FAQ

New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia, and is a large island nation (similar in size to the UK or Japan) with a population of approximately five million people. New Zealand consists of two large islands, North Island (where 75% of the population lives) and South Island, plus several smaller islands. The largest city in New Zealand is Auckland (population 1.5 million), which is located in the northern section of North Island and is nicknamed the "City of Sails" because of the many sailboats and yachts that fill its two harbors. Wellington (population 215,000) is the national capital city of New Zealand and is situated at the southern part of North Island. The Mercer international human resources (HR) firm rated Auckland #3 in the world for Quality of Life in 2019 (tied with Munich, Germany, and Vancouver, Canada) out of 450 cities examined, while it also ranked Wellington as the 15th best place to live on the planet. Another large city in New Zealand is Christchurch (population 377,000), which is located on the east coast of South Island and is known as the "Garden City." There are several other cities and towns of various sizes across New Zealand, such as Hamilton (population 169,000), Tauranga (population 135,000) and Dunedin (population 105,000). International airports in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch provide easy connections within the country and between New Zealand and the rest of the world. Flying time between Auckland and Wellington is about 1 hour, while a flight from Auckland to Sydney (Australia) takes approximately 3 hours.     

In order to help you maximize your potential to find qualifying skilled employment in New Zealand, we are pleased to be collaborating with a well-known employment coaching firm which helps individuals prepare to seek New Zealand employment more effectively. This is a valuable service that can greatly benefit you and your family, since this employment coaching service facilitates finding suitable employment and could increase your likelihood of being offered a job in New Zealand. Once you secure a genuine offer of qualifying skilled employment in New Zealand, you will be in a stronger position to apply for the relevant New Zealand work visa.

The New Zealand employment coaching firm that we collaborate with can provide you with the following benefits:

• Receive a Personalized Assessment of your New Zealand employment potential
• Discuss New Zealand employment options that match your skills and experience
• Help you create an up-to-date CV that is tailored for the current New Zealand job market
• Create or improve your LinkedIn profile to enhance your online New Zealand job search network
• Guide you in updating your Cover Letter to apply for the specific New Zealand job description
• Interview Training to teach you successful job interview techniques for confident job interviews
• Show you how to navigate the New Zealand job application process in the current job market

A resident visa to New Zealand generally allows a qualified skilled foreign worker and his/her eligible family members (spouse/partner and dependent children) to live, study and work in New Zealand long-term, receive certain benefits (such as free or subsidized public healthcare), and has the option to apply for New Zealand citizenship after living in New Zealand at least five years and meeting all of the other requirements. The points-based Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Visa Program and the Residence from Work Visa Program both offer a pathway to New Zealand permanent residency for qualifying skilled foreign workers and their families.

In general, to apply for these resident visas to New Zealand you must be 55 years of age or under; have proof of identity; possess a valid passport or other accepted travel document; satisfy the English language requirements; have the necessary education and job skills; have an eligible skilled occupation; possess the necessary work experience; have a qualifying full-time job in New Zealand or receive a genuine offer of qualifying full-time employment in New Zealand; get enough points (if required); be of good character; possess  good health; pay the governmental fees; provide the necessary supporting documents; and meet all of the other criteria for the specific New Zealand visa program.

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa Program uses a points system and a minimum points score is required. You must file an Expression of Interest (EOI) online with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to provide your relevant details and pay the EOI fee. A minimum of 100 points are required to be entered into the EOI pool of candidates for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa Program. Points are given for factors such as your age (you must be 55 years of age or under), skilled employment, education, work experience, English level of your spouse/partner (if relevant), etc. Your EOI will be valid for 6 months. You must receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from INZ in order to file an Application for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Residence Visa. According to the INZ website, the minimum points score to receive an ITA is 160 points. You will have up to 4 months after the ITA is issued to submit your Application for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Residence Visa, along with all of the required documents and the governmental fees.

The Residence from Work Visa Program is available to qualifying skilled immigrants who have been living in New Zealand for 24 months with a valid Work to Residence Visa.

Please note that this is an overview and the regulations are subject to change.

A temporary work visa generally authorizes a skilled foreign worker to live and work in New Zealand for a limited, specified amount of time. Examples of a temporary work visa to New Zealand include the Essential Skills Work Visa, Work to Residence (Long Term Skills Shortage) Work Visa, and the Work to Residence (Accredited Employer) Work Visa, but there are other temporary work visas as well.

