New Zealand Skilled Migration

New Zealand Skilled Migration

The New Zealand Skilled Migrationallows you to travel, stay and work in New Zealand if you meet certain criteria with regard to skills and qualifications and work experience. The visa under Skilled Migrant Category permits you to immigrate to New Zealand, work for any employer and gain access to health care and other benefits. A point-based system, SMC needs you to score required points on various determinants such as age, education, work experience, skilled employment offer, English language skills and health and character.

The application under the New Zealand Skilled Migration is processed in two stages.

Types of Visas under New Zealand Skilled Migration

If you are a skilled person and want to stay in New Zealand indefinitely, then you can apply for the following:

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

The Skilled Migrant Category Resident visa allows you to settle in New Zealand indefinitely if you possess the skills that help contribute to the economic growth of the country. The visa allows people of age 55 years and below to apply for the permanent residency after submitting and Expression of Interest (EOI) and receiving an invitation to apply. Qualifying for this visa asks you to meet the required points on various factors. The Skilled Migrant Category Resident visa is a gateway for New Zealand Skilled Migration and permits you to reside, work and study in New Zealand permanently if you comply with the visa conditions.

Where you want your family to accompany you to New Zealand, you can do so by including your partner and children who are of 24 years and under. You can apply for the visa anytime if your EOI is selected and you are invited to apply.

Essential Eligibility Requirements forSkilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

You can find the information below with regard to the criteria and evidence to satisfy the requirements of the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.

• Proof of Identity:
• For the identity purpose, you need to provide the certified or original copy of your valid passport. If not, you can also submit a certificate of identity, which is issued by the government in your country to help you travel.
• You need to submit your original copy or certified copy of birth certificate and two photographs too.
• Age: To apply for the resident visa under the New Zealand Skilled Migration, you must be 55 years or under. You must provide sufficient evidence to support your claim.
• Qualifications:You have to possess a qualification recognized enough to gain points. Here you can claim points for your educational qualification if:
• It figures on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment, or
• It is one of the qualifications assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), or
• It is approved through assessment by the New Zealand registration authority as the qualification of same level as given on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessmentand as a part of qualification for New Zealand occupational registration.
• It is an undergraduate degree accredited by the Washington Accord or Sydney Accord.
• Work Experience: You must have skilled work experience that is identified in any of the ways given below:
• Listed in the ANZSCO occupation of skill level 1,2, or 3: Your work experience in the occupation can be of the similar one for which you have claimed points for the skilled work or a different employment at skill level 1, 2 or 3. Nevertheless, the work done must considerably agree with the description provided by the ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) for the particular occupation and you must have gained the educational qualification determined by the ANZSCO for the particular occupation before the time you claim points for the work experience.

In the absence of the qualification mentioned above, you must have acquired the appropriate work experience stated by the ANZSCO for that employment before the time you claim points for the work experience. You stand qualified if you have 5 years of experience working in any skill level 1 occupation and this can be a substitute for the qualification required by the ANZSCO (though ANZSCO does not mention this).

• Not an occupation of ANZSCO skill level 1, 2, or 3: You are claiming points for the occupation not in the ANZSCO list of occupation at skill level 1, 2, or 3 but for having received the remuneration of $35.24 or above per hour during the time of your employment. You must however have met any one of the following before you claim points for your work experience.
• A qualification equivalent to or above NZQF Level 4 Certificate, or
• A NZQF Level 3 qualification that figures on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment, or
• Relevant work experience of up to 3 years, or
• Worked in the occupation that is listed on the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) and you met the eligibility requirements of LTSSL for the occupation, or
• Possessed registration for working and worked in the occupation that asked for the occupational registration in New Zealand.

As for the evidence for work experience, you do not have to provide any while submitting your Expression of Interest (EOI).

• Skilled Employment: You must be employed or received an employment offer in a skilled occupation. Where you are invited to apply for permanent residence under the New Zealand Skilled Migration, you are required to submit evidence of your skilled employment with the details like qualifications, work experience and occupational registration. For the purpose, you are also required to have the Employer Supplementary Form filled in by the prospective employer and sent along with the application.
• English Language: You must have English language skills and submit any of the following:
• An acceptable English language test result.
• A proof of citizenship of the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or Ireland and you have a work experience of minimum 5 years working or studying in the above mentioned countries or in New Zealand or Australia.
• A degree or certificate to show you have a recognized qualification which is equivalent to New Zealand level 7 bachelor’s degree. You must have acquired the qualification in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA or Ireland and have studied for a minimum period of 2 years in any of the countries mentioned above to receive the qualification.
• A proof of a recognized qualification that is equivalent to a postgraduate qualification in New Zealand, which you have acquired in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, or Ireland and have studied for a minimum of period of one year in any of the countries mentioned above to receive the qualification.
• Health: You must meet the health requirements by having a chest x-ray and medical examination to prove that you are in good health.However, your chest x-ray result must be within three months old. You must undergo medical examination, which include:
• Physical examination
• Urine and blood tests
• Chest x-ray, if required

For the purpose of New Zealand Skilled Migration, you are required to be in good health if you meet the acceptable standard of health requirements given below:

• You will not cause danger to the health of the people residing in New Zealand.
• Your stay in New Zealand will not cost a lot of money to the health and special education services offered by the government.
• You are able to work or study for which the visa is granted to you.
• Character: You must submit a police certificate if you are 17 years or more from:
• Your native country
• Any other country where you have stayed at least 12 months at a stretch or in different periods in the last ten years.

You are considered to be of good character if you do not have serious character issues like:

• You are convicted of an offence and sentenced to an imprisonment for a term of 5 years or more.
• You are convicted of an offence in the last 10 years and sentenced to an imprisonment for a term of 12 months or longer.
• You are forbidden from entering New Zealand.
• You have ever been deported, removed or excluded from any country.
• Expression of Interest (EOI): You must submit your EOI and to qualify to enter the pool, your EOI must score at least 100 points.
• Invitation to Apply for PR: Once your EOI is chosen, you will be invited to apply for PR, which should be done within four months of receiving the ITA. And the application must be supported by all the evidence against the claims you have made.
• For Family: In case your spouse and dependent children accompany you, they also must satisfy the requirements given below:
• They must have been included in the EOI.
• Sufficient evidence with regard to the relationship must be provided.
• The other essential criteria like identity, health, character, and English language standards must be met with.
• English Language Skills for Family: You must furnish evidence of English language skills of your partner and dependent children. If not, they have to pay for the English language classes in New Zealand.

Two-Stage Process

The visa application for the New Zealand Skilled Migrationis a two-stage process:

• You need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), which is possible if your EOI is allowed and accepted into the pool on scoring minimum 100 points. However, this does not mean that your EOI is selected as the current benchmark for choosing the EOI is160 points and above.
• The EOI is selected from the pool generally every two weeks and if you meet the Skilled Migrant EOI selection criteria, you will be invited to apply.
• You send the application for PR under the Skilled Migrant Category.
• The decision on the application will take at least 6 months.

Processing Time for the SMC Resident Visa

The processing time for the Skilled Migrant Resident visa under New Zealand Skilled Migrationdepends on the way you submit your EOI.

For Online EOI Submission:

Where your EOI is accepted in the pool, you will be sent an ‘Invitation to Apply’ within 3 weeks. Your EOI is reviewed and selected in 2 weeks after verification of the points claimed under the various factors. If the immigration office feels that you meet the eligibility criteria of the Skilled Migrant visa, you may be sent the invitation to apply for PR. This is the Stage 1 process.

In the Stage 2 process, you must send the completed paper application for the SMC resident visa, fee, as well as the immigration levy within 4 months. The application is checked and visa is processed within 6 months. During this time you may be contacted for any clarification and for interviewing.

For Paper EOI Submission:

The time frame for the processing of visa application for the Skilled Migrant Resident visa during the Stage 1 process is the same as 3 weeks for reviewing and 2 weeks selecting the EOI, while that of sending the completed application and processing of the visa in the Stage 2 is 4 months and 6 months respectively.You may be called for the interview and contacted for any additional details during the time.

Cost for the SMC Resident Visa

The cost for the SMC Resident visa is based on how you submitted you EOI in the Stage 1 process. If the EOI is submitted online, you need to pay NZD $530 for the application. The second payment is paid in the Stage 2 process, where you need to pay NZD $3,085 as the fee and immigration levy.
In case of the paper EOI submission, the visa application cost is NZD $680 paid during the Stage 1 and NZD $3, 085 paid during the Stage 2 process as the fee and immigration levy.

Other Costs

You may also incur any fees and costs related to health examinations; nevertheless, they vary from country to country. The police checks for the character requirement has a fee and it can also vary from country to country.

Our Professional Services Fee

It depends on the work involved from our end.

