This visa is for people who are looking for a pathway to live in New Zealand and who have a skill that’s needed by a New Zealand accredited employer. If an accredited employer offers you full-time work, you’ll be able to get a visa to work here. If you continue to work for that employer for 2 years, you’ll be able to apply to live in New Zealand permanently.

Overview

• VISA DURATION: 30 months
• AGE RANGE: 55 and under

With this visa you can

• Work in New Zealand for the accredited employer who offers you work.
• Apply for residence after 2 years of working for an accredited employer.

Things to note

• You can’t include a partner or dependent children in your work visa application, but they can apply for visas based on their relationship to you.

Age

You must be 55 or under

We’ll use the documents you provide as proof of your identity to confirm your age.

New Zealand job offer

You must have a job offer

Your job offer must:

• be from an accredited employer
• be current at the time you apply for your visa
• be for Glossary forfull-time work
• be for 2 years or more
• pay at least NZ $79,560 a year (before tax)
• be for work that is your employer’s main reason for being in business
• make your employer responsible for the work that you do.

You must provide a copy of your employment agreement as evidence of your job offer. The employment agreement must include:

• your employer’s name and contact details
• your name and contact details
• your job title
• the address for your place of work
• the kind of work you’ll be doing and your responsibilities at work
• details of any necessary qualifications or work experience
• information about whether you’ll need New Zealand registration to do the work
• how long the work will be for
• how long you have to take up the job offer
• pay and work conditions that comply with New Zealand employment law.

Occupational registration

You may need New Zealand registration

You must have full or provisional registration, if it’s needed to work in your occupation in New Zealand.

Application cost

NZD $ 635

This is the fee for Immigration New Zealand to process your application. An immigration levy is payable and is included in the total amount above.

Timeframes and Processing

Within 47 days

90% of applications are currently completed within this time. Timeframes are in calendar days.

If you’ve been offered a full-time job, and you have the necessary qualifications and experience to work in that job, you can apply for a temporary visa to work in New Zealand. Your employer must have checked if any New Zealanders were available to do the work, before offering you the job. If you’re granted this visa, you may be able to support visa applications for your partner and dependent children.

Overview

DURATION Up to 5 years depending on the skill level of the job you’re offered

ALL VISA CONDITIONS

With this visa you can

• Work in New Zealand for an employer who has offered you a full-time job.

• Study for up to 3 months in any 12 month period, or do any study required as part of your employment.

Things to note

• Your employer needs to try to recruit any suitable New Zealanders who are available to do the work before offering you the job.

• Your partner or dependent children may be able to apply separately for visas based on their relationship to you.

• This visa doesn’t allow self-employment. If you want to be self-employed, you can apply for an Entrepreneur Work Visa.

New Zealand job offer

You must have an offer of full-time work

Your job offer must:

• be current at the time you apply for your visa

• be for full-time work

You must provide a copy of your employment agreement as evidence of your job offer. The employment agreement must include:

• your employer’s name and contact details

• your name and contact details

• your job title

• the address for your place of work

• the kind of work you’ll be doing and your responsibilities at work

• details of any necessary qualifications or work experience

• information about whether you’ll need New Zealand registration to do the work

• how long the work will be for

• how long you have to take up the job offer

• pay and work conditions that comply with New Zealand employment law.

Your employment agreement must be with an employer who has a history of compliance with immigration and employment law. We won’t normally grant a visa if your employer is included on the list of non-compliant employers maintained by the Labour Inspectorate.

Your employer can’t pay you less than they’d have to pay a New Zealander to do the work.

Your job offer can’t be for work planting, maintaining, harvesting or packing crops in the horticulture or viticulture industries.

If a labour hire company has offered you work in the construction sector in Canterbury, the labour hire company must be accredited.

Availability of New Zealanders

There must be no New Zealanders available to do the work you’ve been offered

You must provide an ‘Employer Supplementary Form’ completed by your employer describing the work you’ve been offered. Your employer must also provide evidence they have made genuine attempts to recruit New Zealanders, unless one of the following applies:

• The job you’ve been offered is on one of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists and you meet the qualification and work experience requirements listed for your occupation.

• You are applying to continue working in the role you currently hold and have been invited to apply, or have applied, for a Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa based on your current employment.

