Emigrate to New Zealand

The New Zealand Visa Bureau is a division of Visa Bureau. Visa Bureau is not affiliated with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and is a website specialising in visa and immigration information to New Zealand.

Apply for a New Zealand Skilled Migration Visa

If you are looking to make a permanent move to New Zealand, you can apply to migrate to New Zealand through the New Zealand Skilled Migration Category. The programme aims to meet current skills shortages by attracting skilled migrants who can make an immediate contribution to the New Zealand economy. Tradespeople are in particular demand.

Click Here to Complete the Online New Zealand Skilled Migration Visa Assessment

New Zealand Visa Bureau's free online Skilled Migration Visa assessment will provide you with your points score on completion and you will be given the option at that stage to request a free telephonic or email consultation with an experienced migration consultant specialising in evaluating eligibility for migration to New Zealand. As part of this initial free consultation, the consultant will discuss the options open to you and provide you with guidance on what visas are suitable and practical to you situation. Additionally, should you decide to use us to assist you with your skilled migration visa application, your migration consultant will explain our service charges. Our service charges are dependent on both the visa subclass and your own individual circumstances; for example, while our service charge for a child visa can be as low as £600, it can range to £2,400 for some skilled visa applications. This is not inclusive of VAT, the New Zealand government fees or any other costs associated with the application.

You can also begin the process of applying for a New Zealand Skilled Migration Visa by going to the New Zealand Government website. The government fees for a visa application range in price, depending on your own personal circumstances and the subclass of visa you are applying for. The total goverment fee can be anything from NZ$930 for a family category visa to NZ$2,400 for certain skilled visas.

Click Here to Apply Online on Immigration.govt.nz (Official Site)

The Skilled Migration category is core to the New Zealand Immigration strategy. The Skilled Migration category offers individuals the opportunity to emigrate to New Zealand by helping boost the New Zealand skilled workforce.

This category was designed to minimise the risk of a mismatch between the skills migrants bring and the skills New Zealand needs. Migration under this category follows a step-by-step application process, from the initial assessment of ability to the settlement stage in New Zealand.

If you are a highly skilled worker, your application to New Zealand may be processed much faster due to new work policy changes.

The new Essential Skills work policy separates occupations into highly skilled and lower skilled levels. Those applying for highly skilled visas may now be eligible for a temporary work permit, rather than a permanent residency visa.

If you are a highly skilled worker and are applying for a skill level one occupation that earns over $55,000, you can now be granted a five year work permit, rather than having to apply for a Residence Visa. You can also apply for three-year extensions to your permit, provided the need for your skill still exists at the time of application.

To be eligible to emigrate to New Zealand you must:

Be under the age of 56 years;
Meet the health, character and English language requirements; and
Be able to meet the threshold of 100 points in the Points System to register an Expression of Interest.

If successful, you will be given:

A Residence Visa allowing you to enter New Zealand. It must be used within 12 months of the date of issue, and cannot be renewed or extended. If you do not travel to New Zealand within the 12 months, the visa will expire and you will have to reapply for residence; and
A Residence Permit issued on your arrival to New Zealand, allowing you to remain in the country permanently; or
A Work Permit allowing you to remain in the country for five years, after which you can apply for multiple three-year extensions to stay legally in the country.

Job Offers and Skilled Trades or Professions
While the New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) looks favourably on those who already have a job offer in New Zealand in a skilled profession, it is not a requirement to qualify for migration under this category. Nurses, Social Workers, Engineers, Motor Mechanics, Electricians, Welders, Fabricators and Metal Workers are in particularly high demand in New Zealand. Workers in these professions may be able to qualify quickly without a job offer.