Applying for residence is tough.

With large numbers of temporary workers and their families in New Zealand many are looking to apply for residence. There are limited options available right now.

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC or the points system as it is commonly referred to) is closed but reopens on Monday, 9 October 2023. However, there are significant changes to this category and qualifying for residence is not straightforward, Qualifications, New Zealand work experience and pay rates (both historic and current) all play a major part in whether a person (and family) will qualify for residence.

What other pathways to residence are open?

• Straight to Residence or Work to Residence based on employment that is either on a skills shortage list or by earning a very high income. Only a small uptake of people applying under this category to date.

• Partners of New Zealand citizens or resident may apply if they have lived together in a genuine relationship for 12 months or more.

• Parents of New Zealand citizen or resident adult children may apply but there are complex funding/investment or earning requirements. Long queues.

• In limited circumstances dependent children of New Zealand citizen or resident parents may apply.

• The Active Investor Plus category is designed to attract high net worth individuals with between $5 and $15 million to invest into the New Zealand economy. Small numbers applying.

• There is the Entrepreneur and Employees of a Relocating Business categories but people applying are few and far between due to complex rules and high decline rates.

• A small number of people are granted residence each year as an exception to existing categories or on humanitarian grounds.

‍

The challenge New Zealand faces is to attract highly skilled people from offshore (especially those who are young as we have a rapidly aging population) but to be successful we need clear pathways to residence. People will not cuts ties with their home country if New Zealand does not offer some certainty. We need to look carefully whether current residence settings are fit for purpose if we hope to attract the talent this country needs.

If you want your eligibility for residence assessed by an expert get in touch today. 

‍