In a fast developing country like New Zealand, there is a constant need for highly educated and skilled workers in all sectors of economy. To facilitate the growing need of skilled workers, the department of Immigration New Zealand has streamlined a skilled migrant visa category. This Skilled Migrant Category offers skilled workers from all over the world an opportunity for New Zealand to work and gain Permanent Residence. To be eligible to apply under the Skilled Migrant visa category, an individual must meet the basic eligibility criteria
To obtain this visa, it is essential for an individual to have valid professional experience and qualification relevant to skills that New Zealand is facing shortage in and have a job offer in that area. Such visa holders can live in New Zealand and work there full-time.
Submit an Expression of Interest
To obtain this visa, you are supposed to send and Expression of Interest mentioning your experience, skills and qualifications, if they match the requirement criteria which are based on points based system, you will be invited to apply for New Zealand residence.
The EOI Pool Draw?
Information on the Expression of Interest form is thoroughly checked and verified at this stage. Applications with misleading information or those that are incomplete are rejected and send back to the applicant. On the other hand, selected applicants are sent an Invitation to Apply.
Your Invitation to Apply
Applicants who have been selected from the EOI pool are sent an official Invitation to Apply (ITA). At this stage, the applicants will be required to furnish evidences against the claims made in their Expression of Interest form including police clearance certificates, medical reports, proof of English language proficiency and other documents related to your education, skills, work and experience, passports and the applicable fees.
If you meet the minimum standards, you’ll also need a minimum of 100 points on your Expression of Interest.
This is what you can claim points for:
Skilled employment – you can claim 50-60 points for a job or a job offer in New Zealand that requires specialist, technical, or management expertise. You can get bonus points if the job/job offer is in certain industries, or if your partner also has a skilled job/job offer.
Work experience – you can claim points for at least two years work experience in the same field in which you have skilled employment.
Recognized qualifications – there are 40-60 points available for a variety of trade certificates, diplomas, bachelor’s degrees and post-graduate qualifications.
Age – there’s a minimum of 5 points and a maximum of 30 points for age.
Close family – you can claim 10 points if you have close family with New Zealand residence or citizenship.
To see if you qualify, request for a FREE assessment with one of our immigration consultants today!
