To be eligible for New Zealand Resident Visa under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), you need to fulfill several requirements. Based on your eligibility, you claim points for age, qualification, work experience, job offer, etc. The current threshold for getting your Expression of Interest (EOI) picked from the EOI pool by draw of lots is 160 points. Thereon, you’re Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the visa under the said category. Once applied the application goes through further assessments. If it’s established that you had claimed points correctly and can positively contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth, you’re given the Resident Visa under SMC Category, which would allow you to stay in New Zealand indefinitely.
The First Step
The first step in the process is self-assessment. If you fail to reach the current threshold of 160 points and very evidently do not qualify for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, you should first fill those gaps before applying.
Once your self-assessment establishes you as an ideal candidate to apply for this visa, you have to submit an online application and lodge your Expression of Interest. This is to show your interest that you want New Zealand residency. Based on this Expression of Interest, you’re then either Invited to Apply for the said visa or declined.
Expression of Interest is a point-based system that has its own provisos. To know more about it – and to score points accurately – consider talking to a Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA) from Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd.
Applying for NZ Resident Visa
After receiving the Invitation to Apply, you will be given four months to submit documentary evidence in support of your claim made in the Expression of Interest that you had earlier lodged. The immigration officer will go through your application and documentary evidence, assess it against the eligibility criteria, and make the final call. Various factors like the ANZSCO code for assessing the skill level of the job are used here to determine whether you’re right to be given the Resident Visa and that if you can contribute to the economic and social growth of New Zealand.
Based on the assessment made by the immigration officer your application will either be approved or rejected. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people get their application rejected. There are numerous reasons why!
Talk to Experts
While the process of applying for New Zealand Resident Visa under the Skilled Migrant Category is straightforward, there are several caveats throughout the process that one must heed to. To that, the applicants usually have many questions that demand a thorough understanding of the New Zealand immigration law, policy, and procedure; questions like what if they are not eligible for SMC, what if their EOI points are low, and what if their application gets rejected.
Some other questions could be related to the comparable labor market, skill shortages, skilled work experience, qualification, NZQA assessment, and bonus points, etc.
If you’re applying for the visa under this category, you would like to gain absolute clarity before proceeding ahead. Feel free to get in touch with Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. to get all your questions answered.
We are a leading immigration advisory service provider based in Auckland, with a team of five licensed (and highly experienced) advisers. To date, we have worked with hundreds of clients from 10+ countries. We would love to assist you with all your New Zealand Resident Visa needs and queries.
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