Silver Fern Job Search Work Visa

The Silver Fern Job Search Work visa is designed for those proposed applicants who are highly skilled and wish to live and work in New Zealand. Nevertheless, the condition here for this New Zealand Skilled Migration is you must have a long-term skilled employment if you want to apply for the permanent residence under the Skilled Migrant Category.

Where you want to migrate under this visa, you must show a genuine intention to find long-term skilled employment and possess a recognized qualification or work experience in case of trade qualification.The age limit for this type of visa is 20 years to 35 years. The Silver Fern Job Search Work visa permits you to stay in New Zealand only for 9 months and work in any occupation for any employer.

In case you get a long-term skilled employment, you can lodge your application for a two-year Silver Fern Practical Work Experience visa and then acquire a permanent residency under the Skilled Migrant Category. This visa for New Zealand Skilled Migration is based on the quota fixed and opens for application in November and closes once the places are filled everywhere. The visa does not allow you to include your partner and children for migration.

Essential Eligibility Requirements forSilver Fern Job Search Work Visa

As for the eligibility criteria for the Silver Fern Job Search Work Visa, you need to meet the following:

• Identity: You are required to furnish your passport details when you apply for the visa online. You may also have to send your passport or certificate of identity and two acceptable photographs after applying online
• Age: To apply for the Silver Fern Job Search Work Visa under the New Zealand Skilled Migration, you must be 20 – 35 years. For evidence, your passport details will be used to confirm your age.
• Location:While applying for the visa, you must be staying outside of New Zealand. Here you need to provide any documents showing your location like:
• Letters with home address you received.
• References from your employer.
• Education: For the visa, you must have a recognized qualification which must be either:
• A qualification which is similar to a bachelor’s degree (Level 7) in New Zealand or a higher qualification.
• A trade qualification similar to a National Certificate (Level 4) or a certificate of Level 4 in New Zealand and is related to an occupation on Part B or C of the “List of Skilled Occupations”.

As for the evidence, you must provide:

• An original copy or a certified copy of your qualification.
• A proof showing your qualification assessed as a criterion for applying under occupational registration, if it applies.
• An ‘International Qualifications Assessment’, in case this applies
• Transcript copies of your course.
• Skilled Employment: You must possess a genuine intention of finding a long-term skilled employment in New Zealand. While applying for the Silver Fern Job Search Work visa online, you need to provide reasons for it.

The Skilled Employment for the purpose is an employment that asks for the technical, management or specialist expertise and related qualifications and/or work experience to perform. It must also conform to the minimum pay threshold.

• Work Experience: You must have minimum two years of work experience in case you have a trade qualification. To identify your work experience, you must show:
• It is related to the trade qualification you have received
• You gained it in a ‘comparable labour market’, which means a labour market Immigration New Zealand considers similar to one it has in a list of countries identified by it.
• You earned itthrough the legal right to work in a country
• You had it after completing your qualification

As for the evidence you can produce the employment records or references with details of your work experience like:

• What work you did?
• When you did it?
• Number of hours you worked on an average, and
• Employer’s contact details
• Occupational Registration: To find employment in your occupation in New Zealand, you may require registration. For the purpose, you must furnish either:
• A certified copy of your full or provisional New Zealand registration
• Validation of your eligibility for New Zealand registration from the relevant registration body
• Health: You must meet the health requirements by having a chest x-ray and medical examination to prove that you are in good health. However, your chest x-ray result must be within three months old. You must undergo medical examination, which include:
• Physical examination
• Urine and blood tests
• Chest x-ray, if required

For the purpose of New Zealand Skilled Migration, you are required to be in good health if you meet the acceptable standard of health requirements given below:

• You will not cause danger to the health of the people residing in New Zealand.
• Your stay in New Zealand will not cost a lot of money to the health and special education services offered by the government.
• You are able to work or study for which the visa is granted to you.
• Character: You must submit a police certificate if you are 17 years or more from:
• Your native country
• Any other country where you have stayed for 5 or more yearsinone visit or in different periods since becoming 17 years.

You are considered to be of good character if you do not have serious character issues like:

• You are convicted of an offence and sentenced to an imprisonment for a term of 5 years or more.
• You are convicted of an offence in the last 10 years and sentenced to an imprisonment for a term of 12 months or longer.
• You are forbidden from entering New Zealand.
• You have ever been deported, removed or excluded from any country.

The police certificate submitted must not be more than 6 months old.

