To apply under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) you must:
- meet Immigration NZ (INZ) requirements;
- be aged 55 or under;
- meet set standards of health and character;
- speak English (and relatively well).
Five Key Steps:
1. The Expression of Interest (EOI)
This is the first step towards making an application. If you qualify, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), in which you claim points for skills, experience, and other factors.
2. The EOI pool and the pool draw
If you have 100 points or more you can submit an EOI into the Pool. However, only EOI’s with 140 points or more are automatically selected for an invitation to apply (ITA). After this, lower scoring EOIs with certain factors, such as skilled employment in New Zealand, are selected.
Recent research by the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment indicates that virtually all selections in 2013 were EOI’s with a points total of 140 or more and those with a job offer over 100 points.
An EOI costs $510 to submit.
For more information on the points system, see the link below:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/pointsindicator
3. Invitation to Apply
Once your EOI is drawn from the pool, INZ examines it and if they find it credible, they send you an ITA. You will have to show proof of the claims made on your EOI. This means medical and police certificates, proof of English language ability, and documentation regarding your skills, experience, and other factors.
The application form contains the information that you provided in your EOI. You check the information and return it to INZ with your documentation.
The date that you make your SMC residence application with INZ determines the criteria that your application will be assessed against. The criteria that was current when you submitted your EOI, or current when your EOI was selected from the pool, is not necessarily the criteria that your SMC residence application will be assessed against.
4. Full assessment
Once INZ receives your application and documents, they start assessing you for residence. They check you meet all their requirements, and that your points claims are valid.
They assess you on your ability to settle in New Zealand successfully. They may consider you able based on your application, or they may wish to interview you.
5. Resident visas and Job Search visas
If you meet the criteria, and INZ believes you will settle successfully and contribute to NZ, they will offer you a resident visa.
If they think you have potential, but want to see how you settle, they will give you a job search visa, which you can use to help obtain an offer of skilled employment in NZ for up to nine months. If you obtain skilled employment in this time you will have shown your ability to settle and contribute, and your residence application will likely be approved.
For further information follow the link below:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/skilledmigrant/default.htm