is beneficial.
Employment
Holding a skilled employment offer in New Zealand is crucial for a successful Skilled Migrant application. The job offer must meet specific minimum standards, including:
- A pay rate at or above the median wage, and in some cases, 1.5 to 3 times the median wage (the median wage rate changes annually)
- Full-time and permanent employment
- Compliance with New Zealand employment law
- Assessment by Immigration NZ as a skilled job offer
Useful Information
The NZIHS immigration advisers and experts take away the stress and worry of navigating the complex world of New Zealand Visitor visas, policies, and immigration.
First Steps
To ensure the number of applicants for skilled migrant visas does not exceed available spaces, a preliminary filter called the "Expression of Interest" (EOI) is used.
Key personal data is entered online without requiring verification or detailed documentation initially. If the EOI meets the pass mark, Immigration New Zealand then issues an "Invitation to Apply" (ITA).
While receiving an ITA is often cause for celebration, it is not the end of the journey. The applicant must still meet all detailed requirements and provide documents to validate claims made in the EOI by submitting an application for residence within a set deadline.
Misunderstandings frequently occur when applicants believe they understand the requirements, only to discover that Immigration New Zealand's interpretation differs from their own.
What To Be Aware Of
All family members will also be subject to scrutiny over documents of identity and relationship. The medical and character backgrounds of everyone associated with the application will be closely examined.
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New Zealand job offers go through very close examination to see if they meet high thresholds set by the government. Failure to meet these strict thresholds is a common reason for applications being declined.
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An offer of skilled employment is critical to a successful application under this category. Trying to secure employment while you are overseas is difficult unless a New Zealand employer is looking for particular skills that are not readily available in the local labour market.
General Comments
The Skilled Migrant category has a number of pitfalls that the inexperienced can easily fall into. It pays to take proper advice from a trusted and experienced licensed immigration adviser.