Skip to main content Skip to top level navigation Skip to section navigation Skip to footer
Immigration New Zealand
  • Search
  • Menu        

Meeting the criteria

The criteria and evidence below will provide you with the information you need to meet the requirements of this visa.

Show all evidence Hide all evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

EvidenceHide

Acceptable photos

Passports must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

If you’re applying for this visa outside of New Zealand, you’ll need to supply a pre-paid courier envelope, for us to return your passport and/or any other original identity documents.

If you do not have a full birth certificate, you must provide all of the following:

  • a ‘No record of birth registration’
  • a Permanent Account Number (PAN) card or Voters Card or Indian driver’s license
  • a school leaving certificate or class 10th or 12th passing certificate which includes your name, date of birth and your father’s name
  • a statutory declaration or an affidavit sworn before a Magistrate/Notary Public which states your full name, date and place of birth and both your parent’s full names.

You don’t need to provide proof of your identity until you’re invited to apply for residence.

Character

You must be of good character

EvidenceHide

If you’re 17 or over, you must provide a Police Certificate from:

  • your country of citizenship
  • any other country where you’ve spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years, even if you didn’t spend that 12 months all in one visit.

Good character
Police certificates

You don’t need to provide any Police Certificates until you’re invited to apply for residence.

English language

You must be able to speak English

EvidenceHide

You will need to provide one of these with your application:

  • An acceptable English language test result.
  • Evidence you’re a citizen of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK) or the United States of America (USA), and you have spent at least five years working or studying in those countries, or in Australia or New Zealand.
  • Evidence you have a recognised qualification that’s comparable to a New Zealand level 7 bachelor’s degree, which you gained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK or the USA. You must have also studied for at least two years in any of those countries to get that qualification.
  • Evidence you have a recognised qualification that’s comparable to a postgraduate New Zealand qualification, which you gained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK or the USA. You must have also studied for at least one year in any of those countries to get that qualification. 

 Acceptable English language test results

English language test results must be no more than 2 years old.

Regardless of the other evidence you provide, if you don’t provide an acceptable English language test result, we may ask for one as evidence you meet the English language requirements.

Age

You must be 55 years or under when you apply for residence

EvidenceHide

If you’re invited to apply for residence, we’ll use the documents you provide as proof of your identity to confirm your age.

Skilled employment

You must be able to work in skilled employment

EvidenceHide

If invited to apply for residence, you must provide evidence you're able to work in skilled employment, including having the necessary:

  • work experience
  • qualifications
  • occupational registration.

Occupational registration

Expression of interest

You must send us an Expression of Interest (EOI)

EvidenceHide

For us to enter your EOI into our selection pool, you must be able to claim at least 100 points under our points system.

You can use our Points indicator tool to get an idea of how many points you may be able to claim - scroll down to see the tool.

 

EOIs are valid for 6 months.

Invitation to apply for residence

You must be invited to apply for residence

EvidenceHide

If invited to apply for residence, you must apply within 4 months of receiving your invitation.

Your invitation to apply will include the specific evidence you need to provide to support the claims you made in your EOI, which may include:

  • an employment agreement
  • a job description
  • your full or provisional occupational registration, if New Zealand law requires you to have it do your job
  • original or certified copies of your qualifications and your course transcripts
  • a report from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) confirming any qualification that isn’t on our list of recognised or exempt qualifications
  • references, payslips, tax records or contracts that confirm your work experience
  • birth certificates for any close family who live in New Zealand that show you are related
  • proof that any close family you have claimed points for live in New Zealand.

If you’re unable to provide evidence to support the claims you made in your EOI, we may not be able to grant you a visa.

Occupational registration

You must check if your qualification is on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) list of recognised or exempt qualifications. If it’s not on the list, you must provide a report from the NZQA confirming the level at which your qualification is comparable to a New Zealand qualification.

List of NZQA qualifications

Points indicator

The points indicator is a guide only. Only an immigration officer can award you points during their assessment of your visa application.

Age

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll use the documents you provide as proof of your identity to confirm your age.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Skilled employment

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask you to provide a copy of your written employment agreement or contract for services that includes:

  • a detailed description of your job
  • your hours of work
  • the length of your employment
  • your salary
  • the date you started work.

We'll also ask you for evidence you have the necessary work experience, qualifications, and occupational registration to carry out the work you're doing.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask you to provide a copy of your written employment agreement, which will need to include:

  • a detailed job description
  • the hours of work
  • the length of the employment
  • the salary
  • the date you'll be starting work.

We'll also ask you for evidence you have the necessary work experience, qualifications, and occupational registration to carry out the work you'll be doing.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll check the work you've been offered is in a future growth area.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask you to provide evidence that:

  • your work is in an occupation that's on our Long Term Skill Shortage List (this should be covered in your employment agreement)
  • you have the qualifications, work experience and/or occupational registration to work in your occupation detailed in the Long Term Skill Shortage List.

Long Term Skill Shortage List (INZ 1093) PDF 322KB

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll need your employment agreement to include the location of your job (as well as evidence that your job is in skilled employment).

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Qualifications

Your qualification will be recognised if it’s:

  • on the List of Qualifications Recognised as an Exception
  • on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment
  • assessed by a New Zealand registration authority at the same level as a qualification on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment as part of an application for New Zealand occupational registration.

