12.06 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

UAE Expat Alert: 5 steps to New Zealand as skilled migrant

The skilled migrant category resident visa lets you live, work and study in New Zealand with no cap on the duration of your stay if you meet the visa conditions (File)

Published
By Shuchita Kapur

If you are a skilled professional and thinking to move to New Zealand, the skilled migrant category resident visa could be your option.

With this kind of a visa, the country invites people who have the skills to contribute to the local economic growth. This visa lets you live, work and study in New Zealand with no cap on the duration of your stay if you meet the visa conditions.

If you are a professional and the country seems lucrative enough to make a move, here are five things to remember if you are thinking to apply for the skilled migrant resident visa.

1. Just because you believe you are a professional doesn’t qualify you for this visa. You should have the skills that are relevant and contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth. Even before you apply for this visa, you’ll first need to send the relevant authorities in the country an expression of interest telling them about your work experience, qualifications and the ability to settle in New Zealand. It’s more like a covering letter for your job and if you are a fit, you will be offered the opportunity to apply to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely.

2. You may have successfully added to the economy in your home country or the one that you reside in right now by running your own business. But you do not qualify to apply to move to New Zealand under this particular visa. This visa isn’t designed for people who are self-employed. If you want to work in your own business, there are other avenues to look at. This particular visa is strictly for employed professionals.

3. To be a successful applicant, you will need to furnish the mandatory details with evidence. These include proof of your identity, good character and health, ability to speak English, age, which should be 55 or under when you apply for residence, you must be able to work in skilled employment, you must have sent an Expression of Interest (EOI) and you must be invited to apply for residence.

If you intend on bringing your family, your partner and dependent children must meet the requirements for this visa. Besides, your partner and children aged 16 and over must speak English or pay for classes to learn the language.

4. If you have an offer of skilled employment in Auckland and those points were the reason you were invited to apply for residence, ensure that you take up that job within 3 months of coming to New Zealand and stay in that job for 3 months.

You must provide evidence within 5 years of your first day in New Zealand as a resident that you stayed in your skilled employment for at least 3 months, as required by the authorities.

If you have an offer of skilled employment outside of Auckland and those points were the reason you were invited to apply for residence, make sure that you take up that job within 3 months of coming to New Zealand and stay in that job for 12 months.

Just as with working in Auckland, the authorities will require you prove that this criteria was met with evidence.

5. If you have current skilled employment in Auckland and you were awarded points for your current skilled employment on this, you have to provide evidence that you’d been working in that job for less than 3 months when you were invited to apply for residence, you must stay in the job for at least 3 months.

You must provide evidence within 5 years of your first day in New Zealand as a resident that you stayed in your skilled employment for at least 3 months.

If you have current skilled employment outside of Auckland, and you’d been working in that job for less than 3 months when you were invited to apply for residence, you must stay in the job for at least 12 months.

You must provide evidence within 5 years of your first day in New Zealand as a resident that you stayed in your skilled employment for at least 12 months.