From Work

Work to Residence Talent Visa

Employers

The Work to Residence category is for employers to take on staff where there is an extreme skill shortage.

The employee is usually already in NZ and working on a work permit. The employer needs to obtain accreditation from the NZ Immigration Department. This a complex process for which professional assistance may be required.

Once the approval of the work permit for the 30 months' period  is given, then the employee can then apply for residence after working for 2 years for that accredited Employer.

Employee

In order to be considered for residence under this category, the employee will need to have been employed for at least 2 years  prior to lodging the application, in a position with a minimum base salary of NZ$ 55,000 per year, by a NZ employer who is accredited. The New Zealand employer will need to submit proof of his accreditation.
The employee would have been approved a work permit for a period of 30 months. After the first 24 months, the residence application can be lodged. However, if the applicant is already 56 years old at the time he or she is ready to lodge this application, he or she will not be elligible to apply anymore. As well, there are also registration requirements that will need to be met, in other words the applicant will need to show that that he or she holds full or provisional registration, if registration is required to practice in the occupation in which they are employed.

NZ Employer

Business records may be required in order to show that the New Zealand business is successfully established, e.g. Annual Reports, Business Plans, Set of accounts, GST returns, etc., as well as information reflecting that the New Zealand employer has never breached any NZ employment laws etc. They may also be required to provide details in terms of training offered such as involvement with Industry Training Organisations or other external training providers, etc.

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