Your employer’s evidence can include:

• website and newspaper advertisements

• records of engaging with a recruitment company

• a Hiring in Queenstown

• the outcome of their recruitment efforts.

Qualifications and/or experience

You must be qualified to do the work you’ve been offered

The qualifications and/or experience you need are listed by occupation in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). Evidence of qualifications can include:

• original or certified copies of your qualifications

• evidence the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) recognises your qualification.

Evidence of experience can include 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’ve been offered in New Zealand.

You can check the specific qualifications and/or experience you need by searching the ANZSCO titles for your occupation. You’ll find these on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.

Australian Bureau of Statistics

Occupational registration

You may need New Zealand registration

If registration is required to work in your occupation in New Zealand, you must provide either:

• a certified copy of your full or provisional New Zealand registration

• confirmation from the appropriate registration body that you’re eligible for New Zealand registration.

Not subject to stand-down period

You must not currently be required to spend 12 consecutive months outside New Zealand (subject to a ‘stand-down period’)

You cannot be granted a visa to do lower-skilled work if you are subject to a stand-down period.

You are subject to a stand-down period if you have spent 3 years working in lower-skilled employment in New Zealand while holding an Essential Skills Work Visa. The only way to satisfy the stand-down requirement is to spend 12 consecutive months outside of New Zealand.

Being subject to a stand-down period does not prevent you from being granted a mid-or higher-skilled Essential Skills Work Visa.

Visas applied for before 28 August 2017 are not considered when calculating the time spent working in lower-skilled employment.

Immigration costs

Application cost

NZD ($)$ 495

This is the fee for Immigration New Zealand to process your application.An immigration levy is payable and is included in the total amount above.

Receiving centre fees

Passport Fee

Per Applicant After you apply online you must send us your passport. The passport fee is for the Visa Application Centre (VAC) to receive and handle your passport.

Timeframes

Processing

within 73 days

90% of applications are currently completed within this time. Timeframes are in calendar days.

If you have NZ $10 million to invest in New Zealand over a 3-year period, you can apply for New Zealand residence. If you’re granted residence you can come to New Zealand with your family and enjoy our unique lifestyle.

Overview

DURATION Indefinitely

With this visa you can

• Live, work and study in New Zealand.

• Include your partner, and dependent children aged 24 and under, in your visa application.

Things to note

• You may be able to bring your car, boat and household items to New Zealand, free of customs charges.

• You apply for residence

• We approve your application in principle

• You transfer your funds to New Zealand and make your investment

• We grant your residence visa

Fit and proper person

You must be a fit and proper person

You must confirm in the application form that you meet fit and proper person requirements.

To be a fit and proper person, all businesses you have influence over must have complied with all immigration, employment and taxation laws. You must also:

• have never been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office or the New Zealand police for any offence resulting from business dealings

• have no convictions for an offence involving dishonesty

• have never been involved in business fraud or financial impropriety.

We’ll contact you if you need to provide further information.

Investment funds

You must have NZ $10 million to invest in New Zealand for 3 years

The value you can claim for your investment funds, depends if they are owned by you, or jointly by you and another person.

If you own an investment jointly with:

• your dependent children, you can claim the full value of the investment

• your partner, you can claim the full value of the investment, as long as you and your partner are in a recognised partnership

• someone who isn’t your partner or dependent child, you can only claim for the part of the investment that you own.

Evidence of your funds may include:

• bank statements

• title deeds

• property valuations

• share certificates

• business ownership documents

• asset valuations.

The funds and/or assets you nominate for your investment can’t be borrowed, or have a loan or bond against them.

Transfer investment funds

You must transfer your investment funds to New Zealand

You must transfer your investment funds to New Zealand.

You must transfer your investment funds directly from your bank account to New Zealand through the banking system.

If we approve your application in principle, you’ll have 12 months from that date to transfer and invest your funds.

You can apply for a temporary visa to come to New Zealand and investigate investment opportunities.

We may give you a further 12 months to transfer and invest your funds.

You’ll need to contact us before the transfer period expires and show you have made reasonable steps to transfer and invest.

