Comprehensive Interpretation of New Zealand's Skilled Immigration Reform New Policy

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Question

Executive Summary: What is the essence of this reform? What does it mean for applicants?

AIAIGAnswer

Conclusion: New Zealand implemented a new '6-point system' for skilled migration in October 2023, replacing the old high-score EOI pool selection (with historical thresholds of 100/140/160→180 points) with an absolute qualifying line (6 points), eliminating quotas and draws, focusing on skills/qualifications/local experience/high salary, and providing direct or accelerated residence pathways through the Green List.

Implications for applicants:
- Achieving 6 points allows direct submission of a resident visa (no longer EOI), making the process and expectations more transparent and certain.
- Quotas eliminated → no more 'scrambling for spots'; improved processing efficiency (average about 8 weeks, 80% within approximately 3 months).
- Winners: Applicants with high qualifications/professional registrations/high salaries, and those who can accumulate local skilled experience.
- Challenged: Skilled workers with low qualifications or who do not meet the high salary threshold, needing to rely on longer local work periods or switch to Green List occupations/pathways.

Question

1.1 How do the old and new points systems compare? What is the core framework of the 6-point system?

AIAIGAnswer

Old System (SMC EOI): Points awarded for multiple dimensions such as age, education, work experience, and spouse, with selection based on scores from 160 to 180 points.

Key Points of the New System (6-Point System):
- Prerequisite: Must have a skilled job offer in New Zealand from an accredited employer, working ≥30 hours/week with a salary ≥ median wage.
- Two dimensions for accumulating points:
1) Basic points from one of A/B/C (occupational registration / education / income) awarding 3–6 points;
2) Local skilled work experience (D): 1 point per year, up to 3 points.
- Achieve 6 points to directly apply for a resident visa; only one category from A/B/C can be used for basic points, no overlapping; if points are insufficient, use local experience to make up the difference.
- Removed points for spouse, region, and age, emphasizing hard skills and local contribution.

Question

Appendix: Key Points and Index of Reference Sources

AIAIGAnswer

1) New Oriental Vision Overseas: "June 21, 2023 New Zealand Skilled Migration New Policy Officially Announced: 6-Point System Immigration Policy Implemented!"
2) RNZ News: "Changes to skilled migrant visa will offer more certainty for applicants, govt says" (June 21, 2023)
3) New Zealand Immigration Official Website News: "Simplified path to residency for skilled workers" (June 21, 2023)
4) New Zealand Immigration Official Website: "Skilled migrant category pathway to residence" Policy Guide
5) Pacific Legal: "Major Skilled Migrant Category Changes" (July 1, 2023)
6) Yilutong Overseas: "New Zealand Becomes a Popular Immigration Country, Six-Point System Skilled Migration Attracts 'Three High' Talents" (September 1, 2023)
7) Lander Immigration: "Green List Direct Immigration Pathway Adds 32 New Immigration Occupations!" (April 11, 2023)
8) New Zealand Immigration Official Website: "Resident visa wait times" Data Page
9) Canadian Immigration IRCC Service Standards Explanation
10) My New Australian Life: "189 Visa Processing Time – FAQs" (2025)
11) 52 Chinese Headlines: "New Zealand Government's New Skilled Migration Policy Sparks Alliance Divisions" (September 23, 2025)

Question

2.1 What is the Green List? How is it related to the 6-point system?

AIAIGAnswer

Definition: Implemented since 2022, it lists nationally long-term shortage and strategically important occupations, divided into:
- Tier 1 (Direct to Residence): Can skip the 6-point system and apply directly for residence;
- Tier 2 (Work for 2 years to transfer to residence).

Relationship: Forms a "list + points" parallel system:
- Occupations on the list enjoy priority/direct access;
- Occupations not on the list can go through the general 6-point system.

Question

3.1 What is the overall impact and pathway design of the new policy for Chinese applicants?

AIAIGAnswer

Overall Impact: Opportunities and challenges coexist. The new policy simplifies thresholds, eliminates quotas/lotteries, and most Chinese applicants have bachelor's/master's backgrounds, making 6 points not out of reach.

Pathway Design:
- Master's: 5 points + 1 year of local work → 6 points;
- PhD: 6 points → can apply directly;
- Registered profession/high salary: Directly achieve or reduce local experience through A/C items;
- Match accordingly: Choose one from A/B/C based on your strengths, then supplement with local experience.

Question

4.1 Compared to Australia and Canada: What are the differences in scoring criteria and thresholds?

AIAIGAnswer

New Zealand: 6-point absolute line + mandatory local skilled employment/Job offer; age/spouse not scored, emphasizes hard skills/education/local experience.

Australia: Traditional multi-dimensional scoring (full 110 points), minimum 65 points to enter the pool but popular occupations often require 75–80+ to easily receive an invitation; age, English, overseas/Australian experience, spouse skills, Australian study, etc., can all add points; occupation list and quotas are strongly restrictive.

