Before your employee starts working for you, you must check they are allowed to work in New Zealand.
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
Support a candidate's visa application
The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa can be useful if you want to fill a specialist, technical or managerial role that requires particular qualifications or work experience.
What an employer needs to do
View All Evidence
You must be an accredited employer to hire migrants on the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
You are allowed to offer a job to someone who does not have a visa but your offer should be conditional on that person getting a visa.
We use a points system to decide who we invite to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category.
For your candidate to be able to claim points for their job offer, it must be for:
- a skilled occupation
- full-time work (at least 30 hours a week)
- permanent employment for 12 months or more , or on a contract basis, if your candidate can show us they have a history of consistent contract work, a current contract for services, and that the work is likely to be ongoing
- an employer who has good workplace practices and complies with immigration, employment and other laws.
As an employer, this means:
- paying the same market rate you would pay a New Zealander to do the work
- meeting holiday and leave requirements
- providing a safe workplace.
What happens next
Provide a job offer
If you want to bring a skilled migrant to New Zealand to work for you, they will first need to send us an Expression of Interest (EOI).
Candidate sends us an Expression of Interest
We use a points system to assess EOIs. We award your candidate EOI points for their qualifications, income from their job, New Zealand occupational registration and skilled work experience in New Zealand.
Candidate is invited to apply for residence
If your candidate’s EOI qualifies for enough points, we invite them to apply for residence.
Employee starts work
You have to make sure the people who work for you have the right to work in New Zealand.
Even if your employee is from an English-speaking background, It is a good idea to help them settle in.
If you are able to help your migrant employees to settle, they’ll be able perform well in your business, faster.