The
prerequisites |
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To be considered under the Skilled Migrant Category you need to be 55 years of age or under, to be healthy, of good character and have a reasonable standard of English. Age Because we are looking for people who can make a
long term contribution to We need to be assured that you and any family members
with you are healthy. We make this requirement to safeguard the
wellbeing of New Zealanders and to avoid placing a burden on the country’s
health and social services. We also want to ensure that people entering
Your Expression of Interest will not go into the Pool if: ·
there is any likelihood you will need dialysis treatment ·
you have active tuberculosis ·
you have required either hospital or residential care for
a mental disorder or intellectual disability for more than 90 days in the
last two years ·
you have a physical incapacity that requires full time
care. If you are invited to apply for residence you
need to have a doctor assess your health and fill in New Zealand Immigration
Service medical and chest x-ray certificates for each member of your family
coming to In some cases we may request the certificates before inviting you to apply for residence. We need to be assured that you and any family included in your application are of good character. We make this requirement to protect the wellbeing of New Zealanders. Your Expression of Interest will not go into the Pool if you: ·
have ever been convicted and sentenced to a prison term of
five years or more ·
have been convicted and sentenced to a prison term for 12
months or more in the past 10 years ·
have a removal order in force against you ·
have ever been deported
from ·
are believed to have associated with criminal groups or
are in some way a danger to If you are invited to apply for residence you will have to provide police certificates as evidence of your good character. We need to see certificates for everyone 17 years and over included in your application. We need certificates from: ·
your country of citizenship (unless
you can prove you never lived there) ·
any country you have been in for 12 months or more in the
last 10 years, whether in one or more visits. In some cases we may request the certificates before inviting you to apply for residence. See our leaflet How to obtain a Police Certificate for information on what to do. We require people to have a reasonable standard
of English to ensure they have the best opportunity to settle successfully
into work and life in Our requirements apply differently depending on whether you are the principal applicant – the person completing the form - or a non-principal applicant. Non-principal applicants include the partner and/or dependent children of the person completing the form. Requirements
for principal applicants ·
a recent International English Language Testing
System (IELTS) certificate where you gained an overall band score of 6.5 or
over in the IELTS General or Academic Module. The certificate must be
less than two years old. ·
a recognised qualification from a course taught
entirely in English. If that qualification was gained in ·
evidence that you are in current ongoing skilled employment in ·
you can prove to us through other means that you are
a competent user of English. The factors we will consider may include: o
your current country of residence o
countries you may have lived in before o
how long you were in each country o
whether you speak any languages other than English o
your family’s ability to speak English o
whether your family members speak any languages other than
English o
your previous or current work and the level of English
language skills required o
your qualifications and the level of English language
skills they required. In all cases we may still require you to provide an IELTS certificate to confirm you meet our English requirements. Requirements
for non-principal applicants ·
show you meet our minimum standard of English ·
pre-purchase English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
training Showing you meet a minimum standard of English ·
a recent IELTS certificate that shows you gained a score
of 5 or over in the IELTS General or Academic Module. The test must be
less than two years old. ·
as a partner you can score points because you are in
skilled employment in New Zealand and have been for at least 12 months ·
you can prove you: o
completed primary and at least three years’ secondary
schooling at schools using English o
completed at least five years’ secondary schooling at
schools using English o
completed a tertiary course of three years or more at
institutions using English o
hold a minimum of a ‘C’ pass in one of the following: §
General Certificate of Education (GCE) 'A' Levels from §
§
§
§
an International Baccalaureate - full Diploma in English
Medium §
an STPM 920 (Malaysia) – ‘A’ or ‘B’ pass in English
Literature South African Matriculation Certificate, with a minimum ‘D’ pass
in English (Higher Grade) §
a South African Senior Certificate, with a minimum ‘D’
pass in English (Higher Grade), endorsed with the words 'matriculation
exempt' §
a §
a recognised qualification from a course taught
entirely in English. See what this entails under Requirements for principal applicant. In all cases we may still require you to provide an IELTS certificate to confirm you meet our English requirements. If you, as the principal applicant, are claiming points for your partner’s skilled employment or recognised qualification, your partner must meet the same minimum requirements as you. ESOL tuition for non-principal applicants |
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How
you earn points |
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You may qualify for points for employability and capacity building factors in your Expression of Interest. The points system is designed so that we can
rank Expressions of Interest and extend Invitations to Apply for residence to
people who have the most to offer To see how many points you could qualify for, try our online Points Indicator or check the table below.
