Building a Life in New Zealand
Residence in New Zealand rests on points, on skilled employment and on picking the right category to apply under. We help you read all three correctly, whether the Skilled Migrant Category is the fit or a regional route serves you better, and we prepare the application with you from the first assessment onwards.
What Draws People to New Zealand
Applicants tend to arrive for the work and stay for the setting. The skilled migration programme opens the door; the country itself is what keeps people here.
An Immigration System You Can Follow
Criteria are published, the points are laid out plainly and draws from the pool run to a regular rhythm. New Zealand makes an active effort to bring skilled people in.
A Different Pace of Life
The landscape is remarkable, communities are safe, and work rarely swallows the rest of your week. New Zealand sits near the top of international rankings for wellbeing and quality of life.
Where the Work Is
Employers are short of people across IT, healthcare, engineering and the skilled trades. Pay is competitive and workers are well protected in law.
Schools and Universities
Children of residents go through the public system at no cost, and a New Zealand qualification carries weight with employers overseas as well as at home.
Healthcare and Support
Residents use the public health system, where care is free or subsidised depending on the service, with wider social support sitting behind it.
Citizenship in Time
Five years of residence makes you eligible to apply for citizenship, and because New Zealand allows dual citizenship you need not surrender the passport you hold.
Worth knowing: a resident visa lets you live, work and study anywhere in New Zealand for as long as you wish. It also allows you to travel in and out of the country for a period of 2 years.
Ways into New Zealand Residence
Expand a category below to see the requirements attached to it and how it compares with the alternatives.
The Requirements in Brief
Every category sets its own detailed rules, but these are the criteria that surface in almost any New Zealand residence application.
Your Job or Job Offer
SMC, Work to ResidenceYou need work, or an offer of work, in a skilled occupation at ANZSCO skill levels 1-3. The role must be genuine, full time, and paid at or above the median wage of NZD $31.61 an hour. The employer will be checked.
English Requirement
All ProgramsIELTS 6.5 overall with nothing below 6.0 in any band, or an accepted equivalent such as TOEFL iBT 79, PTE Academic 58 or OET Grade B. Results remain valid for 2 years.
Recognised Qualifications
SMCYour qualification has to be recognised and relevant to the occupation. Bachelor degrees score 40 points, master's degrees 50 and doctorates 70, with bonus points where the study was done in New Zealand.
Points in the Pool
SMCThe pool opens at 160 points and selection usually starts at 180. Age, qualifications, work experience, a job offer and any New Zealand experience all feed into the figure.
Age Bands
SMCThe 20-39 band earns the maximum 30 points. It falls from there: 20 points for 40-44, 10 points for 45-49 and 5 points for 50-55. You must be under 56 when you apply.
Health and Character
All ProgramsA medical examination is compulsory, as are police certificates covering each country you have lived in for 12 months or more. Serious criminal convictions will block an application.
How SMC Points Are Awarded
You need 160 points to enter the pool, and in practice selection tends to begin at 180.
Age (20-39)
30 points
PhD
70 points
Skilled Job in NZ
50-60 points
Partner Points
Up to 20 points
Note: thresholds and selection settings shift as immigration targets change. We measure your profile against the rules currently in force and advise on the category that suits you best.
What to Expect on Timing
Below are the stages each category moves through, with the time each one usually takes, so you can plan around them.
Skilled Migrant Category
Lodge Your EOI
1-2 weeksComplete the online Expression of Interest and attach the evidence behind it
Selection from the Pool
VariesDraws are made on points score, generally 2-4 weeks apart
Invitation to Apply (ITA)
4 monthsYou get 4 months from the invitation to assemble everything required
Lodge Residence Application
Within 4 monthsFile the complete application together with all supporting evidence
Assessment by Immigration NZ
6-12 monthsImmigration NZ works through the file and verifies what you supplied
Residence Visa Grant
1-2 weeksThe residence visa is granted and you can make your first entry to NZ
Work to Residence
Find an Accredited Employer
VariesObtain a job offer from an employer accredited by Immigration NZ
Work Visa Application
2-4 monthsApply for the work visa, which runs for 30 months
Work in New Zealand
24 monthsComplete at least 24 months of work with that accredited employer
Residence Application
1-2 monthsApply for residence once the work requirement has been met
Assessment by Immigration NZ
6-9 monthsImmigration NZ assesses the residence application
Residence Visa Grant
1-2 weeksApproval comes through and residence is granted
Partnership Residence
Gather Relationship Evidence
2-4 weeksPull together proof that the relationship is genuine and stable
Lodge Application
1-2 weeksFile the partnership residence application with the full document set
Initial Assessment
3-6 monthsImmigration NZ reviews the file and may come back for more information
Interview (if required)
VariesAttend an interview where Immigration NZ asks for one
Full Assessment
12-18 monthsThe case is processed in full, verification checks included
Residence Visa Grant
1-2 weeksResidence is granted, initially on a temporary basis for 2 years
What Affects the Wait
- How complete and accurate your application is
- Your points total and demand for your occupation
- Case volumes and priorities at Immigration NZ
- Any extra verification your case attracts
What We Do For You
- Push your SMC points as high as they will go
- Make sure the documentation is complete and correct
- Watch the pool draws and track where your file sits
- Answer Immigration NZ requests quickly
Our Fees for PR Support
Support with Your New Zealand Residence Application
The service takes in every part of a New Zealand residence application, beginning with an assessment of where you stand and ending when the application is filed.
Included in the service:
An eligibility review and advice on the right category for you
Calculating your SMC points and finding ways to lift them
Preparing your EOI and helping you get it submitted
A document checklist with guidance on each item on it
Filling in the residence application forms and going over them with you
Reviewing and verifying the supporting evidence
Monitoring the case once it has been lodged
Replying to Immigration NZ whenever they ask for more
Service Fee
PR Application Support
Preparation and lodgement of the full application
$399
Note: this covers our work on a single residence pathway. Applications for a partner or dependants may be charged separately.
The final figure is agreed with you after the consultation, once we know which category applies and what it will involve.
Important notes:
• Visa application charges are payable to Immigration New Zealand directly
• Ivipass does not take payment of any government fee
• IELTS, PTE and TOEFL charges are settled with the test provider
• Panel physicians are paid directly for the medical examination
• Immigration New Zealand decides every residence application, not Ivipass. Our part is preparing a file that meets Immigration NZ requirements and evidences every claim in it. We do not promise an outcome, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
Government Charges (Payable to Immigration New Zealand)
• Skilled Migrant Category: NZD $4,290 (primary applicant)
• Work to Residence: NZD $4,290 (primary applicant)
• Partnership Residence: NZD $1,958 (primary applicant)
• Each additional applicant aged 18 or over: NZD $2,145
• Each child under 18: NZD $1,073
These charges are revised periodically. Check the Immigration New Zealand website for the schedule applying at the time you lodge.
Common Questions
The points that come up most often when people ask us about New Zealand residence
Not covered here? Book a free consultation and we will talk through your circumstances and what they mean for a New Zealand residence application.
Thinking of Making the Move to New Zealand?
We have taken applicants through New Zealand residence applications before, and yours will get the same attention.
Talk It Through
Set up a free call about your New Zealand residence options and your eligibility
1:1
Eligibility Review First
2014
Registered in England & Wales Since
8-18
Months, Usual Timeline