On 31 October 2021, the Work to Residence visa will come to an end. There isn’t much time left to get your application in, so follow our advice today and get the process started now. Below, we explore the criteria of the work to residence talent visa in NZ and the key steps you need to take towards a successful application.
The Work to Residence Visa is also known as the Talent (Accredited Employer) Visa. This visa offers a pathway to residency for people working in New Zealand. Employers who are “accredited” by Immigration NZ are recognised as having in-demand employment needs; in other words, they require specific skillsets that can be found in workers abroad. If you have the skills needed by an accredited employer, you may be eligible to apply for a Talent Visa in NZ.
To apply for a Talent Visa in NZ, you must be offered full-time employment by an accredited employer for at least 24 months, and a minimum salary level of NZD 79,560 per annum applies. Your visa will outline the information specified in the initial job offer, such as the job you can work in, the location of NZ you can work and who is the accredited employer. Talent visa holders are normally required to stay in their specified role for the duration of their contract. However, if your employer loses their accreditation, you may be allowed to work for another accredited employer or apply for a variation of conditions.
There is a range of other factors that may affect your eligibility to apply, such as your age, health, and character. All applicants must be 55 years old or younger and be at an acceptable standard of health and character. Family members cannot be included in a talent visa application and need to lodge separate visa applications that reflect what activities they will be doing in New Zealand (e.g. working, studying etc). As expert immigration advisers in NZ, Malcolm Pacific Immigration will be able to assist you with these complex and challenging areas of your application.
If you have worked in New Zealand for 24 months for an accredited employer, you will be eligible to apply for NZ residency. Family can be included in your residence application. Once you are granted residency from work, you and your family will be able to live, study and work in New Zealand indefinitely. If you have already applied for residence and need to extend your work to residence visa or are wondering if the 2021 Resident Visa might be a better visa to apply for we recommend you take advice now.
Set to be introduced in mid-2022, the new Accredited Employer Work Visa will replace the Talent Visa, along with 5 other temporary work visas. This single new visa application process is employer-led; this means that before the migrant worker can apply for a work visa, the employer will need to go through a new application process set out by Immigration NZ.
Since this new visa isn’t coming into effect for over half a year, it is crucial to apply for a talent visa while you still can. Fortunately, processing times for talent visas in NZ tend to be faster than other work visa types, such as the essential work visa.
Here at Malcolm Pacific Immigration, we have years of experience dealing with work visas of all kinds, including the Work to Residence Talent Visa. Our team will help you with every step of your application and ensure that everything goes smoothly. If you are interested in other pathways to residence, we can help you find the right visa for your needs. Contact us today for expert information and advice.
Our highly experienced licensed Immigration team will take away the stress and worry of navigating the complicated world of New Zealand Immigration. All you need to do is get in touch. Our team is on standby, ready to help.
Our highly experienced licensed Immigration team will take away the stress and worry of navigating the complicated world of New Zealand Immigration. All you need to do is get in touch. Our employer team is on standby, ready to help.
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Today the government announced a pathway to residence for migrant workers who are living and working in New Zealand. Applications open on 1 December 2021 for the first wave who are eligible to apply. The second wave can apply from 1 March 2022. The deadline to lodge an application is 31 July 2022 or else they will miss out on this one off opportunity.
Today the government announced a pathway to residence for people living and working in New Zealand. Applications open on 1 December 2021 for the first wave eligible to apply. The second wave can apply from 1 March 2022. The deadline to lodge an application is 31 July 2022 or else you miss the boat.
The government has moved the introduction of the new employer accreditation process across to mid-2022. At the same time, the Minister of Immigration announced new work visa rules for migrant workers who are already in New Zealand and working full time.
The government has increased the median wage to $27 per hour from 19 July. Any Skilled Migrant residence application lodged after this date will need to include a skilled job offer that pays at least $27 per hour. For some lower-skilled occupations, the minimum pay rate increases to $40.50 per hour.
From 19 July 2021
From 30 June 2021
Employers of migrant workers must become accredited from 1 November 2021 before work visa applications can be processed. Most employers are not accredited. Those that are accredited will have to roll into the new system when it goes live in late September.