In general, to apply for a temporary work visa to New Zealand, you must have proof of identity; possess a valid passport or other accepted travel document; satisfy the English language requirements; receive a genuine offer of qualifying employment in New Zealand (usually required for temporary work visas); possess good health; be a person of good character; pay the governmental fees; provide all of the supporting documents; and meet all of the criteria for the specific temporary work visa program.

The Essential Skills Work Visa allows a skilled immigrant to live and work in New Zealand in a specific full-time job and with a particular employer for up to 3 years, depending on the skill level of the New Zealand job, how much the job pays, and other factors. According to Immigration New Zealand (INZ), if you will earn at or above the median wage (NZD $25.50 per hour), you could be granted an Essential Skills Work Visa for up to 3 years, but if you will earn less than the median wage you could be issued an Essential Skills Work Visa for up to 6 months.

The Work to Residence Visas permit a skilled immigrant to live and work in New Zealand for up to 30 months in a full-time job that is on the Long Term Skills Shortage List OR with an employer who is accredited with Immigration New Zealand. Please note that the foreign worker must be under 55 years of age to apply for the Work to Residence Visas. After living and working in New Zealand with a temporary Work to Residence Visa for 24 months and meeting all of the criteria, a foreign worker may have the option to apply for residency status through the Residence from Work Category to live and work in New Zealand long-term.

In general, family members (spouse/partner and dependent children) of a New Zealand temporary work visa holder may also be able to live in New Zealand if they qualify for the relevant New Zealand visa.

Please note that this is an overview and the regulations are subject to change.

No - New Zealand Expert is a private company that offers high-quality professional employment coaching services to people around the world who want to live and work in New Zealand; however, we do NOT assist clients to apply for a visa to New Zealand. If you want to apply for a visa to New Zealand, you may choose to apply for the visa on your own or you may choose to hire an Immigration Advisor who is registered with the Immigration Advisors Authority (IAA) in New Zealand in order to assist you with the procedure.

If there is not a strong enough demand for your occupation and/or skills in the current New Zealand job market, you may still have other positive options. For example, you may be able to acquire certain skills that could give you potential to live and work in New Zealand in the future. Furthermore, there might be a stronger demand for your occupation and/or skills at a later time, depending on the fluctuating needs of New Zealand's job market. Alternatively, you might explore possible options to work in another country where there is a current demand for your occupation and/or skills. We are pleased to be collaborating with a well-known international job search platform which brings employers and job-seekers together all over the world. 

An "Expression of Interest" (EOI) is your official notification to New Zealand's government that you would like to apply for immigration to New Zealand through the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa Program. The EOI is filed online with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and contains relevant information about you and your family. A minimum score of 100 points is required for your EOI to be entered into pool of candidates for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa Program. Points are given for factors such as your age (you must be 55 years of age or under), skilled employment, education/qualifications, work experience, English level of your spouse/partner (if relevant), etc.  An EOI is valid for 6 months. Candidates in the EOI pool must receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in order to file an official application for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa to New Zealand. According to the INZ website, the minimum points score to receive an ITA is 160 points.

In addition to the fee for the professional New Zealand employment coaching  services that we offer, there are also governmental fees (e.g., EOI fee, visa application fee, etc.) and other costs (e.g., IELTS exam, medical exam, etc.) associated with the procedure. You will also need to pay for travel and other expenses if you move to New Zealand and have enough money for housing, food, transportation in New Zealand, and other living expenses. 

Immigration to New Zealand through the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa Program is "by invitation only." First, you must file an Expression of Interest (EOI), providing New Zealand's government with your relevant details and informing them that you would like to apply for a New Zealand Resident Visa through the SMC Visa Program. The EOI fee must also be paid. Second, if you obtain enough points for various factors, based on the details you provide in your EOI, and appear to meet all of the other mandatory requirements, New Zealand's government may issue you an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a visa to New Zealand. You must be 55 years of age or younger when you receive the ITA. According to the INZ website, the minimum points score to receive an ITA is 160 points. Once the ITA is issued, you will need to properly submit your complete New Zealand Visa Application along with the required documents and governmental fees within the four-month time period allowed. If all goes well, you will be approved for New Zealand immigration and issued the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa to New Zealand. 

