WI10 China Skilled Workers Policy

1. To be considered for a work visa under this policy, the applicant must be a citizen of the People's Republic of China who has a New Zealand job offer in one of the occupations listed in the table below, and the relevant qualifications and experience required for that occupation.
   

   Occupation	Requirements Qualifications must be comparable to the standard of the New Zealand qualification listed.
   Auditor	Degree level (Level 7) qualification majoring in accountancy and membership with New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA)
   Automotive electrician	National Certificate in Automotive Engineering (Level 4) or National Certificate in Motor Industry (Automotive Electrical Engineering) (Level 4)
   Boatbuilder	National Certificate in Boatbuilding (Level 4)
   Computer Applications Engineer	Degree level (Level 7) qualification majoring in computer science, information science or information technology and three years of relevant work experience
   Design Engineer – Electronics / Product Engineer	Degree level (Level 7) qualification majoring in electronics, computer science or telecommunications and three years of relevant work experience with at least 12 months' relevant work experience in the past 18 months
   Diesel Mechanic	National Certificate in Motor Industry (Automotive Heavy Engineering) (Level 4)
   Early Childhood Teacher	A qualification in Early Childhood Education (ages 0-5) at a minimum of Level 7 which is approved by the New Zealand Teachers Council, and New Zealand registration
   Electronics Technician	National Diploma in Engineering (Level 6) (Electronics), or relevant degree-level qualification (Level 7) (for example, BTech in Electronics, BSc or BE) and three years' work experience and at least 12 months' relevant work experience in the past 18 months
   Electrician	New Zealand Electrical Registration
   Film Animator	Degree level qualification (Level 7) in one of the following: Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Computer Science, Software Engineering or Film, specialising in multimedia, computer graphics, digital design, computer programming or software development
   Fitter and Turner	National Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics in Mechanical Engineering (Level 5) or National Certificate in Engineering, Machining and Toolmaking (Level 5)
   Fitter / Welder	National Certificate in Maintenance and Diagnostics in Mechanical Engineering (Level 5) or National Certificate in Engineering - Fabrication with strands in Welding or Heavy Fabrication (Level 5)
   Medical Diagnostic Radiographer / Medical Radiation Therapist	Bachelor in Health Science specialising in Medical Radiation Therapy or specialising in Medical Imaging and New Zealand registration
   Motor Mechanic	National Certificate in Motor Industry (Automotive Engineering) (Level 4)
   Plumber	New Zealand Plumbing Registration
   Registered Nurse	Bachelor of Nursing or Diploma in Comprehensive Nursing, diploma or hospital based certificate and NZ registration
   Senior Test Analyst	Degree level (Level 7) tertiary qualification (e.g. BTech in Electronics, BSc or BE) and three years' work experience with at least 12 months relevant work experience in the past 18 months
   Structural Engineer	Degree level (Level 7) qualification and registered on the International Professional Engineers Register or Asia Pacific Economic Co-Operation (APEC) Engineers Register or a Washington Accord accredited engineering degree
   University and Higher Education Lecturer and/or Tutor	Masters Degree or PhD
   Veterinarian	Bachelor of Veterinary Science approved by the Veterinary Council of New Zealand and registration with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand

2. At any one time, the number of Chinese nationals holding a visa or permit issued or granted under this policy:
   1. must not exceed 100 in respect of any of the occupations listed above, and
   2. must not exceed 1000 in total.
3. To be issued or granted a work visa and permit under this policy, applicants must:
   1. provide a completed work visa/permit application form and fee; and
   2. have a job offer from a New Zealand employer, which meets the requirements set out in W2.10; and
   3. meet the specific qualifications and/or experience requirement for their occupation, as detailed in WI10(a) above; and
   4. meet health and character requirements set out in E6; and
   5. meet the requirements for bona fide applicants set out in E5.
4. A labour market check is not required.
5. Applications for a work visa under this policy must be lodged with the Immigration New Zealand branch in either Beijing or Shanghai.
6. Successful applicants will be issued with a work visa valid for travel for 6 months from the date of issue and on arrival in New Zealand will be granted a work permit for a maximum of three years, depending on the length of their job offer. Successful applicants will also be issued a multiple entry work visa, valid for the same period as the work permit, allowing re-entry to New Zealand on any number of occasions.
7. People who are lawfully in New Zealand on a temporary permit for the purpose of obtaining New Zealand registration, and who have successfully obtained registration, may lodge an application for a work permit under this policy. Successful applicants will be granted a work permit for a maximum of three years, depending on the length of their job offer, and issued a multiple entry work visa, valid for the same period as the work permit, allowing re-entry to New Zealand on any number of occasions.
8. If the initial permit is valid for less than three years, a further permit may be granted onshore for the balance of the three-year period, as long as the applicant still meets all the requirements of this policy.
9. Work permits granted under this policy must be endorsed with conditions that allow work only for a specified employer in a specified occupation.
10. On completion of the three-year period, applicants must remain outside New Zealand for three years before applying for a further visa under this policy.

Note: This list of occupations is valid for a period of five years from 1 October 2008. If one of these occupations is listed on the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) and the qualifications requirement for that occupation is lowered during that five-year period, the qualification requirement for this policy will be correspondingly lowered.

Note: This policy reflects New Zealand's international trade commitments (see E9).

Effective 01/10/2008