The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) accounts for the bulk of New Zealand’s overall annual residence quota. Under the SMC, applicants with a points score of 100 points or more must file an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Immigration New Zealand registering their interest in applying for residence. You can claim points for certain factors such as your age, qualification, work experience, job offer from a New Zealand employer for a skilled position relevant to your qualification and/or work experience. You can also claim additional bonus points for your spouse’s qualification and work experience in certain fields, for your own qualification and work experience in areas of long term skills shortage or future growth, for qualifications obtained from a New Zealand institution, for job offers outside Auckland or for sponsorship by close family members residing permanently in New Zealand.

Depending on the selection criteria set by the Minister of Immigration periodically, your EOI will are selected from the pool and the information and your claim for points will be verified by an immigration officer. If your claim and information is accurate, you will then receive an “Invitation to Apply” for residence (ITA).

English language proficiency is a pre-requisite for this category, and must be demonstrated either through an IELTS test score with an overall band score of 6.5 or through other means.

Applicants under SMC must also meet health and character requirements.