Source of investment funds

You must have earned or acquired your investment funds lawfully

The evidence you provide will depend on how you came by your funds. It may include:

• tax returns or certificates

• pay slips

• business financial statements

• business shareholdings

• dividends

• receipts for property sales

• bank certificates

• share trading profits

• evidence of gifted money

• probate and other evidence of inherited money.

It’s OK if your investment includes funds that were gifted to you, as long as the gift was unconditional and lawful, and the funds were originally earned or acquired lawfully.

Acceptable investments

You must invest NZ $10 million in acceptable investments in New Zealand for a minimum of 3 years

You must provide documents from a trusted professional like a chartered accountant or solicitor that confirm:

• your full name

• the amount invested in NZD

• the date you started your investment

• the investment type

• the names of any organisations you invested in

• the number of shares or bonds you bought in any organisations.

If you already have funds invested in an acceptable investment in New Zealand, we can start your investment period from the time we approve your residence application in principle.

Once your funds are invested in New Zealand, it’s OK to transfer funds between acceptable investments.

Immigration fees

NZD $ 4,960

This is the fee for Immigration New Zealand to process your application. An immigration levy is payable and is included in the total amount above.

Timeframes

within 19 months

90% of applications are currently completed within this time. This includes a 12 month investment period for you to complete your investment in New Zealand.

This visa is for people who want to work in their own business in New Zealand. To apply, you’ll need to provide a detailed business plan, have at least NZ $100,000 to invest in your business and be able to claim 120 points on our points scale. If you’re granted this visa, you can buy or set up a business without living here permanently, or as a first step towards New Zealand residence.

Overview

DURATION 12 months in the start-up stage of your visa, then another 24 months once you’ve shown us that you’ve set-up your business

With this visa you can

• Come to New Zealand to buy or set up your own business.

• Work in your own business in New Zealand for up to 3 years in total.

• Include your partner, and dependent children aged 19 and under, in your visa application.

Things to note

• If your business is in the science or ICT sectors, shows a high level of innovation or export potential, we may consider waiving the NZ $100,000 capital investment requirement.

• We won’t be able to grant you an Entrepreneur Work Visa if you’ve been made bankrupt or been involved in a business failure in the last 5 years.

• If you’ve been involved in any kind of business fraud or financial wrongdoing, we won’t be able to grant you a visa.

Fit and proper person

You must be a fit and proper person

You must confirm in the application form that you meet fit and proper person requirements.

To be a fit and proper person, all businesses you have influence over must have complied with all immigration, employment and taxation laws. You must also:

• have never been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office or the New Zealand police for any offence resulting from business dealings

• have no convictions for an offence involving dishonesty

• have never been involved in business fraud or financial impropriety.

We’ll contact you if you need to provide further information.

English language

You must be able to speak English

You can show us you speak English by either providing:

• an acceptable English language test result

• evidence you have an English-speaking background

• evidence you’re a competent user of English for other reasons.

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

Minimum capital investment

You must show us that you’re able to make a capital investment of at least NZ $100,000

You must provide evidence you have:

• the funds and/or assets to make the capital investment outlined in your business plan

• you have enough money to support yourself and any family who are coming to New Zealand with you, on top of your capital investment.

You must provide evidence that the funds and/or assets you intend to use for your capital investment are:

• owned by you (or you and your partner)

• earned or acquired lawfully.

Evidence you own the funds and/or assets to invest may include:

• bank statements

• title deeds

• property valuations

• share certificates

• business ownership documents

• asset valuations.

Evidence you earned or acquired the funds and/or assets lawfully, may include:

• tax returns or certificates

• pay slips

• business financial statements

• business shareholdings

• dividends

• receipts for property sales

• bank certificates

• share trading profits

• evidence of gifted money

• probate and other evidence of inherited money.

We may waive this requirement for businesses in science, ICT, or other high-value export industries that show a high level of innovation or high growth prospects in the short-term.

Your funds and/or assets can’t be borrowed or have a loan or bond against them.

It’s OK if you invested funds that were gifted to you, as long as they were gifted unconditionally and earned or acquired lawfully.

If you own an investment jointly with someone who isn’t your partner or dependent child, you can nominate the value of your share for your capital investment.

