New Zealand Emigration
& Visas
Considering Emigrating to New Zealand? We’ll assist you on this incredible journey – We have successfully helped over 10,000 families emigrate with 25 years of experience in the emigration industry.
New Zealand
New Zealand’s migration process for those who wish to live and work in New Zealand involves an assessment of your skills to determine whether or not they are transferable to New Zealand’s job market and skills shortage. These skills include your qualifications and/or work experience. We require your CV to determine these factors before we can start the assessment process.
Your CV should include details of your age, qualification award dates and your full employment history, showing all periods of work.
Once we receive your CV, we will assess your background and provide you with information that reflects the steps you’ll need to take in order to gain the right to live and work in New Zealand and eventually remain indefinitely.
Should you wish to utilize our services as visa application specialists, you will then engage in a formal written agreement with us which will enable us to represent you in your applications to Immigration New Zealand. When you have completed the sign on process, we will then provide you with a step-by-step guide of the documents you require to become visa ready.
You will work with a dedicated file manager who is allocated to assist you in following the steps provided by your licensed adviser.
Let's start your emigration journey in 3 easy steps
Start the process of emigrating to New Zealand by filling in the assessment request form below. Here you can send us your CV to provide us with crucial information such as your age, qualifications, work experience and family details – so that we can send you an accurate full assessment and pathway to residency. Not sure which visa type you want to apply for? See each visa type currently available for New Zealand outlined above the assessment form.
Now that you’ve sent us an assessment request, our licensed adviser, Andrew Kerr, will start the process on your emigration assessment and pathway to residence. This pathway will include all fees involved with your process and tell you exactly which steps are required for you to obtain residency in New Zealand. After submitting your request, you can expect to receive your full assessment and pathway within the next 1-2 business days.
Welcome to Network Migration! It’s time to sign up and start the process of document submission and visa applications. You will be introduced to your file manager, who will be responsible for collecting all documents necessary for visa application & making your emigration journey as smooth and fast as possible.
Visas for New Zealand
New Zealand facilitates various visitor visa types and allows various durations of stay in New Zealand, dependent on your needs.
Grandparents or Parents are able to apply for a multiple entry visa which allows them to stay for up to 18 months within a 3 year period, each stay being no longer than 6 months at a time.
Those who need to enter New Zealand to search for employment or to complete occupational registration must declare their intentions to Immigration when making their application.
Certain countries have a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand and if you hold a passport from a visa waiver country, you do not have to apply for a visa before you travel to New Zealand provided you’re in good health and of good character. You need to show you are a genuine visitor, have enough money for your stay and a travel ticket out of New Zealand to a country you have the right to enter.
Essential Skills Work visa
If you’ve been offered a full-time job, and you have the necessary qualifications and experience to work in that job, you can apply for a temporary visa to work in New Zealand.
Your employer must have checked if any New Zealanders were available to do the work, before offering you the job. This means they need to have advertised the position on paid, public platforms and taken extensive recruitment measures to ensure no New Zealand citizens or resident visa holders are available to fill the role.
If you’re granted this visa, you may be able to support visa applications for your partner and dependent children of you will be earning the required remuneration package. Your remuneration package and skill level of the occupation will determine the length of your visa – 3 or 5 years.
Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa
This visa is for people who are looking for a pathway to live in New Zealand and who have a skill that’s needed by a New Zealand accredited employer. If an accredited employer offers you full-time work and your remuneration meets the visa requirements ($79560 per annum which is $38.25 per hour), you’ll be able to get a visa to work in New Zealand.
If you continue to work for that employer for 2 years and maintain the required remuneration, you’ll be able to apply to live in New Zealand indefinitely.
Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
This visa offers a pathway to New Zealand residence. If you have an offer of employment in an occupation on New Zealand’s Long Term Skill Shortage List and you have the specified work experience, qualifications and occupational registration as indicated in the list, you may be eligible to apply for this work visa.
You will be required to take steps in advance, before applying for the visa, to show evidence that you meet the criteria indicated on the list, exactly as it is stipulated by INZ.
If you continue working in that occupation in New Zealand for 2 years, you can apply for residence.
Partner of a Worker Work Visa
This visa will allow you to work in New Zealand while your partner’s in New Zealand on a work visa. Partners are required to prove to Immigration New Zealand that you have lived together, in a genuine and stable relationship for 12 months or more.
Your visa will be valid for the same period as your partner’s work visa.
