Why Permanent Residence?

They say, "home is where the heart is." Often home is also a place you've become very familiar with. Where you can live and work and study. Permanent residents share many of the same rights and opportunities as citizens. With all the natural beauty, wide-open spaces, and friendly, hospitable people in New Zealand, it's both a great place to visit and to live.

Important Information about the Skilled Migrant Category

Permanent Residence under the Skilled Migration Category

Recent changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) scheme have made the selection system easier to understand and more flexible. To be considered under the Permanent Residence visa Skilled Migrant Category an applicant will first need to pass through two main stages. The first is the submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI) into the "EOI Pool". The second stage applies when, following an initial assessment of your EOI, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) issues you with an invitation to apply for residence.

Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI)

For your Expression of Interest to be selected from the EOI Pool, you will need to have at least 100 points. At this stage you should submit an Expression of Interest to Immigration New Zealand.

Selections from the EOI Pool take place every fortnight (see our Homepage link to the INZ web-page that contains selection dates and results) and if selected, usually within a 3-month period, you may be invited to apply for a Resident Visa. Whether or not you are selected from the EOI pool will depend on the quality of your EOI and on you meeting the criteria to be invited by INZ to submit an application for a Residence Visa.

No Guarantee of Residence

Please note that being invited to apply for residence is not a guarantee that you will be issued with a residence visa. First you will have to meet the Immigration New Zealand criteria relevant to the EOI points you have claimed, some of which may be the following:

• Hold an offer of skilled employment or skilled employment in New Zealand
• Have at least 2 years skilled employment in New Zealand
• Hold a recognised undergraduate or post graduate qualification
• Be less than 55 years of age at the time your application is submitted
• Have a close family member living in New Zealand (this means your own immediate family) and New Zealand is their main place of residence

You may also qualify for bonus points if you:

• Have obtained an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand OR have current skilled employment in New Zealand in an identified future growth area or an area of absolute skill shortage
• Have 1 year, 2 years or 3 or more years of full-time work experience in New Zealand
• Have work experience in an identified growth area or an area of absolute skills shortage
• Have 2 years full-time study in New Zealand towards a recognised qualification
• Have a recognised basic New Zealand qualification
• Have a recognised post-graduate New Zealand qualification
• Have a qualification in an identified future growth area or an area of absolute skill shortage
• Partner holds a recognised qualification.
• There are a number of other things to consider in order to correctly allocate points and make a valid application.

Requirements include:

• You must have a high level of competence in English (IELTS 6.5). For applicants who do not have IELTS 6.5, an immigration officer may consider that an applicant meets the English language requirements if they are able to demonstrate that they meet other criteria as to English language ability, such as: employment in NZ of at least 12 months where English is the main medium of communication, have studied a full time for 2 years for a relevant qualification or for 1 year full time for a qualification that would qualify for points under the skilled migrant category, etc
• All residence applicants must provide medical certificates and those aged 17 and older and must also provide Police certificates to confirm good character