Capital investments exclude:

• passive or speculative investments, like reserve funds or term deposits

• items for your own use, like your car, boat or home

• any salary or wages paid to you or your immediate family

• residential property investments, unless they’re part of the business plan.

If your nominated funds are already in New Zealand, you must provide evidence that they were originally transferred to New Zealand through the banking system.

Request for a minimum capital investment waiver

For us to consider a capital investment of less than NZ $100,000, you must request a waiver

We’ll only consider waiving the minimum capital investment requirement , if both:

• your business is in science, ICT or another high-value export sector

• your business shows a high level of innovation or short-term growth prospects.

For us to consider your business high-value export business, it would need to aim to:

• create 5 or more jobs for New Zealanders

• turnover NZ $500,000 in annual exports.

For us to consider your business has an high level of innovation, you would need show us:

• you’ve discovered new ways to produce more goods or services without increasing the production costs

• your business is likely to succeed because of your innovation.

If we agree to waive this requirement, you won’t be eligible for any points for capital investment on our points scale.

Entrepreneur points

You must be awarded at least 120 points on our points scale

We may award points for:

• your age

• your capital investment

• your business experience

• the benefits of your business to New Zealand

• the location of your business.

You can use our points scale to get an idea of how many points you may be able to claim.

You can also use it to check the evidence you’ll need to provide to support your claims.

Business plan

You must provide a detailed business plan

You must provide a detailed business plan for the business you intend to operate in New Zealand.

Your business plan should be no more than 3 months old when you apply.

If you later want to make a minor change to your business plan, you’ll need to submit a request to us for our approval.

We won’t be able to approve your application, if the purpose of your business is to help people who aren’t New Zealanders enter New Zealand.

Occupational registration

You must have New Zealand occupational registration, if it’s required to run your business in New Zealand

If registration is required, you must provide us with a certified copy of your New Zealand occupational registration.

Business start-up

You must start up your business within 12 months

Once you’ve been granted an Entrepreneur Work Visa, you must start up your business within the first 12 months of your visa.

Towards the end of the 12 months or your ‘start-up’ stage, you’ll need to show us that you’ve:

• made the capital investment detailed in your business plan

• taken reasonable steps to set-up or invest in the business detailed in your business plan.

Evidence you’ve invested your capital can include:

• telegraphic transfers

• bank statements

• other documents showing it was transferred to New Zealand through the banking system.

Evidence you’ve taken steps to set-up or invest can include:

• a certificate of incorporation

• audited accounts

• GST records

• other tax records

• documents showing you’ve purchased or leased the business site

• invoices for business equipment and supplies

• any other documents that show you’re in business, eg employment agreements, bank statements, power bills for your business, sales agreements, contracts to provide products or services.

We may be able to extend the start-up period if you can show us you can set up your business within a specified time.

Evaluation

You must agree to take part in an evaluation of the Entrepreneur Work Visa Category

You must sign a declaration in the ‘Entrepreneur Work Visa Application’ agreeing that you’ll take part in an evaluation of the Entrepreneur Work Visa Category, if we approve your application.

You must also agree to keep us up-to-date with any changes to your contact details for 5 years after we approve your application. This is so we can get in touch about the evaluation.

Immigration costs

Application cost

NZD $ 3,365

This is the fee for Immigration New Zealand to process your application. An immigration levy is payable and is included in the total amount above.

Timeframes

Processing

within 16 months

90% of applications are currently completed within this time.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) invites people who have the skills to contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth to apply for this visa. Before INZ can invite you to apply, they first need you to send an Expression of Interest (EOI) telling them about your employment in New Zealand, work experience, and qualifications. If your Expression of Interest is successful they’ll offer you the opportunity to apply to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely.

Overview

DURATION Indefinitely

AGE RANGE 55 years or under

With this visa you can

• Live, work and study in New Zealand.

• Include your partner, and dependent children aged 24 and under, in your residence application.

Things to note

• We use a points-based system to assess expressions of interest.

• Currently, we are only selecting EOIs with 160 points or above.

• This visa isn’t designed for people who are self-employed. If you want to work in your own business, you may wish to apply for an Entrepreneur Resident Visa instead.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)

2. We invite you to apply for residence

3. You send us your Application for Residence

4. We make a decision about your application

English language

You must be able to speak English

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.

