New Zealand is providing various routes for skilled workers to seek permanent residency.
These routes are intended to solve labor shortages in vital sectors and enable qualified professionals to aid New Zealand’s economy.
As per New Zealand Immigration, applicants who fulfill specific criteria can now apply for residency through several visa options, including the Skilled Migrant Resident Visa and the Green List pathway.
There are three main skilled residence options for people who qualify. These options help individuals apply for permanent residency using their skills and work history:
1. Pathway for Skilled Migrant Residents
2. Pathway for Green List Applicants
3. Pathways for Care Workforce and Transport Sector Agreements.
Some visas permit applicants to seek residency immediately, but others, including the Work to Residence Visa, require applicants to have work experience in New Zealand before they can apply for permanent residency.
Skilled migrant category resident visa
The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is for people with skills that help New Zealand’s economy grow. To get this visa, applicants need to meet certain requirements.:
- Secure a position or job offer in skilled employment in New Zealand.
- Aim to earn at least the median salary.
- You need a minimum of 6 points from your qualifications, income, and work history.
Points are given for New Zealand qualifications or registration and skilled job experience in New Zealand. You can get up to 3 points for every year of skilled work experience.
However, if the applicant’s work is at an ANZSCO level 1 to 3, they must meet or surpass the median wage to be eligible. Applicants for ANZSCO level 4 to 5 employment must earn 1.5 times the median income to be eligible for bonus points.
The acronym ANZSCO refers for the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. It is a system for classifying and categorizing vocations in Australia and New Zealand. The ANZSCO code assists in identifying job roles and their matching skill levels, making it easier to evaluate qualifications, skills, and work experience for immigration purposes.
In the context of New Zealand’s immigration system, the ANZSCO is used to assess the skill level of an individual employment. Occupations are classified into five skill levels, ranging from Level 1 (the greatest skill level, which requires a university degree or equivalent) to Level 5 (the lowest skill level, which usually involves on-the-job training or little academic credentials).
This categorization aids in determining eligibility for various visas, such as the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, by comparing the required skill level of a job to the applicant’s qualifications and experience.
Green list pathways:
- Directly from work to home and back
- New Zealand provides two major Green List pathways for talented professionals:
1. Straight to residency visa.
This visa permits applicants to petition for residency if they work for an eligible employer in a Tier 1 Green List position. If they fit the qualifications, applicants can apply from abroad or while on a work visa.
2. Work to Residence Visa
Applicants for the Work to Residence Visa must have worked for an approved employer for at least 24 months in a Tier 2 Green List capacity. Applicants must also be paid at least the median wage for their position while applying.
To be eligible, applicants must have worked for 24 months in a Green List post and met the required wage requirements during that period.
The care workforce and transportation industry work together to create residence paths.
In addition to the Green List pathways, New Zealand provides particular work-to-residence pathways for people in the care workforce and transportation sectors:
1. Care workforce work-to-residence visa
Applicants must have at least 24 months of work experience in a care capacity that meets the salary standards. To be eligible, persons must have earned at least NZD $28.25 per hour throughout their work experience. This option enables applicants to complete the 24-month requirement by gaining work experience in other in-demand roles, such as transportation or Green List positions.
2. Transport work to residency visa.
This visa is intended for persons working in the transportation sector. Applicants must have spent at least 24 months working for an approved employer in the transportation sector.
The immigration body informs candidates that several roles were deleted from this channel in April 2024, so they should double-check their eligibility before applying.
Requirements and documentation
When applying for any of these skilled residency options, candidates must offer adequate documents to back up their candidacy. This includes:
- Police certifications
- Medical certificates
- Proof of English language competency.
- Job offer or proof of present job in New Zealand.
- Qualifications or registration paperwork, as relevant
New Zealand Immigration advises that applicants must match the eligibility criteria for each visa category and supply all required documentation to avoid delays or rejection of their application, since there will be no reimbursement.
New Zealand has numerous avenues for talented professionals to apply for permanent residency, with a focus on vital areas such as healthcare, engineering, and transportation. Applicants who match the specified visa conditions and provide the required papers can benefit from a shortened process for obtaining residency and contributing to New Zealand’s economy.
Prospective applicants can learn more about the various visa types and qualifying requirements by visiting the New Zealand Immigration website.