List of Qualifications Recognised as an Exception
List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment

Or, you can ask the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to assess the level of your qualification. The NZQA offer two kinds of assessments:

The Pre-assessment Result will give you an idea if you can claim points for a recognised qualification, but you can’t use it as evidence if you’re later invited to apply for residence.

If you’re invited to apply for residence, we’ll ask you to provide:

We may also ask for copies of your course transcripts.

If you need an NZQA assessment, you’ll need to include a PAR or IQA reference number with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Visit www.nzqa.govt.nz for more information about how to: Get international qualifications recognised for immigration
Apply for a Pre-assessment Result
Apply for an International Qualifications Assessment.

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask you to provide:

We may also ask for your course transcripts.

Visit www.nzqf.govt.nz or www.nzqa.govt.nz for information about confirming qualifications.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence:

We may also ask for your course transcripts.

Visit www.nzqf.govt.nz or www.nzqa.govt.nz for information about confirming qualifications.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask you to provide a copy of your academic transcript that shows that the major subject of your qualification is in the same future growth area in which you are or will be working.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, the evidence we'll ask you to provide will depend on whether or not you have skilled employment in an area of absolute skills shortage in New Zealand.

If you're already working in or have been offered skilled employment in New Zealand, we'll ask you for evidence that your qualification is the reason you have the specialist, technical or managerial expertise necessary to do your work.

If you don't have skilled employment, we'll ask you for evidence that you meet all the ‘bonus point requirements' listed for your occupation on the Long Term Skill Shortage List.

Long Term Skill Shortage List (INZ 1093) PDF 322KB

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Work experience

If you're invited to apply for residence, you'll need to provide documents that show:

  • the work that you did
  • the dates you did the work
  • how many hours a week you worked (on average)
  • the contact details for your employer or employers
  • how your work experience relates to the work you're doing or have been offered in New Zealand.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, you'll need to provide documents that show how your work experience relates to your recognised qualification.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence you'll need to provide evidence that your work experience either:

  • is in a comparable labour market, or
  • provided the specialist, technical, or managerial skills necessary to work in an occupation that's included in the Long Term Shortage List.

Long Term Skill Shortage List (INZ 1093) PDF 322KB

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, you'll need to provide evidence:

  • that you've worked in New Zealand
  • of the location of your job in New Zealand.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest

If you're invited to apply for residence, you'll need to provide evidence that:

  • you're working in or have been offered work in a future growth area
  • your work experience is relevant to that work.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, you'll need to provide evidence that:

  • you have work experience in an occupation that's included in the Long Term Skill Shortage List
  • your work experience meets the requirements listed for that occupation on the Long Term Skill Shortage List.

Long Term Skill Shortage List (INZ 1093) PDF 322KB

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Family

If you're invited to apply for residence, you'll need to provide evidence that:

  • the close family you're claiming points for are New Zealand residents or New Zealand citizens
  • you and your close family member are related, which may include birth certificates or adoption documents
  • your close family member lives in New Zealand.

Evidence your close family member lives in New Zealand may include original or certified copies of any one of the following:

  • employment records
  • Work and Income payment records
  • banking records
  • rates demands
  • tax records from Inland Revenue
  • mortgage documents
  • rental agreements.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Partner

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask for evidence that one of the following applies to your partner, they:

When we assess if they're a competent user of English, we'll look at any evidence and circumstances you provide with your application. For example:

  • the country your partner lives in now
  • any countries your partner has lived in before
  • if your partner speaks any language other than English
  • if your partner's family speak English
  • if your partner's family speak any language other than English
  • if your partner has to speak English for their work either now or in the past
  • any qualifications your partner has and if they needed to be able to speak English to get those qualifications.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Any IELTS certificate must be less than 2 years old when you apply for residence.

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask your partner to provide a copy of their written employment agreement or contract for services that includes:

  • a detailed description of their job
  • their hours of work
  • the length of their employment
  • their salary
  • the date they started work

We'll also ask for evidence they have the necessary work experience, qualifications, and occupational registration to carry out the work they're doing.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask your partner to provide a copy of their written employment agreement, which will need to include:

  • a detailed job description
  • the hours of work
  • the length of the employment
  • the salary
  • the date they'll be starting work

We'll also ask for evidence they have the necessary work experience, qualifications, and occupational registration to carry out the work they'll be doing.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Your partner’s qualification will be recognised if it’s:

Or, your partner can ask the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to assess the level of your qualification. The NZQA offer two kinds of assessments:

The Pre-assessment Result will give you an idea if you can claim points for your partner’s recognised qualification, but you can’t use it as evidence if you’re later invited to apply for residence.

If you’re invited to apply for residence, we’ll ask you to provide:

We may also ask for copies of your partner’s course transcripts.

If your partner needs an NZQA assessment, you’ll need to include a PAR or IQA reference number with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

Visit www.nzqa.govt.nz for more information about how to:

If you're invited to apply for residence, we'll ask your partner to provide:

We may also ask for their course transcripts.

Visit www.nzqf.govt.nz or www.nzqa.govt.nz for more information about confirming qualifications.

You don't need to provide any evidence with your Expression of Interest. (EOI)

You Total Points (Minimum of 100):
0 points

 

Use the filters to display relevant process and fees information

 

Skilled Migrant Category – EOIs

Not the right visa for you?

Explore other residence visa options, see all residence visas or explore another visa type.

Information updated on 2016/05/13 15:20:45.445047 GMT+12