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The New Zealand Government is reopening the Skilled Migrant Visa Category.
On 9 November 2022, selections of expressions of interest (EOIs) for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (SMC) will resume.
A number of changes are being made to the SMC, including the processing of all applications that meet the points threshold. The SMC is a points based Visa, and on 9 November all EOI's with at least 160 points (the current threshold) will be selected.
While all applications will be processed, the points threshold will be increasing to 180 points after 9 November. EOIs that meet this new threshold will be selected on 18 January, 2023, and subsequently receive an invitation to apply.
Timeline
| 9 November 2022 | Selections will resume. All EOIs with at least 160 points will be selected. |
| 18 January 2023 | All EOIs with at least 180 points will be selected. |
| After 18 January 2023 | Selections will be on the third Wednesday of each month. All EOIs with at least 180 points will be selected. |
Selections
Those who have submitted an EOI and wish to remain for selection should make sure their details are correct and claim their eligible points before 9 November. If you have the correct number of points, you will receive an invitation to apply for an SMC Resident Visa.
Those who no longer wish to be selected should withdraw their application and request a refund. EOIs selected by Immigration NZ will no longer be eligible for a refund.
EOI expiry
EOIs will expire, depending on their original submission dates. EOIs submitted before 9 May 2022 that are not selected on 9 November 2022 will expire and will not be reselected.
Other EOIs submitted on or after 9 May 2022 that remain unselected will expire 6 months from the date of submission.
Advice from Immigration NZ
Immigration NZ are also asking for patience as they are expecting to receive a large number of EOIs for the November selection. Once invited, applicants will have four months to submit their application.
Immigration NZ is encouraging those who have already applied for a 2021 Resident Visa to continue with their application, rather than applying for an SMC Visa as well. Immigration NZ are currently prioritising the processing of 2021 Resident Visa applications, with a view to have completed the majority of these by June 2023.
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