Skilled Migrant, Parent visa categories to reopen

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The government of New Zealand has announced that it will reopen its Skilled Migrant and Parent visa categories in November.

Skilled Migrant Resident Visa:

• Beginning Nov. 9, selections of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa will resume.
• On Nov. 9, New Zealand authorities will select all EOIs at the current limit of 160 points.
• After Nov. 9, the points limit for selection will increase to 180 points. The next EOI selection will be on Jan. 18, 2023. After the Jan. 18, 2023, selections will be completed on the third Wednesday of every month.
• People who have already submitted an EOI can update their information or withdraw their EOI and request a refund.

Parent Resident Visa:

• Beginning Nov. 14, selections of already submitted EOIs for the Parents Resident Visa will resume. Additional selections will be made every three months after Nov. 14.
• New Zealand authorities will increase the number of Parent Resident Visas available to 2,500 (from 1,000) annually.
• To sponsor a parent, individuals must earn 1.5 times the New Zealand median wage rather than twice the median wage.
• Selections of new EOIs via begin in August 2023.

Additional Information: More information regarding the Skilled Migrant Resident Visa is available here. More information on the Parents Resident Visa is available here.

BAL Analysis: The reopening of the Skilled Migrant Resident Visa is welcome news as it has been closed to new applications since April 2020. The Parent Resident Visa has also been closed to new applications since 2016. Both Skilled Migrant Residence Visa applicants and Parent Resident Visa applicants should ensure they satisfy the application requirements at the time of EOI selections to avoid possible delays and complications.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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