New Zealand visa guideThe Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa is the single largest residence pathway for skilled Indians. It uses a simplified 6-point threshold: you reach the points through one skill source (a New Zealand occupational registration, a recognised qualification at NZQF Level 7 or higher, or income from skilled employment), topped up if needed with points for New Zealand skilled work experience.
Beyond the points, you must hold a skilled job, or job offer, with an Accredited Employer. Faster Green List pathways also exist: a Tier 1 Green List role can lead to a Straight to Residence Visa without prior New Zealand experience, while Tier 2 roles lead to residence after 24 months of qualifying work. An initial Resident Visa becomes a Permanent Resident Visa after 24 months.
Lifeset Overseas assesses your points honestly, advises on the qualification assessment and the Green List, and builds the residence file around a genuine skilled job offer.
Three questions before you spend a rupee on New Zealand residence
Sit with these for a minute.
- Do you have a skilled job offer from a New Zealand employer, or a way to get one?
- Is your partner a New Zealand citizen or resident?
- Do you have NZD 5 million or more to invest?
If you answered yes to any one, there is a residence route worth talking about. If you answered no to all three, the honest path is longer, and it often starts with study. We will explain each route below, and we will be clear about which parts we file and which parts we cannot.
The routes to New Zealand residence
New Zealand calls permanent residence a resident visa. Every resident visa needs health and character checks. Health means a medical examination; character means police clearance and an honest record of any past problems. These two checks apply no matter which route you use, so we handle them early.
Skilled Migrant Category: the six-point system
The main route for skilled people is the Skilled Migrant Category. It uses a six-point system. You need six points, and they come from one of three places:
- Occupational registration in New Zealand, for professions that need a licence there;
- Qualifications, meaning your degree or diploma at a recognised level; or
- Income, meaning what your New Zealand job pays compared to the local median.
You can top up your points with skilled work experience gained inside New Zealand.
Here is the part that most agents skip. This route requires a skilled job or job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. Accredited means the employer has been approved by Immigration New Zealand to hire migrants. Without that offer, there is no application.
Lifeset Overseas does not find jobs, does not deal with employers, and does not file the employer side. We are a visa consultancy, not a recruiting agent. What we do is this: once you hold a genuine offer from an accredited employer, we assess your points, gather the evidence and file the residence application. If anyone offers to “arrange” a New Zealand job for a fee, that is the point where money is most often lost.
Green List: Tier 1 and Tier 2
New Zealand keeps a Green List of shortage occupations.
- Tier 1, “Straight to Residence”: roles such as general practitioners and specialist doctors can apply directly for residence with a job offer. If you are a doctor with a genuine offer, this is the route we file.
- Tier 2, “Work to Residence”: you must work in the role for two years on a work visa first. Because this depends on a work visa, it sits outside what we file.
Partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident: we file this
If you are in a genuine and stable relationship with a New Zealand citizen or resident, you can apply for partnership-based residence. This is a route we file from start to finish.
The risk here is evidence. Immigration officers look for proof that you live together and share a life: joint accounts, a shared address, photos, messages and travel. Couples who married recently, or who have lived apart, need a stronger file. We build that file with you. See dependent and family visas.
Active Investor Plus: for large capital
If you have significant capital, the Active Investor Plus visa offers residence through investment. There are two levels: NZD 5 million under the Growth option, and NZD 10 million under the Balanced option. Details are on our Active Investor Plus page. Remember that money sent from India falls under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, so plan the transfer with your bank and a tax adviser. We are not tax advisers.
Parent category
A parent category exists for parents of New Zealand citizens and residents. The conditions vary and change, so we do not print figures here. If your child is settled in New Zealand, ask us on the call and we will check the current position.
Study first: the route we file most from Punjab
Many young people from Patiala go to New Zealand as students. We file student visas. A New Zealand qualification can later earn points under the six-point system, and study time in the country helps you find an accredited employer.
Be clear about what study is and is not. It is a real degree and a foot in the door. It is not residence by itself, and no college can promise a job or a resident visa. See study visas.
Where families lose years and money
- Paying for a job that is not real. A fake or non-accredited offer means no residence application and a wasted fee.
- Choosing a course that leads nowhere. A cheap course that does not earn points or does not lead to skilled work delays everything.
- Weak partnership evidence. A refusal on the partner route is common when the couple has little shared history on paper.
- Ignoring health and character. A hidden medical condition or an undisclosed police matter found late can sink the whole file.
If you have been refused
A New Zealand refusal letter usually explains the concern. The wrong response is to reapply with the same papers. We read the letter, identify the gap, and either fix it or tell you plainly that the route does not fit. See visa refusal help.
Processing times
We do not print processing times because they change and because a figure on a web page can mislead you. On your call we will share what we are currently seeing for your route, and we will never promise a date.
Bringing your family
A resident visa is usually filed for the whole family at once: you, your partner and your dependent children. Each person goes through the same health and character checks. If your partner will join later, we plan that now so their application does not stall behind yours.
Our fees
Our advertised prices are all-in and include GST. Immigration New Zealand fees are paid to the government at cost. See pricing.
Talk to us
Bring your answers to the three questions at the top. On one call we settle which route is real for you, what evidence you already have, and what the first filing will cost. If the answer is “study first, residence later”, we will say so. Call or WhatsApp +91 91155 80911. We file residence, partner and student applications; we do not source jobs or file work visas.
Official sources
- Immigration New Zealand: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/
Fees and rules change; the official page always prevails. The guide above was written from our filing experience for Indian applicants; check the current requirements on the authority’s site before you book.
