How to apply for New Zealand PR visa

New Zealand has become a popular destination for overseas migrants. The country offers a peaceful, clean and safe environment. Apart from this the country has low unemployment rates, good economy, low population and family friendly immigration policies which make it an ideal place to settle down.

A permanent residency in New Zealand gives you many benefits. These include:

• Permission to stay indefinitely in the country
• Permission to enter and leave the country multiple times in the first two years
• Eligibility for citizenship
• Unlimited rights to study, live and work in the country
• Need to pay only domestic fees for your education in the country
• Eligibility to sponsor your relatives for PR visa
• Access to medical and social security benefits

Eligibility requirements to apply for PR visa:

• Should be below 55 years
• Have good health
• Have a certificate certifying good character
• Must have a job offer letter from a company located in New Zealand
• Should have work experience of at least 3 years
• Get a resident visa at least 2 years before you apply for permanent residency
• Must have lived in New Zealand under a resident visa for 2 years.
• Must have fulfilled the applicable conditions of your resident visa

Show your commitment to New Zealand

To qualify for a PR visa, you must show your commitment to New Zealand in any one of the five approved ways given below:

1.You have spent enough time in the country

You must have spent 184 days or more in the country as a resident in each of the two years immediately before your date of application.

2. You have New Zealand tax residence status

You qualify as a tax resident in New Zealand if you have been living as a resident in the country for 41 days in each of the two preceding the date of application. You must be assessed as having a tax residence status in this stipulated period.

3. You have invested in New Zealand

You must have invested an amount of at least NZ$1,000,000 in an acceptable investment for two years or longer.

4. You have a business in New Zealand

You must have either bought or started a business in the country a year ago or earlier. The business must be successful and bring some benefit in the country. If you have bought an existing business, you must have at least 25% share in the business.

5. You have established a base in New Zealand

You can prove this by:

• Having lived in New Zealand as a resident for at least 41 days in the year preceding your application for permanent residence
• Others included in your residence application should have been living in the country for at least 184 days in the 2 years before your application date

You must also have:

• Purchased a home 12 months before or after becoming a resident, own that home and live there
• Worked full-time in the country for 9 months or more in the 2 years before the application date

Based on the option you choose to prove your commitment to New Zealand; you must furnish the required proof.

 Options to obtain a PR visa

To gain a permanent residency visa you can use a range of visa options that include - Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, Partner of a NZ Resident Visa, Long Term Skill Shortage List Work or Resident Visa or family reunification visas.

The Skilled Migrant category visa is the most popular pathway to apply for a PR visa. This visa category uses a points-based system to determine eligibility. You must score at least 100-135 points to qualify for the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool, but it does not guarantee an ITA.  You must score 140 points in the EOI pool to qualify for an invitation to apply (ITA) for the PR visa.

The points are given on the following criteria- age, employment, work experience, education, family members living in New Zealand etc.

Your chances of getting an ITA improve is you have an employment offer for a skilled job from a New Zealand employer or have work experience in an occupation facing a skill shortage.

Applying for Permanent Residency Visa for New Zealand can be a smooth process with the help of an immigration consultant.