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

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

Your current employment or offer of employment must be skilled

If invited to apply for residence, you must provide evidence of your skilled employment, including having the necessary:

• work experience

• qualifications

• occupational registration.

If you are invited to apply you will be sent an Employer Supplementary Form that you will need to ask your prospective employer to complete.

Qualifications

Your qualification must be recognised to qualify for points.

If you claim points for your qualification, you must show it is a recognised qualification. A qualification can be recognised if:

• It is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment; or

• It has been assessed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA); or

• It has been 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; or

• It is a Washington Accord or Sydney Accord accredited undergraduate degree.

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

Visit the NZQA website for more information about how to:

• Get international qualifications recognised for immigration

• Apply for a Pre-assessment Result

• Apply for an International Qualifications Assessment.

Work experience

Your work experience must be skilled to qualify for points

If you claim points for work experience, you must show it is skilled.

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

Expression of interest

You must send us an Expression of Interest (EOI)

For us to enter your EOI into our 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

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

Your invitation to apply will advise of 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 to 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.

STAGE 1- ONLINE EOI SUBMISSION

Immigration costs

Application cost

NZD $ 530

You can pay for your application online by Visa or Mastercard.

Timeframes

EOI selection

every 2 weeks

We select EOIs from the pool every 2 weeks.

Invitation to Apply

within 3 weeks

After selection from the pool we will review your EOI within this time.

STAGE 2- PAPER SMC APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Immigration costs

Application cost

NZD $ 3,310

This is the fee for Immigration New Zealand to process your application. An immigration levy is payable and is included in the total amount above.

Timeframes

Apply within 4 months

After we issue your invitation to apply for residence, we must receive your complete application and payment within this period.

Processing

within 13 months

90% of applications are currently completed within this time.

Permanent resident vs resident

Did you know that there is a difference between a permanent resident and a resident? As a permanent resident, you have unlimited travel facility. Whilst a resident must renew the travel facility after a few years. Travel facility is the ability to travel and return to New Zealand.

As a permanent resident you can:

• Live, work, and study in New Zealand.

• Travel to and from New Zealand any time you like.

What are the eligibility criteria?

To apply for a permanent residence visa in New Zealand, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must hold a New Zealand residence visa.

• You must have been living in New Zealand for 2 years or more.

• You must show commitment to New Zealand. You can show commitment by:

• You have spent enough time in New Zealand.

• You are a tax resident in New Zealand.

• You have invested $1,000,000 in New Zealand.

• You have a business in New Zealand.

• You have established based in New Zealand i.e., owning a home, evidence of employment.

• You must be of good character.

Spending time in New Zealand

To demonstrate a commitment to New Zealand, you must be in New Zealand as a resident for a total of 184 days or more in each of the two 12-month portions of the 24 months immediately preceding the date their application for a permanent resident visa was made.

Tax Residence

1. You have been in New Zealand as a resident for a total of 41 days or more in each of the two 12-month portions of the 24 months immediately preceding the date the application for a permanent resident visa was made (ie, in each of the two 12-month portions, a period or periods that amount to 41 days or more); and

2. you are assessed as having tax residence status for the 24 months preceding their application.

Investment

You will have demonstrated a commitment to New Zealand if:

1. You were granted a resident visa under the Business Investor Category and have met any conditions imposed.

2. You have been approved a resident visa other than under the Business Investor Category and have maintained an investment in New Zealand of N.Z.$1,000,000 or more.

Business

To show commitment to New Zealand, you have been granted a resident visa under any category and have successfully established a business in New Zealand that has been trading successfully and benefiting New Zealand in some way for at least 12 months immediately preceding the date the application for a permanent resident visa was made.

Base established in New Zealand

1. You have resided in New Zealand for at least 184 days in the two-year period immediately preceding the date the application for the permanent resident visa was made; and

2. You have been in New Zealand as a resident for a total of at least 41 days in the 12 months immediately preceding the date the application for the permanent resident visa was made; and either

• you own and maintain a family home in New Zealand; or

• you have been engaged in full time continuous genuine employment in New Zealand immediately preceding the date the application for the permanent resident visa was made.