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Automotive Employment NZ provide a full suite of immigration services through our parent company, Jobcorp, and of course this includes residence.
During the process of completing the pathway assessment your Licensed Immigration Adviser will identify your pathway to residence if it is known at the time of consultation.
For most of you it is necessary to first gain a job offer and a work visa. This is due to the time it takes for Immigration NZ to process a residence application. Because there is more scrutiny for residence applications, at current time residence applications take longer to process.
As a guide employers will wait around 12 weeks for a skilled migrant to commence employment and a work visa is usually processed expediently. While processing times do vary, Automotive Employment NZ commonly are able to process your work visa within the required times. With the ability to commence employment and a visa that allows you to stay in New Zealand for an extended period, you now have sufficient time to apply for residence.
Depending on your occupation, qualifications, and pay levels some skilled migrants may be able to apply for residence immediately. Others may have to work for an employer for a set period before being able to apply. Either way your Licensed Immigration Adviser sets a suggested pathway for you for when you can apply for residence. Our pathway assessments will also identify if you do not qualify for residence and for those that do not, it is better to have a complete understanding before you progress on your journey to New Zealand.
To gain residence you will need to meet Immigration NZ criteria on a range of issues, including those listed below.
Health
Your health and the health of your family is one such criteria. You must be unlikely to impose significant costs or demands on New Zealand’s health services or special education services. You must also be able to do any work that your application is based on. That is a requirement for a residence visa alongside many others.
Residence applications can be complex, but you will be well guided by your Licensed Immigration Adviser. There may be circumstances where you do not have to meet those health requirements, but these are usually connected to previous residence applications that were approved and now expired. For most skilled migrants you will need to be of good health.
Immigration NZ has identified some specific health conditions as ones that impose significant costs or demands on New Zealand’s health or special education services, and these will therefore prevent you gaining residence. For example, HIV, Hepatitis B or C, various cancers, neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis, heart conditions, and respiratory disease e.g. cystic fibrosis.
There may also be scenarios where a serious condition is no longer considered problematic so if you have had a serious health problem do not attempt to hide it from your Licensed Immigration Adviser. They are here to help not hinder your application.
You will need to provide Immigration New Zealand with a medical certificate and a chest X-ray certificate. There are exceptions such as pregnancy and a child's age where you may have no need to provide a chest X-ray certificate. The chest X-ray certificate needs to be from one of Immigration New Zealand’s approved “panel doctors. Your Licensed Immigration Adviser will instruct you on where to locate a panel doctor or you can find one via the link below. It is not just a case of getting the required information from your local GP.
Find an INZ panel approved physician
Good character
Good character covers a range of issues, and this includes providing misleading information to Immigration NZ. Never consider attempting to cover up or embellish information when making an application at any stage of the process. 100% honesty is required and if you make the wrong decision and attempt to cover up an indiscretion it is rare for Immigration NZ to make allowances.
There are a range of areas that are covered by good character from obvious serious criminal convictions, as well as less obvious issues broadly covered under good character such as having been a member of a racist group, drug offences, or serious driving offences such as drink driving, and others. If you are unsure of whether the good character thresholds apply to you or a family member, please be open with your Licensed Immigration Adviser. In certain circumstances a character waiver may be possible.
It is important to note that even expunged offenses must be declared and explained.
While we have covered off two of the most common pieces of evidence you will need to provide Immigration NZ, there were some 36 major policy changes to immigration in recent years. The ebb and flow of change when it comes to immigration policy is common in most countries.
Typically for residence you and other applicants will need to complete an English literacy assessment and have your qualifications assessed if your pathway is dependent on them. If you have a partner, powerful evidence is required whether or not you are married. Your passports must be up to date and you will need to provide unabridged birth certificates, marriage certificates, evidence of past employment, and a whole host of documents. We have not listed every single document or requirement because the pace of change is such that it is impractical.
It is clear in recent years that attempting to self-process a residence application is a whole lot more difficult than it used to be. Having relocated literally thousands of skilled migrants to New Zealand we firmly stand behind the need for professional advice.
When you use the skills of our Licensed Immigration Adviser they will advise when to apply for residence, how, what information is required, and support you through the entire process. There is no need to be overwhelmed by the process. It is simply a case of one step at a time and being guided every step of the way.