Step 8. Residence or Work to Residence Visas and Permits
If you meet New Zealand Immigration criteria, and they believe you will settle successfully and contribute to New Zealand, INZ will offer you a residence visa or permit.
If INZ think you have potential, but want to see how you settle, they will give you a work to residence visa or permit, which you can use to help obtain an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand for up to nine months. If you obtain skilled employment in this time you will have shown your ability to settle and contribute, and your residence application will be approved.
Residence Visa/Permit
If you were issued a residence visa, you must still meet some requirements to ensure you remain a New Zealand resident.
- If you claimed points for an offer of skilled employment, you must take that job up within three months of being granted your permit. You must also stay in that job for at least three months and provide Immigration New Zealand with evidence that you have met these requirements within seven months of being granted your first residence permit.
- If you got points for already having a skilled job that you have held for less than three months, you must stay in the job until three months is up.
Additionally, before Immigration New Zealand place a residence visa or permit in your passport you must pay the migrant levy, and meet any required English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) agreement, along with any fee this incurs.
Please make sure you give Immigration New Zealand your contact details in New Zealand. INZ wants to be able to provide settlement support and send you a questionnaire about your immigration experiences.
Work to Residence Visa/Permit
If you have been offered a work to residence visa or permit instead of a residence visa or permit, there are certain things you have to do.
- Within three months of the offer, you must return your application form for the work to residence visa or permit.
- During the visa or permit application, you must show that you are able to support yourself and your family for at least the first three months in New Zealand. This means NZ$1000 per person for each month, or NZ$400 per person each month if your accommodation has been paid for.
- You will also have to show that you have the money available to purchase tickets to your home country for you and your family should you have to leave New Zealand.
Additionally, you must pay the migrant levy, and meet any required English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) agreement, along with any fee this incurs.
Note: If you made your Skilled Migrant Category application before 10 April 2007, your work to residence visa or permit will be valid for six months.
If you are out of New Zealand, you will get a work to residence visa which will allow you to travel to New Zealand within three months. On arrival , or if you are in New Zealand you will be granted a nine-month permit.
Links:
Immigration New Zealand
New Zealand Department of Labour
Statistics New Zealand |
