New Zealand Skilled Migrant Resident Visas
Who is New Zealand Skilled Migrant Resident Visa suitable for?
The New Zealand Skilled Migrant Resident Visa is suitable for applicants who are professionals with good qualifications and work experience. To be suitable for a skill visa, the applicant must be 55 years old or below and has good English proficiency skills.
Basic Criteria
| Basic Criteria | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| Health | Have an acceptable standard of health |
| Character | Be of good character |
| English | IELTS Academic or General overall score of 6.5 or more, or equivalent scores from other approved tests (please see below) |
| Age | 55 years old or under |
| Points | Have a minimum points score of 180 (check your points score with the points table below) |
| EOI | Have successfully submitted your EOI and be selected to apply for the visa |
| English Tests | Minimum Requirements |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic or General | overall score of 6.5 or more |
| TOEFL iBT | overall score of 79 or more |
| PTE Academic | overall score of 58 or more |
| B2 First or B2 First for Schools | overall score of 176 or more |
| OET | Grade B or higher in all four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) |
English proficiency can also be demonstrated by meeting the following standards:
- citizenship of Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America, provided the applicant has spent at least five years in work or education in one or more of those countries or Australia or New Zealand; or
- a recognised qualification comparable to a New Zealand level 7 bachelor’s degree and gained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America as a result of study undertaken for at least two academic years in one or more of those countries; or
- a recognised qualification comparable to a New Zealand qualification at level 8 or above and gained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America as a result of study undertaken for at least one academic year in one or more of those countries.
Please note that non-principal applicants who do not meet the English requirements above can choose to pre-purchase ESOL tuition by paying the required charges of between NZ$1,735 and NZ$6,795 depending on the level of English. Please contact Tanson Migration for further details.
Our New Zealand migration team has three licensed immigration advisers (IAA license numbers: 200901766, 201600570, 202000561) and can help you with your New Zealand Investor 1 or 2 Resident Visas Visas, Student Visas, or any other New Zealand visas. Please contact us at Tanson Migration to learn more.
Points Table for New Zealand Skilled Migrant Resident Visas
| CATEGORY | REQUIREMENTS | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| Age (20 to 55 years) | 20-39 | 30 |
| 40-44 | 20 | |
| 45-49 | 10 | |
| 50-55 | 5 | |
| Skilled employment | Current skilled employment in New Zealand or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand | 50 |
| Bonus points for skilled employment | Current skilled employment in New Zealand or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand in an area of absolute skills shortage | 10 |
| Current skilled employment or an offer of skilled employment outside the Auckland region | 30 | |
| Current skilled employment or an offer of skilled employment with remuneration of least $51.00 per hour, or the equivalent annual salary | 20 | |
| Skilled work experience | 2 years | 10 |
| 4 years | 20 | |
| 6 years | 30 | |
| 8 years | 40 | |
| 10 years | 50 | |
| Additional bonus points if skilled work experience is in New Zealand | 1 year or more | 10 |
| Additional bonus points for skilled work experience in an area of absolute skills shortage | 2 to 5 years | 10 |
| 6 years or more | 15 | |
| Qualifications | Recognised level 3 qualification if included on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA) | 40 |
| Recognised level 4-6 qualification (e.g. trade qualification, diploma) | 40 | |
| Recognised level 7 or 8 qualification (e.g. bachelor’s degree, bachelor’s degree with Honours) | 50 | |
| Recognised level 9 or 10 post-graduate qualification (Master’s degree, Doctorate) | 70 | |
| Bonus points for qualifications gained in New Zealand | 2 years of full-time study in New Zealand completing a recognised bachelor degree (level 7) New Zealand qualification; or | 10 |
| 1 year of full-time study in New Zealand completing a recognised post-graduate New Zealand qualification; or | 10 | |
| 2 years of full-time study in New Zealand completing a recognised post-graduate New Zealand qualification | 15 | |
| Bonus points for partner’s skilled employment | Partner’s current skilled employment in New Zealand or offer of skilled employment in New Zealand. | 20 |
| Bonus points for partner’s qualification (either) | Recognised qualification at level 7 or 8; or | 10 |
| Recognised qualification at level 9 or above | 20 |
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