Skilled
employment Skilled employment is work that requires you to use significant specialist, technical or management expertise. You may have gained this expertise through completing a recognised qualification or through work experience. Through skilled employment we can link skilled and experienced people with employment opportunities that we have identified are necessary for our growth as a nation. We also recognise that the people who feel they are making a positive contribution to their new home find it easier to settle. How skilled
employment works
To qualify for the points you must show us that the employment is relevant to: ·
your recognised qualification. To be relevant, the major
subject area must directly apply to the employment offered. Want to see the
wording of the policy? Go directly to the Operations Manual or ·
expertise that you have gained through relevant work
experience in which this expertise is key. To be relevant, the
work experience must directly apply to your offer of, or current, skilled
employment. Want to see the wording of the policy? Go directly to the
Operations Manual. You will only qualify for points: ·
for genuine full time employment in which you earn salary or
wages or hold a contract position. Positions paid by commission or
retainer do not gain points. ·
for ongoing employment ·
where your employer has a history of good work practices
such as meeting all ·
for employment that meets all Additionally if your occupation is one that
requires occupational registration n New Categories
of skilled employment ·
Major Group 1: Legislators, administrators and managers ·
Major Group 2: Professionals ·
Major Group 3: Technicians and associate professionals, as
listed below:
·
Major Group 7: Trades workers. Unless we decide that a special case exists, we do not recognise the following Major Groups of the New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations as skilled employment: ·
Major Group 3: Technicians and associate professionals,
except those occupations listed above ·
Major Group 4: Clerks ·
Major Group 5: Service and Sales workers ·
Major Group 6: Agriculture and Fishery workers ·
Major Group 8: Plant and machine operators and assemblers ·
Major Group 9: Elementary occupations. We may decide a special case exists where: ·
your skills would contribute to ·
you have, for example, an international reputation and
record of excellence in a particular occupation or field. Work experience
·
is relevant to your recognised qualification ·
is relevant to your current or offered skilled employment ·
is skilled because it required, or enabled you to gain,
significant specialist, technical or management expertise. If you are not currently working in, or have an
offer of, skilled employment in
If you work experience was gained in a country that is not listed, that experience will only be assessed as being in a comparable labour market if you: ·
were lawfully working for a multi-national commercial
entity domiciled in one of the listed countries ·
are a permanent resident or citizen of one of the listed
countries Calculating
work experience If you worked part time - less than 30 hours per week - we will award points according to the hours equating to full time work. For example, four years of working a 15-hour week will count as two years’ full time work experience. To be invited to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category, you must qualify for points for either work experience or recognised qualifications. You can qualify for points for qualifications
such as trade certificates, and diplomas, bachelor degrees and post-graduate qualifications.
We provide points for these qualifications as they indicate your ability to
gain skilled employment in
To qualify for points your qualification must be at Levels 4-10 on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications:
The level your qualification occupies is determined by: ·
its alignment to a qualification on the List of Recognised Qualifications ·
an assessment by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
(NZQA). The level your qualification occupies on the Register may also be determined through occupational registration. This can happen where your occupational registration involved an assessment that your qualification is on the List of Recognised Qualifications. We provide points for a single qualification on the Register or for two or more qualifications assessed by NZQA as together occupying a level of qualification on the Register. Points are not cumulative - you will either score 50 or 55 points. What you
need to show us ·
an NZQA Interim Assessment Report - an initial assessment of
the level of your qualification based on information supplied by you ·
an NZQA Qualifications Assessment Report - a full
independent assessment and verification. To be invited to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category, you must qualify for points for either recognised qualifications or work experience. Age We are looking for people who can make a long-term contribution. This is why we provide more points for younger people.
