We require people to have a reasonable standard of English to ensure they have the best opportunity to settle successfully into work and life in New Zealand.

Our requirements apply differently depending on whether you are the principal applicant – the person completing the form – or a non-principal applicant. Non-principal applicants include the partner and/or dependent children of the person completing the form.

Requirements for principal applicants

As a principal applicant you must provide:

• a recent International English Language Testing System (IELTS) certificate where you gained an overall band score of 6.5 or over in the IELTS General or Academic Module. The certificate must be less than two years old. (If you were granted a long-term business visa before 20 November 2002 and you’re now applying for residence under our Entrepreneur Category, you need a minimum band score of 4 in each of the four components of the IELTS General or Academic Module), or
• evidence that you have an English-speaking background, or
• evidence that you’ve been employed in New Zealand for at least 12 months in a position that’s required you to speak English. We’ll need to see a written reference on company letterhead from your employer providing their contact details and details of your employment with them. If you’re still employed, you can instead show us your current employment contract, or
• you can show us through other means that you are a competent user of English. The factors we will consider may include:
  • your current country of residence
  • countries you may have lived in before
  • how long you were in each country
  • whether you speak any languages other than English
  • your family’s ability to speak English
  • whether your family members speak any languages other than English
  • your previous or current work and the level of English language skills required, and 
  • your qualifications and the level of English language skills they required.

If you were granted a long-term business visa before 20 November 2002 and you’re now applying for residence under our Entrepreneur Category you may instead pre-purchase ESOL tuition as evidence of English language skills.

In all cases we may still require you to provide an IELTS certificate to confirm you meet our English requirements.

Requirements for non-principal applicants

As a partner or a dependent child aged 16 and older you must:

• show you meet our minimum standard of English
  or
• pre-purchase English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) training

Evidence of an English-speaking background

As a partner you can score points because you‘re in skilled employment in New Zealand and have been for at least 12 months

or

you can show you:

• completed primary and at least three years’ secondary schooling at schools using English
• completed at least five years’ secondary schooling at schools using English
• completed a tertiary course of three years or more at institutions using English
• hold a minimum of a ‘C’ pass in one of the following:
  • General Certificate of Education (GCE) 'A' Levels from Britain or Singapore - subjects must include English Language or Literature, or Use of English
  • Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
  • Hong Kong Advanced Level Examinations (HKALE) - subjects must include Use of English
  • University of Cambridge in collaboration with University of Malaya, General Certificate of English (GCE) ‘A’ levels. Subjects must include English or General Paper
• or you hold:
  • an International Baccalaureate - full Diploma in English Medium
  • an STPM 920 (Malaysia) – ‘A’ or ‘B’ pass in English Literature South African Matriculation Certificate, with a minimum ‘D’ pass in English (Higher Grade)
  • a South African Senior Certificate, with a minimum ‘D’ pass in English (Higher Grade), endorsed with the words 'matriculation exempt'
  • a New Zealand tertiary entrance qualification gained on completing the seventh form.

In all cases we may still require you to provide an IELTS certificate to confirm you meet our English language requirements.

ESOL tuition for non-principal applicants

Non-principal applicants who do not meet the minimum standard of English may pre-purchase ESOL tuition in New Zealand. You purchase this tuition from us, on behalf of New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Commission. The resident visa will only be granted once you have paid the tuition charge.

Principal applicants who were granted a long-term business visa before 20 November 2002 and who are now applying for residence under our Entrepreneur Category may also pre-purchase ESOL tuition as evidence of English language skills.