Most individuals and families that come to New Zealand, come with the hope to improve their circumstances and lifestyle. Not all individuals qualify or are approved residence visas but If you have the skills, the required qualifications  and/or the experience that New Zealand needs you may be able to apply for a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category.

A resident visa simply allows you to live in New Zealand permanently. It is not a temporary visa which needs to be renewed when it expired. After you have been approved a resident visa you can apply for a permanent resident visa after two years allowing you to remain in New Zealand indefinitely. You enjoy the same privileges as a New Zealand Citizen.

How the NZ Skilled Migrant Category works? 

• Age
• Skilled employment
• Qualifications
• Work experience
• High remuneration
• Skilled employment outside the Auckland region
• Partner’s skilled employment
• Partner’s qualification
• Other factors

For more detailed information and to assess your own eligibility, check out the Immigration NZ Points Calculator here

Mandatory requirements for SMC
You must meet the points of 160 in order to submit an expression of interest. You must also meet the following requirements:

Remuneration
You must be paid an hourly rate of at least $25.50 per hour. Your offer or skilled offer of employment must demonstrate  that you earn the above hourly wage or equivalent annual wage. Your employment must be full time of at least 30 hours of work per week.

Age
You must be aged between 20 and 55 years of age to apply for residence under SMC. Specific points are awarded depending on your age.

 Health
You must be of an Acceptable Standard of Health to be eligible to residence under SMC. If you are not of an Acceptable Standard of health, you may be granted a medical waiver.
For more information about health requirements, click here.

Character
You must be of good character to be eligible for residence under SMC.

You will need to provide police certificates from your country of citizenship as well as from any country in which you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years.
Check character requirements here.

Including others in your application
You can include partners and dependent children in your application for residence under SMC.

To include your partner/spouse in the application your relationship must meet certain requirements. You must be deemed to be living together in a genuine, stable and credible partnership.

English language requirements
Those applying for residence under SMC must meet English language requirements. For more detailed information about English language requirement click here.