After being in and out of lockdowns for over two years, New Zealand has finally opened its borders again. This means that people can now begin migrating to New Zealand like they were, before the pandemic hit. Immigration New Zealand has multiple pathways that can be undertaken to obtain a New Zealand Residency Visa. Each pathway will be explained below:

"Immigration New Zealand has multiple pathways that can be undertaken to obtain a New Zealand Residency Visa."

Work to Residence Visa

You can get this Residency Visa by way of employment. If you earn double the median wage (NZ55.52 per hour) you can apply for residence, but you must wait for two years. There is also the ‘Green list’ option, of which there are two different tiers. If you qualify under Tier One, you can apply for residency straight away and will not have to go through the two year wait period. If you qualify under Tier Two, you will need to wait the full two years. The Green list and explanation of Tier One and Two can be found on Immigration New Zealand’s website.

Entrepreneur Visa

This is a two-step process. Step one being you need to apply for the Entrepreneur Work Visa, invest a minimum of NZ $100,000.00 and claim a minimum of 120 points (The points chart can be found on Immigration New Zealand’s website, or in our YouTube video below). The second step is that you need to apply for your Residence here in New Zealand, invest at least NZ $500,000.00 and create a minimum of three jobs. If you do the latter, you can apply for the fast track option – otherwise you need to wait two years and meet your projected forecast.

Investment Category

The New Zealand government is creating a new category and from our understanding the requirements will be: Invest NZ $15 Million in semi-active investments or invest NZ $5 million in direct investments. More information will be posted to our social media pages, our YouTube channel and website once the announcement has been made.

Partnership Visa

To apply for this Visa you need to provide supporting documents that show you have been living together in a genuine and stable relationship for at least twelve months and your New Zealand sponsor will need to hold at least a Residence Visa or New Zealand Citizenship. The video linked below will provide examples of documents you will need to provide.

Disclaimer:
We have taken care to ensure that the information given is accurate, however it is intended for general guidance only and it should not be relied upon in individual cases. Professional advice should always be sought before any decision or action is taken.