Immigration NZ
Resident Visa

PATHWAYS TO RESIDENCE

There are three main pathways to residence: the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), the Green List Straight to Residence and Work to Residence pathway, and the Care Workforce and Transport Sector Agreement pathway.

SKILLED MIGRANT CATEGORY 

The previous SMC pathway to residence based on 180 points closed on 15th August 2023.

The new SMC residence pathway based on skills and employment requires a minimum of 6 points to be eligible for residence which can be earned through professional registration, qualification, income, and work experience in New Zealand. 

The purpose of the new 6-point system is to rebalance immigration settings and offer a clear pathway that allows only specific individuals whose skills are required in the medium to long term to gain residence, and where it is challenging to meet the market demand through domestic labour.

The 6-point SMC aims to establish a clear and realistic pathway to residence for migrants and provide employers with the confidence to attract skilled migrants and offer them greater certainty from the outset. It provides faster decision-making and reduced processing time, making New Zealand a more attractive destination for skilled migrants. 

Requirements

  • must hold skilled employment or offer of skilled employment 
  • must earn at least the median wage for occupations classified as highly skilled and 1.5 times for other occupations
  • must meet age, health, and character requirements 
  • must meet the minimum standard of English language requirement

Immigration New Zealand will soon be updating to the latest ANZSCO version 1.3 with new SMC settings and updated information on occupation levels. 

If your current temporary work visa expires while your SMC application is being processed, you will be granted an SMC interim visa which will allow you to stay up to a period of 24 months or until your application is decided.

Client testimonials

Your Success is our Success
01 09

Great service, friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient! I highly recommended Sharma Law.

Anuradha Walallavita, Laboratory Technician, Sri Lanka
02 09

I came to Sharma Law with a difficult application. Rahul and his team helped us so much. I and my family can’t thank Rahul and his team enough for all the help and exceptional service.

Anna Liza Gerber, South Africa
03 09

Thank you for your representation, professionalism, and excellence.

Michele & Andres Torres, IT Professional, USA
04 09

Rahul is an incredible Immigration Lawyer in Hamilton. He is a wonderful person, very helpful, and informative. Rahul and his team are friendly, professional, and easy to access. We felt very comfortable with them. I would highly recommend Sharma Law to anyone that is looking for an Immigration Lawyer.

Mayadur Rifat, Solicitor, Bangladesh
05 09

I got my residence from Sharma Law. They are very experienced. Thanks!

Vincent Siow, Malaysia
06 09

Had a wonderful experience working with Sharma Law for my Partnership Visa. My application was complex but Rahul and Alex did a great job in addressing the previous issues and delivered a positive result. I highly recommend Sharma Law.

Shehan Gamage, Canada
07 09

The team at Sharma Law is very efficient and I highly recommend it to everyone. I would personally like to thank Vani for her utmost effort and help during the whole process for my visa.

Hetal Lachhani, Kenya
08 09

Had the best Immigration Journey! Thanks to Rahul Sir and Daman Sir who helped me in the process of applying for an Essential Skills Visa and my Resident Visa. Since the start, they were so organized and had a perfect plan for how to approach and work on the application. Always had easy and timely communication. Totally recommend their service. Finally can call NZ, my home!

Jasmeet Kaur, IT Professional, Waikato
09 09

Since 2017 we have been with Sharma Law having positive experiences every single time till we got our residence approved. Best consultation, handling the case, and giving lots of easy solutions. I highly recommend Sharma Law to everyone. Thank you Sharma Law it was an awesome experience with you.

Mr. Chapagain, Nepal
Client

1000

+
Applications

2500

+
Successful Applications
OVER

95%

%