Yes! To be approved for a New Zealand visa, you and any accompanying family members must all meet the health criteria established by New Zealand's government. In general, to meet the health criteria for a New Zealand visa, a person must not pose a public health risk AND he/she must not have a medical or other condition that will "impose excessive costs and demands" on New Zealand's health services or special education services. Furthermore, someone applying for a New Zealand Resident Visa or temporary work visa must be healthy enough to work in New Zealand in the employment for which they will be issued a visa. Please note that this is a general overview and the criteria are subject to change. A chest x-ray and medical exam will be required, but not until after the Invitation to Apply (ITA) has been issued.

In order to protect the safety of the residents of New Zealand, most individuals applying for a New Zealand visa will need to provide acceptable evidence (such as a police certificate) that they are a person of good character. You and all family members applying for a New Zealand visa who are 17 years of age or older must provide a police certificate from the country of citizenship AND from every country lived in for 12 months or longer during the past 10 years (the 12 months includes living in a country for 12 consecutive months and also includes living in a country for a cumulative total of 12 months on multiple visits during the past 10 years).

Yes - If you and your family members (spouse or partner and dependent children, as relevant) all meet the eligibility requirements for immigration to New Zealand (including good health and good character) and complete the entire visa application procedure successfully, you will have the opportunity to immigrate to New Zealand. Please note that there are different criteria to be considered a "dependent" child for the purposes of immigration to New Zealand based on whether you (i.e., the foreign worker) are approved for a residence visa to New Zealand or a temporary New Zealand work visa, as well as the age of your child and other factors.   

Your spouse/partner and dependent children can be included in the application for a Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Residence Visa. According to Immigration New Zealand (INZ), your child will be considered "dependent" for the purposes of applying for a Residence Visa to New Zealand if he or she is: (a)  under 18 years of age and single; OR (b) 18-20 years of age, single and does not have any children of their own; OR (c) 21-24 years of age, single, does not have any children of their own, and relies on an adult for financial support. Please note that for a New Zealand resident visa, your spouse/partner and children 16 years of age or older must speak English OR pay for classes so they can learn English while living in New Zealand.  

If you are approved for the Essential Skills temporary work visa or the Work to Residence temporary work visa to New Zealand, your spouse/partner and dependent children would need to apply for the relevant New Zealand visas based on their relationship to you. According to Immigration New Zealand (INZ), if you are approved for a temporary work visa (such as the Essential Skills Work Visa or the Work to Residence Work Visa), your child will be considered "dependent" if he or she is (a) under 18 years of age, single and depends on you or your spouse/partner for financial support; OR (b) are 18 or 19 years of age, single, don't have any children of their own, and depend on you or your spouse/partner for financial support.

Please note that this is an overview and the New Zealand visa regulations are subject to change.

There are several reasons why New Zealand is an attractive destination for skilled foreign workers and their families. 

First, there are many jobs available for qualified foreign workers who possess the education, job skills, English language abilities and other characteristics needed for high-demand occupations in New Zealand. 

Second, New Zealand is one of the world’s most beautiful countries, famous for its sunny beaches, snow-capped peaks, lush forests and many opportunities to enjoy the Great Outdoors. 

Third, New Zealand is a peaceful place to live, ranked as the #2 most peaceful country on the planet in the 2019 Global Peace Index. 

Fourth, New Zealand is a very healthy place to live, ranked #2 in the world for "health status" in the 2019 OECD Better Life Index.

Fifth, people who live in New Zealand enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. The 2020 Best Countries report, based on a survey of 20,000 people around the globe, conducted by The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, BAV Group and US News & World Report, found that New Zealand is considered to be the 8th best country for quality of life and the 11th best country overall. In 2019, Auckland was ranked #3 in the world for quality of life (tied with Munich and Vancouver) out of 450 cities evaluated by the Mercer international human resources firm, while Wellington was considered the 15th best city to live in the world. The Economist rated 140 cities around the globe and declared Auckland to be the #1 most livable city in the world in 2021, while Wellington came in 4th place. Furthermore, the 2019 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey found that New Zealand is considered to be the #2 best country for work-life balance, #2 for political stability, #3 for quality of life, #3 for economic stability, and the #5 best country overall for expats to live and work abroad. Additionally, the 2019 Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report declared New Zealand to be the 5th richest country in the world, while New Zealand came in 7th place out of 149 countries in the 2019 Legatum Prosperity Index. People who live in New Zealand also enjoy a laidback/relaxed lifestyle that does a good job of balancing work with leisure.  

