Immigration to New Zealand
The favorable and open immigration policies of New Zealand have attracted people all over the world to live and set up their homes there. After obtaining a New Zealand passport, you can enjoy the privilege of visa exemption when traveling to over 100 countries, which will bring you a lot of convenience for business and holiday travels. Moreover, New Zealand recognizes multinationalities, and therefore after becoming New Zealand citizens you can still retain your original passport while getting a New Zealand passport. In addition, a New Zealand passport holder is allowed automatic entry into Australia and can live and work in Australia, and enjoy some of the welfare and benefits of an Australian citizen.
The pass score for skilled immigration set by the New Zealand government is 29 (subject to adjustment by the New Zealand government very month). Applicants scoring below this level will be turned down. The scoring standards are detailed as follows:
• I. Education
A minimum of three years of college education. 10 points are awarded for a three-year or four-year college graduation certificate. An honorary bachelor's degree gets 11 points. A master's degree gets 12 points.
• II. Valid work experience
I point is awarded for every two full years of work experience, and the maximum is 10points. This dose not includes jobs from which the applicants have been dismissed on ground of incompetence.
An applicant must get 1 point for work experience unless he/she has got ordinary skill recognitions in New Zealand. Points are calculated on the basis of jobs that involve over 30 working hours a week. Jobs involving working hours are calculated proportionately.
• III. Employment
If an applicant has already got a full-time job related to he/she can get 8 points. However, self-employment or jobs relying on commissions and rents as sources of income, are not accepted.
• IV. Age
• 18 – 24 years old: 8 points
• 25 – 29 years old: 10 points
• 30 – 34 years old: 8 points
• 35 – 39 years old: 6 points
• 40 – 44 years old: 4 points
• 45 – 49 years old: 2 points
• V. Settlement with a maximum score of 7 points determined by the following elements:
• Settlement funds: a maximum of 2 points (1 point for 100,000 New Zealand dollars; 2 points for 200,000 New Zealand dollars). These assets
must be non-debt in nature and owned by the applicant and/or his/her spouse wholly or jointly and remitted to New Zealand before granting of visas.
• Spouse qualification: a maximum 2 points If the spouse of the applicant qualifies for the New Zealand immigration standards, the applicant can receive a maximum of 2 points. The evaluation criteria for the spouse are the same as those for the applicants.
• Work experience in New Zealand: a maximum of 2 points 1 point is awarded for every one year of working experience in New Zealand, but the experience must be related with the proposed profession.
• Employment letter unrelated to education background: 2 points
• Family sponsor: a maximum of 3 points.
If the applicant is sponsored by his/her parents, brother, sisters, or children who are over 17 years old and have lived in New Zealand for at lest 3 years as New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, he/she can receive 3 points, the maximum for family sponsorship.
According to regulations, sponsors will be responsible for providing information and advices regarding the sponsored person's stay in New Zealand and well ensure the provision of funding, boarding and lodging for the sponsored persons for at least the first 12 months.
The long-term business visa is designed for people who to establish their business in New Zealand. This visa requires of the applicant to have an idea of running a business in New Zealand and enough money (personal assets or assets notarized in advance) to do that. Beside the applicant also needs to have necessary experience in doing business in New Zealand.
The applicant must not have been involved in any business failure or bankruptcy in the past five years and must not have ever been convicted for crimes of fraud or professional misconduct.
Some professions in New Zealand require registration and recognition of professional agencies and if the business that the applicant wants to go into requires relevant education certificate or professional qualification, the applicant should make sure in advance whether his/her qualifications will be recognized in New Zealand.
The eligibility requirement for investment immigration is making an investment of a minimum of 1 million New Zealand dollars in New Zealand, not necessarily in business. Applicants must meet a pass mark and points are awarded on the basis of three elements: age, business experience, investment fund.
An applicant of entrepreneur immigration should hold a long-term business visa of New Zealand and has, for at least 2 years, been doing business in New Zealand which has brought certain forms of benefits to the country.
- Employee Immigration Due to Enterprise Relocation
This category is created for key employees who will move to New Zealand with their corporation.
To build a new home for yourself and your family in New Zealand is both exciting and challenging. Uprooted from the environment you grow u in and cut off from the familiar personal connections, you have to adapt to new jobs and new ways of communicating with friends. |
