New Zealand: Skilled Migrant Category (SMC)

To apply under the Skilled Migrant Category, the applicant must meet the requirements that include but are not limited to the followings:

• Belong to age group from 20-55 (inclusive)
• Meet the standards of health, character, and English language proficiency before you start the process.

If the applicant meets the basic requirements, he can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), and claim points for skills, experience, and other factors.

If the applicant has claimed 100 points or more on his EOI, it goes into the Pool every fortnight and all EOI’s over 140 points are automatically selected for an invitation to apply. After this, lower scoring EOI’s with certain factors, such as skilled employment in New Zealand, are selected.

Once the EOI is drawn from the pool, it is examined and if we found credible, the applicant receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The applicant will have to show proof of the claims made on his EOI. This means medical and police certificates, proof of English language ability, and documentation regarding his skills, experience, and other factors.

The application form contains the information that the applicant provides in the EOI. He will check the information and return it to NZIS with his documents.

The date that the applicant makes his SMC residence application with Immigration New Zealand determines the policy that his application will be assessed against. Therefore, the policy that was current when he submits his EOI, or current when his EOI was selected from the pool, is not necessarily the policy that his SMC residence application will be assessed against.

Once NZIS receive his application and documents, it starts assessing the applicant for residence. It makes sure that the applicant meets all the program requirements, and that the points claimed by him are valid.

NZIS will also assess the applicant on his ability to settle in New Zealand successfully. NZIS may consider the application based on the application information, or it may wish to interview the applicant.

If the applicant meets NZIS criteria, and the department believes that he will settle successfully and contribute to New Zealand, it will offer the applicant a residence visa or permit.

The applicant may also get a work to residence visa or permit, which he can use to help obtain an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand for up to nine months. If he obtain skilled employment in this time he will have shown his ability to settle and contribute, and his residence application will be approved.

Contact us today to confirm whether you meet the requirements under the EOI program.