Sixth, New Zealand is a very welcoming country that extends hospitality to newcomers and helps them feel right at home. For example,  Conde Nast Traveler magazine listed Queenstown as the #1 friendliest city in the world in 2019 and rated Auckland 8th for friendliness that year. 

Finally,  the 2019 United Nations “World Happiness Report” considered New Zealand as the 8th happiest country on Earth out of the 156 countries that it evaluated around the globe. Similarly, the 2019 OECD Better Life Index ranked New Zealand #8 for life satisfaction. Thus, it is not surprising that the Reputation Institute declared New Zealand to have the 5th best reputation of any country in the world in 2019. 

These are just some of the many reasons why people want to immigrate to New Zealand.  

To apply for New Zealand citizenship, you will need to live in New Zealand at least five years as a legal long-term resident (i.e., holding a valid New Zealand Resident Visa or Permanent Resident Visa) and meet other eligibility requirements.

The Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) shows which jobs in New Zealand have an ongoing and sustained shortage of highly skilled workers throughout New Zealand.

The Regional Skill Shortage List (RSSL) shows which New Zealand jobs have a shortage of skilled workers in certain regions of the country and also indicates that citizens or residents of New Zealand are not currently available to fill those New Zealand job openings.  

The Construction and Infrastructure Skill Shortage List (CISSL) shows which construction jobs in New Zealand have a critical shortage of qualified workers throughout the country.

New Zealand has a high-quality comprehensive, affordable public healthcare system that is accessible to everyone living in New Zealand. In addition to public healthcare, private health insurance is also available for purchase in New Zealand.

If you are a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, legal resident or hold a New Zealand work visa that permits you to work in New Zealand for 2 years or longer, you may be eligible to receive free or subsidized healthcare in New Zealand, such as: free public hospital services, subsidized primary healthcare services (for example, doctor visits), subsidized prescription medicines, among other benefits. It should be noted that refugees and other individuals living in New Zealand may also qualify to receive the public healthcare benefit.

In the event that you are not eligible to receive free or subsidized public healthcare services in New Zealand, you can still access these services, but will normally have to pay for them. Therefore, New Zealand's government recommends that foreign nationals who are not eligible to receive free or subsidized public healthcare in New Zealand purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes health coverage.

Please note that New Zealand citizens, residents and visitors who are injured while living in New Zealand  can normally have most of the costs for treatment and rehabilitation covered by New Zealand's  Accident Compensation Scheme (ACC).

If you are eligible to receive free or subsidized public healthcare services in New Zealand, you also have the option to pay for private health insurance to cover the costs of using private healthcare services or clinics. Several companies over private health insurance in New Zealand. Private healthcare systems in New Zealand allow you to choose where and when to receive treatment and normally let you select your preferred  hospital, doctor or specialist. You can choose how much coverage you want to pay for and which kinds of services you want the private health insurance to cover. 

Dental care is not included in New Zealand's public healthcare coverage, so you will need to pay for dental care privately. Children under 18 years of age do, however, receive free dental care in New Zealand, however, this free service is not available at all dental practices in New Zealand so you should check with the particular dentist. If you need to receive dental treatment due to an injury or accident in New Zealand, then the Accident Compensation Scheme (ACC) will help cover the costs.

Please note that this is general information and subject to change.

The amount of time required will depend on several unique factors, such as which New Zealand visa program you are applying for, how quickly you can provide the required information, how fast New Zealand's government can process your file, the needs of New Zealand for your particular occupation, whether you need to get a genuine offer of skilled employment in New Zealand (and how long that takes), visa eligibility, changes made to New Zealand immigration policies and regulations, etc. In general, the entire process normally takes approximately 4-18 months, but it could take more or less time, depending on each person's individual circumstances and other factors. It generally takes less time to process a correctly completed application for a temporary work visa to New Zealand (such as the Essential Skills Work Visa and the Work to Residence Visa) than it it does to process an application for a New Zealand residence visa (such as the Skilled Migrant Category Visa).