Canada: Express Entry (CRS full 1200), dynamic cutoff scores based on invitation rounds (often 470–500+); factors include age, education, bilingualism, overseas/Canadian experience, spouse, etc.

Question

5.1 How does the new process simplify things? What are the prerequisite conditions?

AIAIGAnswer

Process: Cancel EOI → Achieve 6 points to apply directly online for a resident visa; processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with no regular draws or annual quotas.

Prerequisites:
- Accredited Employer provides a skilled job (≥30 hours/week, salary ≥ median; ANZSCO levels 4–5 require ≥1.5× median);
- Meet English requirements, under 55 years old, health and character compliance, and other basic requirements.

Question

6.1 Why is the government promoting reforms at this time? What are the main objectives?

AIAIGAnswer

Background: Post-pandemic talent shortages (in healthcare, IT, high-end manufacturing, etc.), intensified global labor competition, and local training cannot fill the gaps in the short term.

Overall Objectives:
- Support recovery and long-term development: Attract and retain medium- to long-term skilled talent;
- Improve immigration quality: Advance "immigration rebalancing", favoring highly educated/highly skilled/high-income individuals, verifying value through local contributions;
- Enhance fairness and attractiveness: Eliminate quotas/lotteries, provide a certain path, and prevent "false hopes";
- Population and society: Improve aging and labor structure, strengthen talent's settlement willingness, and avoid the "stepping stone" effect.

AIAIGAnswer

A. Occupational Registration (points based on years of training required for registration):
- Requires 6 years of training: 6 points;
- 5 years: 5 points (+ 1 year of local experience to reach 6 points);
- 4 years: 4 points (+ 2 years of local experience);
- 2 years: 3 points (+ 3 years of local experience).
> Common examples: doctors, nurses, engineers, licensed teachers, pharmacists, etc.

B. Educational Qualifications (points based on highest qualification; overseas qualifications require NZQA assessment or be on the exempt list; master's/PhD points require a bachelor's or higher prior qualification):
- NZQF Level 10 Doctorate: 6 points;
- NZQF Level 9 Master's: 5 points (+ 1 year of local experience);
- NZQF Level 8 Honors Bachelor's/PGD: 4 points (+ 2 years of experience);
- NZQF Level 8 PGC or Level 7 Bachelor's: 3 points (+ 3 years of experience).

C. Income Level (points based on salary of skilled job vs. median wage multiple):
- ≥3× median wage: 6 points;
- ≥2×: 4 points (+ 2 years of experience);
- ≥1.5×: 3 points (+ 3 years of experience).
> Example based on 2024 median wage of approximately NZ$29.66/hour: 1.5× ≈ NZ$44.5/h, 2× ≈ NZ$59.3/h, 3× ≈ NZ$89/h.

AIAIGAnswer

Initial scale: About 85 occupations (56 Tier 1 direct, 29 Tier 2 transfer after 2 years), concentrated in healthcare, engineering, IT, infrastructure, education, etc., requiring professional qualifications and experience.

April 2023 expansion:
- Added 32 healthcare positions (various specialists, nurses, technicians, etc.);
- Some critical ferry transport roles included in the residence pathway (starting late May 2023).

Scale overview (as of May 2023):
- Nearly 100 types of direct residence occupations;
- About 30 types for transfer after 2 years;
- Covers engineering/construction/IT/healthcare/education and other key roles; some traditional trades (electricians, welders, etc.) are gradually gaining policy attention.

Starting August 2025: The previously deferred 10 manufacturing and infrastructure trades will be added to the "work to residence" pathway (e.g., Fitter, Fitter and Turner, fitters and welders, metal plate workers, pressure welders, metal machinists, frontline spray painters, etc.), to alleviate shortages in large-scale engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Removal mechanism: The list is regularly reviewed, and occupations no longer in shortage will be removed (e.g., heavy vehicle drivers had their residence pathway closed after supply improved).

Direction: Adjusted dynamically based on the labor market and national strategy, with potential future additions such as new energy technology experts and other emerging shortage occupations.

AIAIGAnswer

The Green List reflects "targeted talent attraction": opening a "green light" for urgently needed talents, speeding up retention;

Complementarity:
- On the list: Can go directly/accelerate;
- Not on the list: Can still achieve residence through the 6-point system based on salary threshold + local experience.

For common occupations among Chinese applicants (IT, engineering, accounting and auditing, etc.), overall matching is high; for chefs, automotive technicians, etc., if not on the list and hard to reach 1.5× median salary, need to achieve goals through salary/experience or switching to listed occupations.

AIAIGAnswer

High Match: Fields concentrated by Chinese applicants such as engineering, IT, business, education, etc., highly overlap with New Zealand's shortage directions.

