We use a points system to select people who can apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category.
If we think a person from overseas has the ability to settle and contribute we’ll grant them residence in New Zealand under the Skilled Migrant Category.
Some people won’t be able to apply for permanent residence. For example, people who’ve been involved in criminal or terrorist activities.
And our Work to Residence policies allow New Zealand employers to access people from overseas who have skills or talents they need while providing the employees with a pathway to permanent residence.
What is required?
Employers considering employing workers from overseas who want to become permanent residents can affect the points that person qualifies for under the Skilled Migrant Category.
Employers who have a good understanding of our requirements for applicants are more likely to select a prospective employee who has a good chance of being invited to apply for residence. Find out what’s required of prospective employees.
Then, it’s a matter of whether the employer can make an offer of employment in what we’ve determined as skilled employment, as this qualifies for points. To qualify for those points, though, an employer’s offer of employment needs to meet our requirements:
An offer of employment qualifies for points if:
- the offer is for genuine full-time employment in which the employee earns a salary or wages or holds a contract position. Positions paid by commission or retainer do not gain points
- the offer is for ongoing employment
- The employer has a history of good work practices such as meeting all New Zealand immigration and employment laws
- the employment of the applicant meets all New Zealand immigration and employment laws and policies.
The prospective employee can also gain points if they are currently employed in skilled employment. That employment must also meet these requirements.
An offer of employment that qualifies for bonus points
For the prospective employee to qualify for bonus points the employer’s business or the position they’re offering them needs to be in:
In all cases, we’ll look for evidence that the job the employer has offered, or that the overseas worker is employed in, is in the area they are claiming bonus points for.