If you are 56 years or older, we will decline your application. We will need to see your… ·
birth certificate ·
passport or other travel documents ·
identity card - if you are from a country that requires
such cards that confirm your date of birth. |
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How
you earn bonus points |
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Bonus
points for skilled employment Bonus points for skilled employment You may qualify for bonus points if you have an
offer of, or are already working in, skilled employment in areas that will
best contribute to
Identified
future growth area ·
Biotechnology ·
Information Communications Technology ·
Creative industries – Advertising, Software and Computing
Services, Publishing, TV and Radio, Film and Video, Architecture, Design,
Designer Fashion, Music and Performing Arts, Visual Arts. Your current or proposed employer will need to confirm they are in one of these areas. Cluster ·
Film Auckland –
a group of entities involved in the ·
·
Canterbury Software -
an association of software producers and support agencies who work together
to help innovative software companies commercialise their products. ·
Biosouth - a
network of Biotechnology and related entities whose aim is to generate more
wealth from Biotechnology for the Otago region of ·
Canterbury Nutraceuticals
– a group of entities involved in producing natural, bioactive extracts used
in health promoting and disease preventing natural products. Your current or proposed employer will need to confirm they are in one of these clusters. Area of
absolute skills shortage Employment
outside ·
·
·
Waitakere City Council ·
·
Manukau City Council ·
Papakura District Council You will need to provide proof that your place
of work is outside Partner’s
skilled employment Bonus points for work experience We provide bonus points to people with work
experience in Work
experience in
Work
experience in an identified future growth area or cluster
You may qualify for additional points for work experience in these areas as
we wish to attract people with skills that can help To qualify for the points, you’ll need to be working in, or have an offer of, skilled employment and be able to show the work experience you have is relevant to that employment. Work
experience in an area of absolute skills shortage To qualify for points, you need to show that your experience: ·
is in an occupation on our Priority Occupations List ·
meets the specifications for that occupation. ·
suitably qualifies you for that occupation. If your occupation required registration we will want to see evidence that you held registration. Bonus points for qualifications We award bonus points to people with recognised
qualifications in areas in which skills are in demand in
Qualifications
in an identified future growth area or cluster To qualify for points you’ll need to be working in, or have an offer of, skilled employment in an identified future growth area or cluster and be able to show your work experience is relevant to that employment. To be assessed as relevant the major subject area of your qualification must directly apply to the skilled employment and that employment must require such a qualification. Qualifications
in an area of absolute skills shortage Partner’s
qualifications To qualify for points you must have been in a genuine and stable relationship with your partner for 12 months or more and you must have included your partner in your application. Your partner also needs to meet the same English language requirements as you, the principal applicant. |
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Settlement
and contribution requirements |
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If we select your Expression of Interest from
the Expressions of Interest Pool and invite you to apply for residence, we
will assess you to see how well you are likely to settle in and contribute to
Assessing
your ability If you have qualified for points for particular factors we will assess you as having the ability to settle and contribute. If we make this assessment your application will be approved-in-principle. You will need to have: ·
an offer of or already be working in ongoing skilled employment in ·
undertaken full time study for at least two years in o
a Doctorate or Masters degree o
a qualification in areas of identified future growth or absolute skills shortage. If you have not qualified for points for the above factors we will undertake further assessment to see whether you can demonstrate an ability to settle and contribute or can realise your potential to settle and contribute. As well as considering and verifying the material in your application we will interview you and any family you have included in your application. This interview will assess you on three factors: ·
employment prospects ·
familiarity with ·
linkages and support in What happens after assessment? In exceptional cases we may determine you have the ability to settle and contribute despite not meeting these requirements. In such cases we may still approve your application in principle. If we assess that you can realise your potential
to settle and contribute, we will postpone our decision on your application
for residence. In the meantime, we will grant you a Work Visa or Permit that will allow you to stay in If you do become established in ongoing skilled employment during this time we will approve your application for residence. If you do not we will decline your application. If you choose to take up the Work Visa or Permit, you must: ·
apply within three months of our letter telling you that
you may be eligible for the visa or permit ·
prove to us that you have the funds needed to maintain
yourself and your family for at least three months: o
NZ$1000 per person for each month of your stay o
NZ$400 per person for each month, if your accommodation is
already paid for – you’ll need to show us proof, for example, hotel prepaid
vouchers. ·
prove to us that you have the funds to purchase tickets
for you and your family should you have to leave We will only grant Work Visas and Permits if you: ·
pay the Migrant Levy ·
sign and return with the specified time your ESOL
Agreement, if required, and pay any charge that may be due. If we determine that you have not demonstrated that you can realise your potential ability to settle and contribute we will decline your application for residence. |
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How to apply |
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To apply for residence as a skilled migrant please follow the steps below. Steps 1 and 2 will help you check if you meet our minimum criteria. If you meet our minimum criteria, go to step 3 and send us a completed Expression of Interest form. 1.
