New Zealand: Skilled Migrant Category Fine-Tuned

New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category has been fine-tuned to deliver more for the country while still ensuring quality, said Immigration Minister David Cunliffe.

The Skilled Migrant Category is New Zealand’s main immigration route, providing the opportunity of permanent residence for skilled people. Most skilled migrants are granted residence through the SMC, which comprises 60 per cent of New Zealand’s Residence Programme.

The changes include:

• An increase to the bonus points awarded for skilled employment, a recognised qualification and work experience in an identified future growth area.
• An introduction of bonus points for a post-graduate New Zealand qualification (Masters or Doctorate).
• A reduction in the number of years of New Zealand work experience required to claim the applicable bonus points.
• An increase to the bonus points awarded for a principal applicant’s partner’s recognised qualification and skilled employment in New Zealand.
• A restructure of how bonus points are awarded for study in New Zealand.
• Removing the award of bonus points for skilled employment, a recognised qualification and work experience in an identified cluster.
• A review of the list of recognised qualifications.
• A more transparent and appropriate definition of skilled employment.

“The revisions more closely target the people who New Zealand needs and recognises, for example, that the partner of a principal applicant can be of significant value to New Zealand in his or her own right,” Mr Cunliffe said

Mr Cunliffe said he expected the total number of migrants this financial year - which ends on June 30 - would be about 47,000.

Next year’s residence programme would be set at a similar level.

“The SMC is generally working well, and is delivering high quality skilled migrants,” Mr Cunliffe said. “We need to keep testing our policies to find ways of improving them and better target the people New Zealand needs. The SMC needs to be well positioned to attract quality skilled migrants in an increasingly competitive market.

“International competition for skills is intensifying, with many countries, including Australia, investing heavily to pursue the same migrants. Hence we have done some fine-tuning.”