Skilled Migrant Category

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) offers you the opportunity to move to New Zealand to work and live permanently.
To decide if you can apply NZ immigration use a points system. You get points for age, experience, employability and qualifications.

To be eligible for residence under SMC you must:

Family Categories

If your family member is in NZ and he/she sponsors you, then you are eligible for residency

Migrant Investment categories

Investment categories are for investors who want to gain residence in New Zealand.
There are two categories:

• Investor Plus (Investor 1 Category), and
• Investor (Investor 2 Category).

Residence for entrepreneurs

The Entrepreneur Residence Category enables migrants to be granted residence if they have established a high growth and innovative business with export potential in New Zealand.  There are two ways of qualifying for residence under the Entrepreneur Residence Category: the 2 year option and the 6 month option.

Entrepreneur Residence Category (2 years)

If you have successfully established or purchased a business in New Zealand, you have been self-employed in that business for at least two years, and your business has benefited New Zealand significantly, you may be eligible for residence in New Zealand under the Entrepreneur Residence Category.

Entrepreneur Residence Category (6 months)

This option provides a faster track to residence for applicants who have been running a high value business for at least six months. As well as meeting general health and character and English language requirements, to gain residence under this category, you must:

• hold an an Entrepreneur Work Visa or Long Term Business (LTBV)
• have successfully established or purchased a business in New Zealand
• have been self-employed in that business
• have invested at least NZ$0.5 million in the business, and
• have created a minimum of three new fulltime jobs for New Zealand citizens or residents.