Complete
a Skilled Migrant Quick Check. Your result will tell you whether or not
you meet our minimum criteria. 2.
Check
your likely points allocation. Your result helps you decide whether or
not to take the next step - submitting an Expression of Interest. 3.
Complete
and send us an Expression of Interest form and the Expression of
Interest form, Child Supplement (if you have children). The Expression of
Interest form asks questions about you and your family’s identity, character,
health, qualifications and work experience. It may take several hours to
complete. 4.
If
you are successful, we will send you an Invitation to Apply for residence.
You must complete an application and send us all the necessary documents to
support the claims you made in your Expression of Interest form. 5.
We
will tell you of our decision 6.
Confirm
your decision to come to New Zealand. Step 1 - Complete a Skilled Migrant Quick Check If you are the principal applicant, complete the Quick Check below. For further information about these criteria refer to the The Prerequisites. Answer the following questions: 1. Are you under 56 years of age? 2. Are you, your partner and your children all healthy? 3. Are you, your partner and your children free of criminal convictions? 4. Can you competently speak, write and understand English? 5. Have you been offered a job in 6. Do you have a tertiary or trade qualification? 7. Do you have at least two years work experience? If you answered YES to the first four questions AND answered YES to at least two of the last three questions, your next step is to check your likely points allocation. Step 2 - Check your likely points allocation Go to our online Points Indicator to check your likely points allocation. If you score at least 100 points, your next step is to complete an Expression of Interest form. Step 3 - Complete and send us an Expression of Interest form Print and complete an Expression of Interest form and the Expression of Interest form, Child Supplement (if you have children). More detailed information to assist you fill out the form can be found in the Expression of Interest Guide. Before you start filling out the form, read the following notes and look at the relevant sections of the form. If you do not meet the requirements of each of these as noted below, your Expression of Interest will not be accepted into the Pool. ·
The principal applicant must fill out the form and be
under the age of 56 years. ·
Section B – Look at the first 9 questions. If you answer
‘yes” to any of these questions, you will not meet the character
requirements. ·
Section C – Look at the first 4 questions. If you answer
‘yes” to any of these questions, you will not meet the health requirements. ·
Section D– Look at this section. If you do not meet the
minimum standard of English your Expression of Interest will not be accepted
into the Pool. ·
Section E – Here you must score at least 100 points. If you meet the standards for sections B, C and D and E, now complete Section A to confirm your identity, Sections F and G to confirm your qualifications and work experience and Sections H to O about your family. For each dependent child aged under 25 who will be included in your residence application, please complete a Child Supplement Expression of Interest form – it is included at the back of the Expression of Interest form. Once you have completed the form, please sign the Declaration and send it to (make sure you have enclosed payment if you are sending a bank cheque or bank draft): Expressions of Interest Team Step 4 - Complete the Invitation to Apply If you have been successful, we will send you an official Invitation to Apply for residence. You will need to sign and submit a short application form, attach passport photos, the documentation requested in the Invitation to Apply and the applicable fees. The application should be sent to the address specified in your Invitation to Apply. Step 5 - We will tell you of our decision If we approve your application, you will be
granted a Residence Visa (generally valid for 12 months for you to travel to If we consider that you have potential to
contribute to Step 6 - Confirm your decision to come to New Zealand When you arrive in Note we can impose requirements on your Residence Visa or Permit. When you arrive with a work visa, you will be
granted a work permit to work in |
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Electronic Immigration
Service Launched
Skilled
migrants looking to come to
their
interest online through a new system launched by the
Immigration
Service (NZIS).