Opportunities:
- ANZSCO Levels 1–3: Salary ≥ median counts as skilled employment;
- Green List: Early childhood/secondary teachers (Tier 2, residence after two years), registered accountants/auditors (Tier 1, direct residence), civil/electrical/chemical engineers (Tier 1), etc.

Strategy: Obtaining a listed job offer can bypass the 6-point system/accelerate; for non-listed jobs, follow the salary + experience points pathway.

AIAIGAnswer

Language: Main applicant needs IELTS overall 6.5 or equivalent TOEFL/PTE/OET; spouse does not add points but if not meeting standards, requires ESOL fee before approval. Language remains a mandatory threshold.

Academic:
- Points emphasize NZQF Level 7 and above;
- Overseas degrees require NZQA assessment or exemption;
- Master's/PhD clearly benefit (Master's 5 points, PhD 6 points).

Direction: Policy emphasizes "high education, high skills, high income", which aligns with China's talent structure.

AIAIGAnswer

International Students:
- Under the old system, often needed spouse/long work hours to accumulate points;
- New system focuses on local degree + local work as the main axis, making pathways clearer (e.g., local master's 5 points + 1 year work = 6 points; local bachelor's 3 points + 3 years work = 6 points).
- Policy Trend: Government has indicated increasing weight of local degrees (e.g., future tendency for local master's 6 points direct), benefiting international students.

Local Work Visa Holders:
- Can clearly calculate when reaching 6 points;
- No longer worry about quota/lottery uncertainties.

AIAIGAnswer

New Zealand: Green List serves as "urgent green light", running parallel with broad skilled employment (ANZSCO levels 1–3 ≥ median wage; levels 4–5 ≥ 1.5× median wage).

Australia: Occupation list acts as a threshold, affecting visa categories (189/190, etc.), and is constrained by annual quotas and occupation caps.

Canada: Federal level has a relatively broad occupational scope (NOC 0/A/B), with category-based selection draws since 2023; provincial PNPs target shortage occupations.

AIAIGAnswer

Transparency:
- Canada: Regularly publishes draw numbers/minimum CRS, allowing for prediction;
- New Zealand: Abolished EOI, 6-point direct application, eligible conditions allow submission, expectations are clear;
- Australia: After entering the pool, invitation is uncertain, influenced by occupation/quota/score factors.

Efficiency:
- Canada: 80% processed within 6 months;
- New Zealand: Average about 8 weeks, 80% around 3 months;
- Australia: 189 visa processing stage about 11 weeks (75%), but waiting for invitation often makes the overall process ≥12–18 months.

AIAIGAnswer

New Zealand: Locally oriented, precise talent attraction, ensuring quality through absolute eligibility line + local experience, transparent and efficient;
Canada: Ranking-based selection, overall high efficiency, but intense competition;
Australia: System is complex, cycle tends to be long, friendly to local study/experience backgrounds.

AIAIGAnswer

Employer and Position:
- Job Offer/Contract (position, duties, salary, duration ≥30h/week);
- Employer is an Accredited Employer (AEWV);
- Job duties match ANZSCO, salary meets median/multiple requirements.

Education/Registration:
- NZQA IQA or exemption proof (for overseas qualifications);
- Bachelor's or higher prior degree (to support master's/PhD points);
- Professional Registration (e.g., doctor/teacher/electrician) and license details.

Language:
- Main applicant IELTS 6.5 or equivalent TOEFL/PTE/OET; spouse can use ESOL fee if insufficient.

Identity, Character, Medical:
- Passport, birth/marriage certificates;
- No criminal record certificate;
- Specified medical exam (including X-ray, etc.).

AIAIGAnswer

Processing Time: Average about 8 weeks; 80% around 3 months; comparison: Canada 80% ≤6 months; Australia 189 visa visa stage about 11 weeks (75%), but overall often ≥12–18 months (including waiting for invitation).

Influencing Factors: Completeness of materials, verification of job authenticity, background checks, NZQA assessment scheduling, etc.

Expedited Processing: There is an escalation request mechanism; under specific conditions, you can request priority processing.

AIAIGAnswer

Reforms are accompanied by measures such as AEWV and a maximum 5-year duration:
- Provide residence certainty for genuine shortage positions, helping businesses attract and retain talent;
- Set caps for long-term reliance on low-skilled workers, forcing industrial upgrading/wage increases/training, and reducing dependence on low-skilled immigrants.

AIAIGAnswer

The reforms will increase transparency and efficiency, forming a "local-oriented + targeted talent attraction" pattern:
- More attractive to high-end talent (efficiency comparable to or faster than Canada, better than Australia's processes);
- Impose higher local experience/salary requirements for non-degree skilled groups;
- With the Green List continuously updated, the structure will be optimized over time.

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