Apply SMC Visa without claiming skill experience

[derekleegh]

Hi All,

I am planning to submit and EOI to apply for SMC soon. However, I have a curious point.

Can I apply SMC without claiming skill experience? I remember seeing somewhere that if you do not claim work experience, it might be hard for them to approve.

The reason is I have more than 160 solid points and although I do have 2 years work experience, I am worry that my skill experience is not that solid that might affect my application.

Below are my the solid points that I can claim.

Age (20 - 39): 30
Skill employment: 50
Qualification(level 7 or 8): 50
full-time nz qualification: 10
(postgrad 1 year)

Partner (skill employment) 20
Partner qualification (level 7) 10

In total I have already 170 points. Should I claim without my work experience?

[JandM]

Nobody who is not an LIA or immigration lawyer can TELL you what to do about your application, because that's against NZ law. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51538 and https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24859

Look at the factsheet about application under SMC. Here https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...-visa#criteria are the requirements. Hit SHOW ALL EVIDENCE to see what proof you need. You can put in an EOI if you can claim 160 points. You do NOT have to claim more than the minimum number of points to get your EOI selected. Here are the details of the points it's possible to have, with the last column giving where to link to for the exact requirements. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/#66763.htm

[EGoodhue]

There's no requirement that you have to claim points for skilled work experience. As long as you have 160 points without skilled work experience, you're good to go. I would say, however, just to be absolutely sure that you satisfy ALL policy criteria for those points that you are claiming (the NZ qual bonus and bonus for partner's skilled employment often trip people up) and not short-changing yourself on points you could be claiming but aren't and putting yourself at risk of losing some of the points you claim when INZ assess and verify because you don't meet the policy criteria exactly.

[derekleegh]

thanks guy for the advice. guess its better to have more points than just enough points though.

[JandM]

thanks guy for the advice. guess its better to have more points than just enough points though.

The points ONLY count for getting the EOI selected, and it's only having the minimum (currently 160) that matters, i.e. you don't get selected any more quickly for having more points.

And once you have put in your ITA, as long as the points you have claimed are backed up by your evidence (as EGoodhue is talking about above), it's no advantage to have more, because they will mean more evidence to be verified, therefore more replies to wait for, therefore a longer time taken working your case.