Get a sense of the whole Skilled Migrant process, from start to finish.

1. Requirements

To apply under the Skilled Migrant Category, you must meet our requirements. You need to be aged 55 or under. You also have to meet our standards of health, character, and English language ability before you start the process.

2. The Expression of Interest

This is the first step towards making an application. If you qualify, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), in which you claim points for skills, experience, and other factors.

3. The EOI pool and the pool draw

If you have claimed 100 points or more on your EOI, you can submit it into the Pool. Every fortnight, all EOIs over 140 points are automatically selected for an invitation to apply (ITA). After this, lower scoring EOIs with certain factors, such as skilled employment in New Zealand, are selected.

4. Invitation to Apply

Once your EOI is drawn from the pool, we examine it and if we find it credible, we send you an ITA. You will have to show proof of the claims made on your EOI. This means medical and police certificates, proof of English language ability, and documentation regarding your skills, experience, and other factors.

The application form contains the information that you provided in your EOI. You will check the information and return it to us with your documentation.

The date that you make your SMC residence application with Immigration New Zealand determines the criteria that your application will be assessed against. The criteria that was current when you submitted your EOI, or current when your EOI was selected from the pool, is not necessarily the criteria that your SMC residence application will be assessed against.

5. Full assessment

Once we receive your application and documents, we start assessing you for residence. We make sure that you meet all our requirements, and that your points claims are valid.

We will also assess you on your ability to settle in New Zealand successfully. We may consider you able based on your application, or we may wish to interview you.

6. Resident visas and Job Search visas

If you meet our criteria, and we believe you will settle successfully and contribute to New Zealand, we will offer you a resident visa.

If we think you have potential, but want to see how you settle, we will give you a job search visa, which you can use to help obtain an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand for up to nine months. If you obtain skilled employment in this time you will have shown your ability to settle and contribute, and your residence application will be approved.

Please remember that an SMC Job Search visa is an opportunity to seek skilled employment in New Zealand. It is not a guarantee of work, a job offer, or of residence. Immigration New Zealand advises against the sale of assets, the termination of children’s schooling, and the shipping of household items to New Zealand until an applicant’s residence status is fully approved.

Further information

• See whether you meet our requirements.