Skilled Migrant Category

Overview

This category is for those people who can show to Immigration New Zealand that they have the skills that New Zealand wants. In most cases, you will need to have a full time employment performing a role that would be seen as "skilled" in the eyes of the Immigration Officer processing your application.

You will need to satisfy each of the following requirements:

• meet general requirements; and
• meet English language requirements; and
• meet points requirements; and
• meet employment requirements; and
• meet work experience and/or qualification requirements.

Let's take a look at each in turn.

General requirements

General requirements include paying correct application fee, using prescribed Immigration New Zealand form, meeting health/character requirements, and being a 'bona fide' (genuine) applicant. You cannot apply under this category as the principal applicant if you are aged 56 and over.

English language requirements

You will need to provide evidence to show that you have English proficiency equivalent to an IELTS exam score of at least 6.5. Your partner and your dependent children aged 16 years or over will need to provide evidence to show that they have English proficiency equivalent to an IELTS exam score of at least 5.0. Partners and dependent children have the option of pre-purchasing ESOL training if they are unable to meet the English language requirement.

Points requirements

This category operates a points system. From the following table, you will need to work out that you can claim at least 160 points.

Employment requirements

There is a string of requirements you have to meet in terms of your employment, which include the following:

• full time employment, at least 30 hours per week; and
• skill level 1, 2 or 3 on the ANZSCO; and
• duties should "substantially match" the ANZSCO description; and
• be paid minimum $24.29 per hour; and
• salary/wages should be within market range; and
• employer should not be running at a loss; and
• employer should be compliant with relevant employment/immigration laws.

Work experience and/or qualification requirements

Depending on what skill level your position is according to the ANZSCO, you will need to show that you are suitably qualified by training or experience to carry out the tasks associated with the position.

Get advice

Many issues that you were not aware of could surface when you lodge a Skilled Migrant residence application, so it will be worth getting proper advice and guidance from the beginning.