Skilled Migrant Category- Dependent visa

[neel_saxena]

Hi guys,

I am planning to apply for SMC visa with my wife as the Main applicant.i have the below queries


Q1)Since, I will be the dependent can I work alone in NZ to get Permanent residence visa after 2 years or does she also need to work?

Q2) Can a dependent move to NZ first without the main applicant?

Thanks
Neel

[JandM]

1. Be careful - although people tend to think about 'our' application, it is in fact the main applicant's only, and the secondary applicant can do little towards it, except get 10 or 20 points if they have a qualification. An application for Residence under SMC supposes that the main applicant is going to be employed, using their skill in the NZ job market. So unless your wife gets the offer of a skilled job in NZ, and that is part of the application, she (not you) will be interviewed by the CO about how she will get a job in NZ, and will be expected to know about her industry, as well as the way of life in the country. And if she did get a job offer, and get Residence partly as a result of that, there would be a condition on the visa that she must work in that particular job for three months at least.

In order to get PR later on, the main applicant has to have held a Residence visa for at least two years, met any conditions on that visa, fulfil the character requirements, and have shown commitment to NZ in one of the ways mentioned here. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...to-new-zealand There is no work requirement specified.

2. Yes. But she would need to enter NZ by the cut-off date mentioned on the visa, to activate it, or it would lapse (and so would yours, if hers did, even though you had entered NZ already). And notice that she would be the one to fulfil the conditions for PR - you could not do it in her place.