This category offers individuals the opportunity to emigrate to New Zealand by helping boost the New Zealand skilled workforce.

It is based on a points system and you can claim points for a skilled job offer, age, qualifications, work experience, employment in NZ, etc. There are certain requirements  that must be met in order for you to claim those points.

 To be eligible to emigrate to New Zealand you must:

• Be under the age of 56 years;
• Meet the health, character and English language requirements;
• Be able to meet the threshold of 160 points in the Points System to register an Expression of Interest; and

• Be able to claim points for a recognised qualification or for recognised work experience.

Having an offer of skilled employment or being in skilled employment in NZ is not mandatory, but it will make you more likely to be selected as a possible residence candidate.

How to apply? 

There are two stages of applying for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category:

• Stage One – you complete an Expression of Interest (EOI). In this EOI, you can claim points for age, skilled employment, work experience, qualifications, etc. Your points total will help you determine whether to submit your EOI to us for a selection process.
• Stage Two – if your EOI is selected from the EOI Pool, INZ decide whether they’ll invite you to apply for residence (ITA) in New Zealand based on the points you have claimed.

You should assess your eligibility for the Skilled Migrant category before you decide to complete your Expression of Interest by following this link:   https://www.immigration.govt.nz/pointsindicator/

The general timeframe for EOI processing is 4-8 weeks. This may vary from branch to branch.