Pathways to New Zealand
There are several immigration and visa categories for entering New Zealand. Not all of these are for directly obtaining permanent residency. Some only provide opportunity for temporary entry to enable you to make a decision on your New Zealand plans or as an interim step on your way to permanent residence in New Zealand.
Here are a few of the more common pathways from an Indian perspective:
Skilled Migrant Category: Approximately 50% of all immigrants obtain their Residence Permit through the Skilled Migrant application process. As the name suggests only skilled applicants will be granted with the permit to live and work indefinitely in New Zealand. Applicants are assessed by age, education, work experience and employment prospects in New Zealand. Under certain circumstances it is possible to obtain a residence permit without proof of employment in New Zealand.
Work to Residence Category: From in Indian perspective, this category is not very widely used. This policy was drafted with the New Zealand employer in mind. It allows certain accredited New Zealand employers to recruit staff from overseas which is usualy hindered by a lot of red tape. This category reduces the red tape for the employer but is not always the best solution or strategy for the immigrant.
Graduate job search work permit: This is a very popular policy from an Indian perspective because many recent immigrants from India have come to New Zealand as students and after completion of their studies they can apply for a work permit. The work permit has a validity of one year and gives the immigrant the chance of finding skilled employment so that they can apply for Permanent Residence under the Skilled Migrant Category. Doing the first step right, i.e. choosing the right University or Polytechnic courses, is often instrumental to finding skilled employment and ultimately obtaining a Residence Permit!
Work permit: "Normal" work permits are designed with the New Zealand labour market in mind. If New Zealand companies cannot find suitable staff locally, they are allowed to recruit suitable staff from overseas. The so called Immidiate Skills Shortage List and the Long Term Skills Shortage List give an indication about the professions where New Zealand employers typically struggle finding staff locally. From an Indian perspective a lot of chefs and cooks are recruited on this basis by Indian Restaurants in New Zealand. Please note that having a job and a valid work permit does not mean that a residence application will be approved as many Indian chefs and cooks, who were badly prepared and ill advised had to experience!
Entrepreneur Category: This category allows business minded people to come to New Zealand to establish or expand businesses.
Investor Category: Each year only about 300 applicants from the total quota of 50,000 may apply under this category. They have to prove that they have assets with a minimum value of NZ$ 2.5 Million to qualify and they also must be prepared to at least transfer NZ$ 1.5 Million to New Zealand.
Family Reunion and Marriage: Between 1991 and 2001 the Indian population in New Zealand doubled. Since 2006 more than 100,000 Indians are living in New Zealand. This makes Indians the fourth largest ethnic group in New Zealand. This provides a strong pulling force for immigration of family members. Also, many NZ-Indians marry Indians from home and bring their spouses back to New Zealand. Residence Permits can be granted under certain circumstances for close family members and spouses.