The
Skilled Migrant Category, which opened last year, requires prospective
migrants
to lodge expressions of interest which are then ranked according to
total
point scores.
The
Skilled Migrant Category policy looks to proactively target and attract
migrants
who can contribute to the country’s economic development needs.
Arron
Baker, NZIS Market Manager of Electronic Services says the online
Expression
of Interest system is just one of the initiatives the NZIS has
launched
to support the assessment and processing of skilled migrant
submissions.
“We
expect the online Expression of Interest service will be used more than
the
paper applications. This is because the online version provides
prospective
migrants with an instant electronic indication on their chances of
being
selected to apply for residence, can be a lot quicker to complete, and
provides
applicants with control over when they are submitted into the
selection
Pool. In addition, every section has help pages, as well as links to
policy,
to assist the applicant,” says Mr Baker.
“The
online Expression of Interest also means that, wherever the prospective
migrant
is located, they can receive assistance, online, without having to visit
or
phone one of our branches.
“The
customer has control over when they want to be submitted into the
selection
Pool – it’s immediate,” says Mr Baker.
“The
Skilled Migrant Category policy replaced the General Skills Category
policy
in December last year, allowing
will
best meet
“We want to select migrants who can contribute
positively to our communities
and
economy. The online Expression of Interest is a very effective and user-
friendly
forum to enable prospective migrants to assess their eligibility for
residence
under the Skilled Migrant Category,” says Mr Baker.
“This
initiative is about providing prospective migrants with a choice. They can
either
complete an Expression of Interest online, or fill in the paper form which
can
be downloaded from our website.
“Before
completing the Expression of Interest, prospective migrants are
encouraged
to score themselves on the online ‘Points Indicator’ facility. This
self
service facility indicates how many points the prospective migrant may be
eligible
to claim as a result of meeting certain criteria,” says Mr Baker.
“Once
prospective migrants have submitted, successfully, the Expression of
Interest
online, they will receive instant acknowledgement it has been
received
and they have been entered into the Pool. They can then check the
status
of their online Expression of Interest on their personal Expression of
Interest
NZIS homepage. They won’t need to contact the NZIS to track its
progress
or experience the anxiety of waiting for a letter to arrive in the post,”
says
Mr Baker.
Prospective
migrants must submit an Expression of Interest to the NZIS
before
they can be considered for residence under the Skilled Migrant
Category.
Customers need a minimum of 100 points, and meet other
prerequisites
for an Expression of Interest to be successfully submitted.
“Once
an Expression of Interest has been submitted successfully it is entered
into
a Pool and prioritised in terms of points claimed. Those with the top
points
will be selected from the Pool and, following checking, may be sent an
official
Invitation to Apply for residence,” says Mr Baker.
If
a prospective migrant’s Expression of Interest is not selected from the Pool
the
first time, it remains in the Pool for three months. If it is still
unsuccessful,
the
person concerned will be informed their Expression of Interest has been
withdrawn
from the Pool.
Interested in migrating to
You can register
here to complete an online Expression of Interest form, and, if you meet
our minimum criteria, submit it to New Zealand Immigration Service (a
submission fee applies).
We recommend you try our Quick
Check then our Points Indicator first to see if you are likely to meet our
minimum criteria.
Simply enter your User Name and Password below.
Forgotten your Password? No problem – you can change
it here.
If you are currently visiting