Essential skills work visa --- SMC category Residency Visa..

[cricfor]

Hi everyone..

as i mentioned in my previous post im planning to apply for essential skills work visa within a day or two.
then i want to apply for residency as well as im confident on my work getting extended there..

i need few clarifications in this front.

under SMC category what are the conditions and criteria?
i saw the immigration NZ site and checked the criteria..

im getting close 225 points.. so hopefully i will be eligible.. few questions.. if someone can clarify it will be of great help to me.

** i currently signed a contract for 6 months only.. considering it will take atleast a month to get this current work visa, i will be having less than 12 months of job offer in NZ.. will this be of some hindrance to get my SMC residency approved?

** i heard from some of my friends there in NZ, that if the visa validity is less than 2 years, then chances of your SMC visa is very less. should i know some more details on this that im probably missing here?

** should i need any support letter or cover letter from my employer to get my SMC residency visa approved?? i know there is a lot of support letter required from my employer for essential skill work visa but i would like to apply my SMC residency on my own. Its like i dont think my employer will support me to get my SMC visa done here.. any more details on this is much appreciated.

** Should i really have to have a job offer in NZ for a long time to get SMC approved? its a doubt as i said i have only 6 months contract signed with my empoyer as of now.. it may extend for sure.. but as of now by papers its just 6 months contract.. will this be a problem?

[JandM]

Here http://onlineservices.immigration.go...anual/6954.htm are all the detailed regulations about the various points you can claim for SMC.

See here in particular. http://onlineservices.immigration.go...anual/6954.htm You are not going to be able to proceed yet, because of SM7.15.2.

Yes, an employer's support is needed. INZ require the employer to state in detail the employee's responsibilities in the business, to match every line of the ANZSCO job description. They also investigate the employer's business, to make sure that it is stable financially (therefore, not likely to fail and leave the applicant jobless), and also that the employer has a record of working within NZ immigration and employment legislation. The employer does not have to tell the employee all his private financial arrangements, but he does have to tell INZ.