• Bona fide: You must have genuine intention to work in New Zealand and meet all the visa conditions. The immigration New Zealand will assess you to see whether you are bona fide by having all information in support of your claims in the application and about your personal circumstances.
• Funds: You must furnish evidence of your financial status and show that you have enough money to live in New Zealand. For the purpose, you have to prove that you have a minimum of NZ $4200 to live and work in New Zealand and provide evidence like the bank statements, bank draft, credit card statements and traveler’s cheques.
• English Language Skills: You must have English language skills and submit any of the following:
• An acceptable English language test result.
• A proof of citizenship of the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or Ireland and you have a work experience of minimum 5 years working or studying in the above mentioned countries or in New Zealand or Australia.
• A degree or certificate to show you have a recognized qualification which is equivalent to New Zealand level 7 bachelor’s degree. You must have acquired the qualification in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA or Ireland and have studied for a minimum period of 2 years in any of the countries mentioned above to receive the qualification.
• A proof of a recognized qualification that is equivalent to a postgraduate qualification in New Zealand, which you have acquired in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, or Ireland and have studied for a minimum of period of one year in any of the countries mentioned above to receive the qualification.
• Onward Travel: Applying for this visa also requires you to have a travel ticket or sufficient money to book one to leave New Zealand. Once you apply online, you may have to provide evidence of:
• A travel ticket
• A bank or credit card statement showing that you have enough money to book a travel ticket
• Confirmed travel bookings
• Previous Approvals: You must not have been granted any Silver Fern Job Search Work visa earlier. In case you are granted one, you cannot apply for it.

Processing Time for Silver Fern Job Search Work Visa

The processing time for the Silver Fern Job Search Work visa under New Zealand Skilled Migration depends on the time you submit your application online. The timeframe for submitting the application online and visa processing take 25 working days. However, it depends a lot on the time you take to produce clarifications, supporting documents and any additional information to the immigration office.

In case you are in New Zealand and your current visa is about to expire before you receive your new visa, then you will be issued an interim visa to stay in New Zealand.

Cost for Silver Fern Job Search Work Visa

The cost for the Silver Fern Job Search Work Visa is NZ $298, which must be paid along with the application and it also includes the immigration levy.

Other Costs

You may also incur any fees and costs related to health examinations; nevertheless, they vary from country to country. The police checks for the character requirement has a fee and it can also vary from country to country.

Our Professional Services Fee

It depends on the type of the visa and the work involved from our end.

New Zealand Skilled Migration – How it Works?

The following steps help you get the Skilled Migrant visa:

• Conduct self assessment: You can check and find out whether you meet the essential requirements. Also calculate the points you may score for the criteria like the age, skilled employment, qualifications, work experience, and partner eligibility requirement.
• Submit an EOI: Find out how much it will cost to apply for New Zealand Skilled Migration and lodge your EOI online.
• Get an Invitation to Apply: Your EOI will be chosen if you score 160 points or more and you are sent an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
• Submit an application for permanent residency: You can apply for the New Zealand permanent residency within 6 months.
• Have your visa granted: On meeting all the requirements, you will be granted a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category.

Acceptable English Language Test Results

The language test results given below are acceptable for those applying for the Skilled Migrant Category and Silver Fern Job Search Visa.

New Zealand Skilled Migration – Frequently Asked Questions

The New Zealand Skilled Migration needs to be addressed as there are many complications found in the applications for the work visa due to the absence of adequate information and/or supporting documents. You can find some of the most important questions and answers to help you have better understanding of the visa and procedure.

• How do I get a work visa?

You need to submit an application for the New Zealand work visa with the immigration office. Where you receive a valid job offer, you may find it more likely to be eligible to get a work visa. For more information you can check the types of work visas and the eligibility requirements in this page.

• How do I find that my skills are in demand in New Zealand?

You can check for your skilled job on the List of Skilled Occupations and Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) list and the demand for it. Generally, a majority of skilled occupations are in high demand in New Zealand.

• Can my family accompany me?

It depends on the type of the work visa you are applying for. If you apply for the Skilled Migrant Resident visa, you can include your partner and dependent children in your application. Nevertheless, for the temporary visa like the Silver Fern Job Search Work Visa, you cannot include your spouse and children for migration.

• Is it possible for me to migrate to NZ on a Skilled Migrant visa if I have enough skills and experience but no formal qualification?