Dependent Child Student Visa
Dependent children, aged 5-18 years, of certain kinds of work and student visa holders can apply for a student visa to allow them to go school while their parents work or study in New Zealand. The children can be treated as a domestic student, which means they don’t have to pay tuition fees to go to a primary or secondary school. Their visa will be valid for the same period as the principal parent’s work visa.
The principal parent supporting the application must earn at least NZ$43,322.76 gross per annum.
Child of a Worker Visitor Visa
If you have a work visa, your dependent children who are 19 and under can join you in New Zealand. Children who are aged 19-24 years will be allowed to remain in New Zealand for a period of 9 months as a visitor. Children who are too young to attend primary school will be considered visitors and their visa will be valid for the same period as the principal parent’s work visa.
The principal parent supporting the application must earn at least NZ$43,322.76 gross per annum.
Fee Paying Student Visa
If you’re from overseas, you can apply for a visa to study full-time in New Zealand. You’ll need to pay the full cost of your courses and enrol with an approved education provider before you can apply for the visa.
You will need to have sufficient funds for the tuition fees, daily living expenses, accommodation and a return ticket to your home country.
Your visa will be valid for the period of your course, provided you have paid for the full study period in advance.
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
Those who hold a valid work visa and meet the minimum 160 points requirements are invited to apply if they have the skills to contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth to apply for this visa.
Before you are invited to apply, INZ first needs an Expression of Interest (EOI) application which tells them about your employment in New Zealand, overseas work experience, and qualifications.
Before submitting an EOI, you may need to take steps to have your qualification assessed by NZQA if you are claiming qualification points. Any applicants aged 16 or older will need to provide evidence of meeting English language requirements.
If your Expression of Interest is successful New Zealand will offer you the opportunity to apply to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely. From the date of the invitation, you will have 4 months to provide INZ with your documentary evidence to prove the claims made in the EOI.
Once INZ receives the final application, you will be placed in a queue for processing and timing of being granted the residence visa can be quite lengthy. You must ensure you hold a valid visa throughout this process.
Once a positive outcome is received you will then be issued an e-visa for your residence which will allow you to live in New Zealand indefinitely. However you will be subject to 2 year travel conditions. Permanent Residence is applied for after 2 years of holding Residence.
Talent (Accredited Employer) Resident Visa
This visa is for people who have been employed in New Zealand by an accredited employer for more than 2 years. If you have ongoing employment with an accredited employer and you earn at least the minimum salary that was in place when you applied for your Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa, you may be eligible for this resident visa.
Your partner and children (aged 16 years and older) will need to provide evidence of meeting English language requirements.
Once a positive outcome is received you will then be issued an e-visa for your residence which will allow you to live in New Zealand indefinitely. However you will be subject to 2 year travel conditions. Permanent Residence is applied for after 2 years of holding Residence.
Long Term Skill Shortage List Resident Visa
This visa is for people who hold a Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa and have been employed in New Zealand for more than 2 years. If you have ongoing employment and your salary is NZ$45,000 or greater, you may be eligible for this resident visa.
Your partner and children (aged 16 years and older) will need to provide evidence of meeting English language requirements.
Once a positive outcome is received you will then be issued an e-visa for your residence which will allow you to live in New Zealand indefinitely. However you will be subject to 2 year travel conditions. Permanent Residence is applied for after 2 years of holding Residence.
Permanent Resident Visa
If you’ve been a Resident Visa holder for 2 years or more, and can show a commitment to living in New Zealand you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. Once granted, you can live and work in New Zealand permanently and come and go from New Zealand without travel conditions.
Let's Get Started
Now that you have an idea of which visa application/s you want to apply for, fill in this form so we can get started on your full assessment! We’ll let you know if you are eligible for emigration and which steps need to be taken to become a resident of New Zealand.
Current Visa Processing Times
Temporary visa processing times vary, depending on the visa type you have applied for and the immigration office your application is allocated to. Immigration New Zealand regularly updates their processing times and the maximum advised time should always be taken into consideration when planning your move and any future applications.
The up to date processing times can be found here:
Here's what our clients have to say
Get in touch with us
Eager to start the process but unsure of where to start? We’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you might have. Contact any one of our three offices (Johannesburg, Ballito or Auckland, NZ)
Head office - JHB
Mulberry Hill Office Park, Unit 16, 1st Floor, Broadacres Drive, Fourways, Sandton Postnet Suite #1958, Private BagX153, Bryanston, 2021
Working hours
Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 16:00 Hrs
Give us a call
Tel: +27 (0)11 463 7060