The current SMC commenced on 9th October 2023,[1] replacing the previous SMC which suffered from lengthy processing delays prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Immigration New Zealand figures reportedly showing unprocessed skilled migrant applications jumping from 8,000 to 19,000 in the year to August 2019.
In August 2021, the government announced the introduction of a ‘one-off’ 2021 Resident Visa, which remained open for 12 months and drastically reduced the number of unprocessed SMC applications as people switched to applying under the 2021 Resident Visa category instead.
During September and October 2022, Immigration New Zealand announced a number of new, skills-based residence visas, including the current SMC.
Additionally, they may claim between 1 - 3 points for skilled work experience gained in New Zealand.
For licensing, certification or registration in New Zealand, a person can claim between 3 – 6 points depending on the type of registration, license, or certification, which must be listed in Immigration New Zealand’s Operational Manual, which defines the requirements and number of points awarded for each.
An automated electronic system determines whether the person meets the requirements to be invited to apply under the Skilled Migrant Category.