The eligibility criteria for the Skilled Migrant Resident visa require you to have a recognized qualification, skilled employment and work experience to be considered for the visa. Where your skills and experience help you get an employment offer in NZ, you may have a chance to qualify for the visa.

• I am on a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category, but I have lost my job and not been employed for 3 months? What should I do?

The New Zealand law requires anyone to conform to the visa conditions. In this case, you should meet the s.49 (1) conditions by taking up another skilled job for minimum three months. If not, your visa will be canceled and you must leave the country.

• I am in NZ on SMC job search visa on 9 months duration, but I am still on a job hunt. Can I extend the visa?

There is no extension available for the Skilled Migrant job search work visa. You have 9 months to find an ongoing skilled job and if you have not found one within the time limit, your residency will be declined.

• Does my occupation require New Zealand registration?

According to the New Zealand law, you need to register to work in some occupations. And if you want to apply for the visa, you should have the registration done before the visa is granted. To know the occupations that need registration, you can get the help of an immigration consultant.

• I have a work visa but my employment details are not matching. What should I do?

As some visas restrict work to a specified employer, location or occupation, you may sometimes have one of these restrictions in your visa. You can apply to change the condition and there are two options available:

Option A: You can apply for a variation of condition.
Check your visa conditions and apply to change the condition.

Option B:Where your work visa is under the Essential Skills Category and your job in the ‘essential skills demand lists’, you can apply for a variation of conditions. Here you also need to satisfy the requirements of the list. For instance, you can apply to change the employer but not the occupation or region.

• Can I get a refund of my application fee if my visa is cancelled or rejected?

This depends on if your visa application is complete on not. Where the Immigration New Zealand has already completed your visa application, you will not get the refund of the fee irrespective of it being rejected or cancelled. This is because there is some cost involved in the assessment of the application.

In case the application is not completed and you withdraw it, you can apply for the refund; however, it is at the discretion of the relevant authority of Immigration New Zealand. You can nevertheless send the refund request to the relevant authority in the same office and wait for the reply.

Get a Help of Licensed Immigration Experts

For the successful New Zealand Skilled Migration, it is advisable to find the service of an immigration and visa consultant, which is licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) to immigrate to New Zealand from India. We, at Immigration Help, have specialist expertise in dealing with permanent residency in New Zealand. Being a professional in the field, we assure you that we meet the competency standards laid by the New Zealand government. We can help you with the following:

• Explore all the possibilities of your visa options and choose the appropriate visa for easy New Zealand Skilled Migration.
• Help you fill in your Skilled Migrant Category visa application and conduct a trail points test to find out how many points you can score.
• Assist you throughout the visa process until you settle in New Zealand.
• Provide you timely updates on the New Zealand immigration rules and processing time for New Zealand immigration from India.
• Assess your situation and advise you whether you can appeal a declined visa.

For Assistance and Guidance You Can Contact Immigration Help

Immigration Help can handle New Zealand immigration from India process for you at anytime as a professional and reliable consultant. We are recognized as the best and only licensed immigration consultants for Australia / New Zealand / Canadaproviding immigration advice. We assist you with easy New Zealand immigration by offering various New Zealand visa services and choosing thebest New Zealand Skilled Migration visa. Our extensive knowledge and expertise in the field will help through the New Zealand PR visa procedure by meeting the New Zealand Skilled Migrant visa requirements.With years of experience in New Zealand immigration consultancy services and wide knowledge of New Zealand immigration new rules, and New Zealand Skilled Migrant visa eligibility, we have proved to be the most sought-after and dependable Immigration Consultants in Delhi for New Zealand.Being a licensed New Zealand Immigration Advisers Authority(IAA) agent, we take pride in having most of our clients completely satisfied, working with us for their New Zealand Skilled Migration.Our knowledge and competence in the field combined with the core values of commitment, compassion and care has helped us give cent percent result when it comes to filing the application and meeting the New Zealand immigration rules and New Zealand visa requirements for Indians.If you are looking for permanent immigration to New Zealand from India and are not aware of the point system for New Zealand immigration, our New Delhi visa office can help you.

If you are looking for genuine immigration consultants for Australia/New Zealand/Canada who can be of assistance in every step of Australia/New Zealand/Canada Immigration, you can contact Immigration Help at 87506 10000 / 87506 80000 (India) / 0433303774 (Australia) / +614 333 037 74 (outside Australia) or drop an email at: contact@myimmigrationhelp.comor directly interact with the expert through our Live Chat window.