- New Zealand's Immigration New Zealand (INZ) announced updates to its Work to Residence visa, introducing two skilled pathways for foreign workers
- The Trades and Technician pathway requires applicants to hold a relevant Level 4 or higher qualification recognised on the NZQCF
- New Zealand and overseas qualifications are assessed differently under the pathway, with distinct credit and accreditation requirements for each
New Zealand's Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced updates to its Work to Residence visa programme, outlining two new skilled residence pathways that foreign workers can use to qualify for residence in the country.
The changes include details on the Trades and Technician pathway, one of the two new routes now available under the revised skilled migration framework.
Source: UGC
What Trades and Technician pathway requires
To qualify under the Trades and Technician pathway, applicants must hold a qualification at Level 4 or above that is recognised on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).
1. For those with New Zealand-issued qualifications, a minimum of 120 credits is required. INZ carries out the assessment for these applicants directly. The 120-credit threshold does not have to come from a single qualification; credits can be combined from more than one certificate where a lower-level qualification served as a prerequisite for a higher one. For example, a Level 4 qualification with at least 40 credits at that level, paired with a Level 3 qualification of 80 credits taken as a prerequisite, would together satisfy the 120-credit requirement.
2. For applicants with overseas qualifications, the rules differ. Instead of the 120-credit requirement, overseas-trained applicants must obtain an International Qualifications Assessment (IQA) confirming their qualification sits at Level 4 or higher on the NZQCF. They must also demonstrate at least 40 credits completed at Level 4, but the overall 120-credit count does not apply to their applications.
New Zealand: Skilled migrant category updated
The Trades and Technician pathway sits alongside changes to the broader Skilled Migrant Category resident visa, which INZ also revised as part of the same policy update. Together, the two pathways form New Zealand's refreshed approach to attracting qualified foreign workers into roles where skills are in demand.
The updates are part of New Zealand's broader effort to streamline how skilled migrants gain residence, with clearer qualification benchmarks and assessment processes designed to make the system more transparent for applicants coming from both within and outside the country.
Read the full INZ update on the skilled migrant changes.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that New Zealand names parents eligible under its new residence visa selection system.
New Zealand: Visa requirements to join military
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that New Zealand announced the eligibility and visa requirements for citizens of the UK, Australia, the US and Canada who want to join its military.
But a visa pause in place since October 2023 could block some skilled applicants from applying—and the New Zealand Defence Force has not given a date for when it may end.
Source: Legit.ng