New point system to simplify path to NZ residency for skilled workers

New Zealand Government is making changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) to simplify path to residency to fill skills shortages.

A new six-point system, no cap on highly-skilled workers, extension of Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) to five years are among the changes announced today by Minister of Immigration, Michael Wood to give certainty to migrants and help businesses.

“The changes announced today to ensure there is no cap on skilled migrants removes an artificial constraint in the old system that set an indicative number of residence places available each year and prevented skilled migrants settling in New Zealand even when there was a demonstrable need.

“From early October, a simplified points system will be introduced to set a clear skills threshold based on New Zealand occupational registration, recognised qualifications, or income,” said Immigration Minister.

The Minister also hoped the new pathway will remove uncertainty and provide faster route to residency.

“Highly skilled people will have a faster route to residence, and others will have a clear route to residence if they work for a period in New Zealand. The clear requirements will provide temporary workers with clarity about their status, addressing a long-standing issue where some people with no pathway to residence were given false hope.

“The new SMC complements other pathways to residence, such as the Green List, which is a narrower, occupation-specific pathway for those working in specified nationally significant and globally in-demand roles, ” Michael Wood said.

Duration of temporary visa AEWV is also being extended from three to five years from November this year.

“The AEWV is New Zealand’s main temporary work visa, which gives businesses access to skills to plug short-term gaps. Providing a five-year maximum continuous stay means people who don’t qualify for a pathway to residence will have clarity about how long they can work and stay in New Zealand and provides longer term certainty for business. 

Highlights of changes:

• All migrants applying for the SMC will have to have a job, or a job offer in New Zealand with an accredited employer, and be paid at least the median wage (applicants in ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 roles must be paid at least 1.5 time the median wage)
• Applicants must have at least 6 points to be eligible. This can be made up from: i) 3 to 6 points based on either NZ occupational registration, recognised qualifications, or income; and ii) 1 point per year of work in NZ in a skilled job, up to a maximum of 3 points.
• Applicants can claim points from the skill category (either NZ occupational registration, qualifications, or income) that offers them the most points. The more skill points a person can claim, the shorter the period of skilled work in NZ applicants will need to complete before they can apply for residence. Applicants cannot combine points from multiple skill categories to make up more points.
• Applicants will need to meet the same age, English language, health, and character requirements as the previous settings.People already in NZ or arriving soon can start earning points for experience to count towards the future Skilled Migrant Category settings ahead of the new settings opening.