Resident Visas
Resident visas allow the holder to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. There are various pathways to getting a resident visa, the most popular include skills-based visas, such as long term skill shortage and general skilled migrant visas, humanitarian resident visas, etc. We have a great deal of experience with these visas and if you would like to learn more about these visas or your potential eligibility, please contact us for a free consultation session.
Skilled Migrant Category
(Selection of EOIs is currently suspended until further notice.)
This visa is applicable for those who are considered to have specialised skills and are well placed to contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth. A visa under the Skilled Migrant Category or SMC requires a two-step process whereby the applicant first submits an Expression of Interest (EOI) claiming points for their employment, qualifications, work experience, age, etc. and the EOI is entered in the selection pool. INZ selects EOIs once a fortnight and usually issues an Invitation to Apply (ITA) if the EOI meets the selection criteria and passes the preliminary check. A client would then proceed on to the next stage and submit their resident visa application.
The SMC visa has one of the most comprehensive set of immigration instructions and it can be confusing for applicants to assess their own eligibility and strengths. If you are currently considering going down the SMC pathway and would like to use our services please get in touch with us.
Residence from Work
In November 2019, the New Zealand government announced closure of this category once the new Accredited Employer Work Visa is implemented. However, current work to residence work visa holders will still have the option to apply and obtain residence visas under the Residence from Work instructions. The two popular residence from work visa categories are: