Immigration Just Declared New Rules for SMC and Essential Skills Visas

[Dawntide]

The income threshold just got raised ... more in the link below:

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/abou...ion-thresholds

[ysc5]

WOW. $50,523 for SMC based on 40 hours

[Juniper]

And a follow-up announcement regarding the skills shortage lists:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/abou...id-review-2017

[JandM]

This isn't a change to the regulations. INZ review the Essential Skills in Demand Lists every year, checking how the labour market is. The Essential Skills in Demand Lists are ONLY supposed to have on them jobs for which there are not enough workers already in NZ. If, since last year, enough NZers have finished training for any of those jobs, and/or enough migrants skilled in that job have come into the country, so it isn't difficult for an employer to find an applicant for any vacancy, then it gets taken off the list.

If someone has applied for a visa on the basis of having a job that is on one of the In Demand lists, before the new lists come into force, their application will usually be processed according to the present list that is in force at the time of their application. (That is what has happened as previous new lists have come in in past years.)

[Juniper]

If someone has applied for a visa on the basis of having a job that is on one of the In Demand lists, before the new lists come into force, their application will usually be processed according to the present list that is in force at the time of their application. (That is what has happened as previous new lists have come in in past years.)

Yes, the announcement says that they will as usual honor any rules in place at the time that you submit your EOI. I believe the updated lists go into effect in February.