Essential Skills Work Category

Requirements:

1. Job offer must be included in the ANZSCO list of occupations as to:
   • skill level (ranging from skill level one for the highest skilled positions, to skill level five for the lowest skilled);
   • tasks and duties normally undertaken in an occupation; and
   • The level of the qualification and/or amount of work experience required to work in an occupation.
2. Genuine attempt/s to recruit New Zealanders (‘labour market test’)
3. Health and Character
4. Recognised qualifications and/or relevant work experience

Duration of Essential Skills work visa:

1. Essential Skills work visas will usually be issued with a maximum duration of three years where an applicant’s job offer is for an occupation classified as an ANZSCO Skill Level 1, 2 or 3  However, there is a special instruction allowing a visa of up to five years if:
   
   • our New Zealand job offer is for a position which is classified as skill level one on the ANZSCO
   • our base salary is at least $55,000
2. You may only obtain a five year visa once.  If you wish to continue working, and still meet the requirements of Essential Skills work category, you may apply as normal for a visa with a three year maximum duration.  Visas for successful applicants whose application is based on an employment offer for an occupation classified as ANZSCO Skill Level 4 or 5 will be granted for a maximum duration of one year

If you want to join your partner in New Zealand and work, you may be eligible for a work visa under the Family Stream.

Requirements:

• Health and Character
• Evidence that you are living together with your partner in a genuine and stable relationship at the time the application is made.
• Your partner must:
  • be eligible to support you
  • meet the character requirement for partners supporting partnership-based temporary entry applications’
  • intend to be in New Zealand for the period you apply for in your application

A student Visa allows you to study for a set time at a specified institution as full-time student. However, INZ may allow you to study part time on a student visa if you are:

• Coming to New Zealand to study for at least three years and the course requires you to gain practical work experience as part of your study
• Coming to New Zealand to study for a maximum of nine months, your course meets New Zealand’s foreign student policy requirements, you can show us that you have paid the course fees, and you meet our visitor requirements.
• In the final semester of a course of study in New Zealand, resulting in a New Zealand qualification that would qualify for points under the Skilled Migrant Category.
• Moreover, you can work part time while studying full-time under below circumstances:
• To meet course requirements for practical work experience, or
• during the Christmas and New Year holiday period if you are in a full-time course of study lasting 12 months or longer, and/or
• for up to 20 hours in any given week during the academic year if you are in full-time study:
  • at a private training establishment or tertiary institution and taking at least two academic years to complete, or
  • culminating in a New Zealand qualification that would qualify for points under the Skilled Migrant Category, or
  • at a secondary school full year course of study in years 12 or 13, provided you have written permission from your school and written consent from your parent, or
  • in a full-time study course lasting at least six months, at a private training establishment or tertiary institution. Your immigration officer has to be satisfied that the main purpose of your course is to develop English language skills and you have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band score of 5.0 or above (General or Academic Module), or
  • at a tertiary level of at least one academic year duration as part of an approved tertiary student exchange scheme.

Exchange students

If you have been offered a place in an approved exchange scheme you may apply for a student visa for the duration of your exchange, provided you meet our health and character requirements and are a genuine exchange participant.

School-aged children

School-age visitor visa holders can attend a primary, intermediate, or secondary school for a single period of study of up to three months per calendar year provided the study finishes within the calendar year. School-age visitor visa holders are not permitted to study in term one of a school year if they undertook a single period of study in term four of the previous year while on a visitor visa.

If you are planning to attend for more than two weeks or are paying fees, you must attend a school that is a signatory to the Ministry of Education’s Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students.

This category applies to students who are studying in New Zealand and intend to stay and work in NZ after completion of their studies. All applicants need to meet NZ’s health and character requirements. The other requirements that need to be met depend on whether or not there is a job offer.

If you are a student or trainee who needs work experience to complete or further your study or training, you can apply for a Work Visa under this classification provided you meet the following requirements:

• Health and character requirements
• Evidence of support of your educational institution
• Evidence of an offer of work from a New Zealand education institution or employer

The Silver Fern Job Search visa allows young skilled people to enter New Zealand for nine months to search for skilled employment. There is a limit of 300 places per year. The quota opens at 10:00am on 27 April.

