The easiest way to get residency in New Zealand if you don’t have family in the country and you are not an at-risk migrant is through applying to emigrate under the Skilled Migrant Category.
Those who can secure a job offer in New Zealand before moving stand much better chances.
To apply under Skilled Migrant Category you submit to the New Zealand immigration authorities a document called an ‘Expression of Interest’ in which you detail facts about yourself on which you are then scored. The higher you score, the better your chance to move to New Zealand.
To score highly on the ‘Expression of Interest’ form it’s far better if you can get a job offer in New Zealand and then move to the country.
If you have a job offer in New Zealand when you apply for residency, your application is likely to be assessed and regarded more highly. So, in this article, we look at ways you can get a job offer before you get residency to live in New Zealand.
Finding a job in New Zealand
The Skilled Migrant Category for immigration to New Zealand covers such a broad array of skills types and of industries in which the NZ authorities would like to welcome workers from overseas.
There are vacancies for those in the IT industry, the medical and educational professions and even for engineers and social workers.
Generally, if you have applied for a job and been accepted as having skills in demand but not deliverable by New Zealand citizens, you should rank highly enough to be considered for immigration.
When you submit an Expression of Interest application it is placed in a pool and assessed eventually by an immigration officer.
According to the very latest figures about the applications selected as being eligible for residency, of the 769 applications assessed, 519 were from people who already had a job offer.
So as you can tell, it is far more likely that you will be positively assessed for immigration to New Zealand if you have first secured a job.
In the UK we are lucky enough to have exhibitions about moving abroad and specifically, there are exhibitions and seminars for Brits who want to move to live and work in New Zealand or Australia.
At these types of events, employers do headhunt and that can be a great way to be considered for a position. Find out about the next big event in the UK, take along copies of your resume and see how you get on.
For those who cannot attend such an event or who don’t meet the type of employers they require, it will be a case of applying for jobs remotely from overseas.
As a result of video conferencing psychometric testing being available over the internet, you can realistically apply for a job in New Zealand and get an offer without ever attending an interview in person.
You just have to be very proactive in finding employers who may require your skillset and targeting them with an ad hoc application – or of finding jobs over the internet or through recruitment companies for which you can directly apply.
If you’re serious about going to live in New Zealand, do as much of the groundwork as you possibly can before submitting your Expression of Interest application – that way you stand the highest chance of succeeding in your New Zealand visa application and achieving residency status.
You might find useful:
- Best Places To Live In New Zealand;
- Living In New Zealand As An Expat – the ultimate relocation guide
I would love to work and stay in New Zealand
My spouse is a 57yo Orthopaedic Surgeon (U.S. citizen). Would the ability to work in health care help with being over the age of 55? Is it possible to come on a work visa for even a couple of years?
Hi Christine, thank you for the comment. New Zealand needs qualified doctors, however, there’s the age restriction of 55 in place, and in many cases it might be an automatic “No”. The best way for you is to consult an immigration lawyer, or look for a job and try to get a contract with a hospital, and then apply for a visa. In any case, professional consultation is the right way to go.
Best of luck,
So. Following a really messy divorce following thirty years together, we met when we were both 17, I’ve been looking for something spectacular to restart my life. Anyhow, I contacted a few companies in various companies and now have a managing director flying over to the uk to meet me, my skills are considerable and are in a niche market, Health and Safety related.
I’m assuming the company is keen, but looking at the salaries down there, it seems that they are less that what I might expect to earn in the uk, typically around £130k pa. My question is this, should I push for UK money or just work around the ceiling that this type of job typically pays.
Hi Anthony, I’m sorry to hear about your divorce. From a salary perspective, it is quite common to be offered an initial salary that is lower than you could get in UK. Quite a few expats can renegotiate after they’ve established themselves. I would make any judgements about asking for a higher salary from the off after you’ve met and get a better feel for things. If you want the life change though and can handle the cut in money remember you’ll have plenty of opportunities when you’re relocated and working there.
I Need job offer letter in order to apply for work visa. Is there any other way to obtain work visa as I’m very keen to live and work in New Zealand.
Hi Rein, you need to find an employer in NZ; you can find more information here: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/work
Hope this helps and good luck
I would love to work and live in New Zealand with my family.
I would love to immigrate to New Zealand