In New Zealand, there’s a high demand for skilled professionals. If you’re looking to hire overseas workers with the right skills and experience, the Skilled Migrant Visa is your gateway to bringing talented individuals on board.
In this article, we’ll break down the essentials for employers looking to navigate the Skilled Migrant Visa process seamlessly.
Skilled Migrant Visa: Definition & Eligibility Requirements
The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa is a tailored solution to address New Zealand’s specific needs for skills and experience. These skills are essential for economic growth.
For employers, this translates to the opportunity to attract talented individuals who can meet the job requirements and contribute to the country’s long-term skill needs.
To make the process smoother, it’s crucial for employers to understand the key criteria under the new simplified points system. Based on this system, your prospective employee must score 6 points to qualify for this visa type. These points can come from different areas:
- If they’re registered in a New Zealand occupation
- If they hold a qualification like a Bachelor’s degree or higher
- If the job pays at least 1.5 times the median wage in New Zealand
Importantly, candidates can only pick one of these categories to claim points. However, they have the option to obtain 1 point for each year of skilled work undertaken in New Zealand. This comes with a capped limit of 3 points. The points they earn through skilled work add up to those acquired from the 3 categories mentioned above.
Other requirements your prospective employees must meet are character requirements, health requirements, English proficiency requirements, and age requirements (candidates can apply until age 55).
Factors to Consider Before You Hire Overseas Workers Under a Skilled Migrant Visa
Before you hire overseas workers under this visa, type, make sure you consider the following factors:
- Familiarize yourself with wage thresholds based on ANZSCO levels to determine eligibility for income points
- Verify that the applicant’s work experience aligns with the required wage thresholds
- You must be an accredited employer
- You must provide the candidate with a concrete job offer. The offer may take the form of full-time and permanent employment, a temporary position lasting a minimum of 12 months, or a service contract spanning at least 6 months.
- You should be aware of the time and costs associated with the Skilled Migrant Visa application. Straightforward applications, when presented with complete and accurate information, typically take 6-8 weeks to process. The application fee starts from $4290, excluding additional costs for medical screenings, police records, and translations.
Gain a Better Understanding of the Hiring Process
Want to have a better understanding of how to hire overseas workers in New Zealand? Gain valuable insights into the hiring process by exploring our full guide tailored for employers seeking to diversify their workforce.
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