Requirements:

• you must be outside of New Zealand
• be aged between 20 and 35
• meet all of the qualifications requirements,
• English language requirements, and
• have enough funds to support yourself during your stay.

The application process and payment will be online. Applicants will have to provide evidence they meet the requirements to an Immigration New Zealand branch for assessment and verification.

Holders of Silver Fern Job Search visas who successfully find skilled employment in New Zealand may apply for a Silver Fern Practical Experience visa. This will allow them to work in that employment for up to two years.

Requirements:

• must hold a Silver Fern Job Search visa,
• have an offer of skilled employment that meets our requirements, and
• hold occupational registration if it is required for the job.
• There is no annual limit to the number of people who can apply for the Silver Fern Practical Experience visa.

Under this classification, you may be granted a Work Visa if you are coming to New Zealand for a specific purpose or event for which your skills, attributes or expertise will benefit New Zealand and you are one of these specific enumerations:

• Senior or specialist businessperson
• A sports referee with a written invitation or schedule of events invited to referee sports events in New Zealand.
• Judge of a show, display or exhibition, with a written invitation or schedule of events, invited to judge shows, displays, or exhibitions.
• Dance or music examiner of a recognised international teaching institution with a written invitation or offer of employment to conduct examinations in New Zealand.
• A pastor or lay missionary with a written guarantee of accommodation, maintenance and repatriation from a sponsoring body in New Zealand.
• An installer or servicer of specialised equipment or machinery who can show that installing or servicing the equipment is a condition of purchase.
• An entertainer, performing artist, film or video crew or support personnel.
• A business investor whose residence application has been approved in principle and who is coming to New Zealand to investigate investment opportunities.
• A chief executive or senior staff member of a multinational company for which similar applications have been approved.
• A sports player, a referee or professional coach with a written offer of employment from a New Zealand sports club.
• A Philippine nurse seeking entry to obtain New Zealand occupational registration with a written offer of employment from a District Health Board and proof you have been accepted for the Nursing Council’s Competence Assessment Programme.
• In addition, you need to comply with these requirements:
• A proof that you need a work visa for the length of time requested
• A job offer, invitation or schedule of events that describe your intended employment in New Zealand
• A proof that you have the qualifications or experience relevant to the position or event
• A proof that you are able to meet your living costs
• That you intend to leave New Zealand when your employment is completed.

Visits to NZ are limited to a maximum stay on a Visitor Visa of nine (9) months in any 18-month period. Visitors must show that they are bona fide visitors who are coming to NZ for a valid purpose such as family/friends, social and religious visits; holidaying; sightseeing; amateur sport; business consultation or medical treatment. Visitors must also meet the following requirements:

• A passport which must be valid for at least three months past the date you are to leave NZ
• Actual travel tickets (confirmed or open-dated) out of NZ to a country which you have the right to enter;
• Proof that you have plans and means to leave within the period of your visa
• Proof that you have enough money to support yourself during the duration of your stay (NZ$1000 per person per month, or NZ$400 per person per month if accommodation has already been paid for)
• An acceptable sponsor who will pay for your accommodation and maintenance.

 General Requirements:

1. Lodging an application for temporary entry;
2. Bona fide applicant;
3. Health and character; and
4. Evidence to show that:

• applicant is suitably qualified by training and experience to do the job being offered;
• meets any of the necessary New Zealand registration requirements, if applicable; or
• have an offer of employment in an occupation that requires registration and evidence from the New Zealand Medical or Dental Council that they are eligible for full or provisional registration subject only to attending a personal interview with a Council representative within one month of their arrival in New Zealand.

Under this scheme citizens from Argentina, Canada, Belgium, Chile, Uruguay, Korea, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Malaysia, Malta, Taiwan, Singapore, Hongkong, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America, Brazil, China, Czech, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Mexico, Norway, Polland, Peru, Slovenia, Spain and Thailand may travel to NZ and undertake employment during their stay.

• Post Study Work Visa – Open (Job Search Visa)
• Post Study Work Visa – Employer Assisted (Practical Work Experience Visa)
• Partnership Work Visa (Marriage, De factor relationship, Civil Union)
• Religious Workers Work Visa
• Regiment Visa category