From mid-2020 (delayed)
Skilled occupation "Dairy Cattle Farmer" spilt into three occupations. New occupations are: "Dairy Farm Manager", "Assistant Dairy Farm Manager" and "Dairy Herd Manager". Each sit at different skill levels, therefore, the award of points will depend on pay rates, job tasks and other requirements.
From 15 February 2021
The government has deferred the fortnightly selection of Expressions of Interest from the Skilled Migrant pool for six months (to be reviewed in April 2021). Invitations to Apply for Residence remain suspended. The last selection from the Skilled Migrant pool took place on 18/03/2020.
From 7 October 2020
The government added four new occupations that are now regarded as skilled employment and may qualify for job offer points under the Skilled Migrant Category. These are:
Aged or disabled carer, Bicycle mechanic, Driller and Nursing Support worker.
From 27 July 2020
Anyone invited by Immigration NZ to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category where their invitation is dated between 1 November 2019 and 15 April 2020 (inclusive) has now been granted an additional six months to lodge their residence application.
From 27 May 2020
The government has deferred the fortnightly selection of Expressions of Interest from the Skilled Migrant pool. This means Invitations to Apply for Residence are also suspended. Malcolm Pacific Immigration does not anticipate selections to resume until after the general election held on 17 October 2020.
Immigration NZ is now prioritising Skilled Migrant Residence applications where the main (principal) applicant meets the criteria:
From 24 February 2020
From 7 October 2019
The government recently added more occupations that are now to be regarded as skilled employment and may qualify for job offer points under the Skilled Migrant Category. In order to qualify for points, the job must be paying at least the current median wage (or higher for certain occupations) at the time the residence application is lodged.
From 1 November 2021
From 1 November 2021 anyone who is not a NZ citizen must be fully vaccinated (unless exempt) before travelling to New Zealand. Fully vaccinated means your last dose of vaccine was given at least 14 days before travelling and it was an approved vaccine.
Applications for employer accreditation closed at the end of June 2021. Applications lodged before the closure date are still being processed. New applications for accreditation open on 9 May 2022. The process will be quite different to what employers have experienced in the past. Businesses will need to meet minimum standards.
Wednesday, 1 December is fast approaching and it is estimated that around 16,000 individuals and families can apply in the first wave for the 2021 Resident Visa opening next month. It is exciting for the thousands of people who have been waiting patiently to become residents that finally the finish line is in sight.
The first wave of applicants can apply from 1 December 2021. Around 16,000 applications are expected in this first wave. The second wave opens on 1 March 2022. In total, the government expects approximately 110,000 applications that will include about 165,000 people.
The second group of workers who can apply online for the 2021 Resident Visa that opens on 1 March 2022 are those who hold an eligible work visa and either meet "Settled", "Skilled" or "Scarce" as set out above. In total Immigration NZ estimate around 110,000 people will qualify to apply for this visa.
The first group of workers who can apply online for the 2021 Resident Visa that opens on 1 December 2021 are those that on 29/09/2021:
Is this the only requirement to qualify for residence? No. In addition to the eligible work visa criteria workers also need to be regarded as one of the following:
People who were lawfully in NZ (or in Australia when the travel bubble closed between April and July 2021) on 29/09/2021 need to meet the visa eligibility criteria:
The government has introduced a limited pathway to residence for people who are already living and working in New Zealand. Applications open on 1 December 2021 for the first wave of people eligible to apply. The second wave opens on 1 March 2022. The deadline to apply for the 2021 Resident Visa is 31 July 2022.
A small number of critical health workers (taking up jobs for six months or longer) or specialist workers (taking up jobs that are for longer than six months) who were granted border exemptions may also have eligibility for the 2021 Resident Visa. They will need to have arrived in NZ and lodge a 2021 Resident Visa application.
*Excludes high-risk countries.
*Excludes high-risk countries.
The work visa categories set to close are:
From September 2022 people holding job offers in a small number of occupations may apply for residence. Some occupations are a direct pathway to residence and others require a period of two years or longer before applying.
There are qualification and/or occupational registration requirements to meet. Establishing if an overseas qualification matches the NZ equivalent qualification before applying is paramount for success.