The Skilled Migrant category was created to assist New Zealand in filling their employment gaps. Candidates are chosen for their value they can add to the New Zealand work force. This is also the category that most South Africans qualify under.

The Skilled Migrant category was created to assist New Zealand in filling their employment gaps. Candidates are chosen for their value they can add to the New Zealand work force. This is also the category that most South Africans qualify under.

The Skilled Migrant Category has been broken down into different “boxes”, these are :

a) Residence
b) Work to Residence
c) Residence from Work

Confusing I know, but let’s look at each box in turn and then it will make a bit more sense :

Permanent Residence

This box is for those people that immediately qualify for full permanent residence to New Zealand and the route that most South Africans take to get here. Your residence will generally be granted on the strength of your qualifications or work experience, but can also be granted on the strength of a job offer in New Zealand. You are however required to be under 55 at the time of your application.

The big advantage of gaining your permanent residence before you land in New Zealand is that you can then immediately take up employment in any capacity which makes the initial job hunt a lot less stressful. Your immediate family is also included in this application, so they gain residence as part of your application. Click the link to read more about the Permanent Residence Application Process.

Work to Residence

This box is for those that don’t immediately qualify for full permanent residence and is basically a fancy word for a work permit which after two years can be converted to Permanent Residence.

Work to Residence permits are issued if :
i) You have applied for and qualify for full permanent residence, but NZIS have concerns about your . They then issue you with a Work to Residence permit in order for you to prove that you have the ability to settle successfully.
or
you also apply for a Work to Residence permit under the following categories if you do not qualify under the Residence box :

ii) Long Term Skills Shortage – if you have a jof offer from a New Zealand employer and that job is listed on the Long Term Skills Shortage list, you can apply for a Work to Residence permit. You can find the Long Term Skills Shortage list HERE You need to be 53 or under to apply under this category. You can read more about these conditions HERE .

iii) Talent (Accredited Employer) – Some of New Zealand’s businesses have been approved to employ staff from overseas. If you receive an offer of skilled employment from one of these employers, then you can apply for a Work to Residence permit. You can find a list of Accredited Employers HERE There are also minimum wage conditions applied to this category. You can read more about these conditions HERE

iv) Talent (Arts, Culture and Sports) – If you have recognised talents and abilities in the arts, culture or sports fields, and your time in New Zealand will enhance the country’s reputation, then you can apply for a Work to Residence permit. Obviously this category is not available to you if you player first team soccer at school. You need to already be internationally recognised, for example somebody like Ernie Els would be able to apply under this category. The person needs a sponsorship from a New Zealand organisation of national repute. You can read about this option HERE

IMPORTANT – it is important to note that not all jobs are created equal in the eyes of NZIS. NZIS regards some jobs unworthy of a WP, others worthy of a WP only but not PR, others will qualify you for PR.

NOTE – Some occupation require registration before you can work in those fields. New Zealand Immigration Service will require you to register / obtain provisional registration before they will grant and visa / permit under the Skilled Migrant category. You can find out more about which occupations these are HERE

The Work to Residence category is only open to persons under the age of 55.

A Work to Residence permit is only issued to you and does not include the members of your immediate family. They need to apply for their own visitor, work or student permit. Read more about this HERE

For more info about Work to Residence permits visit the INZ site

The third Skilled Migrant box is the Residence from Work box

Residence from Work

This box is only available to persons that have been working in New Zealand for two years or more already. More often than not it is folks that have been issued Work to Residence permits and now want to “claim” their full Permanent Residence or folks that have been working here on Work Permits for more than two years in order to gain extra points towards their Permanent Residence application. This option is also limited to persons under 55.

For more info about Work to Residence permits visit the INZ site

The next category is the Business and Investor category.