Immigration to New Zealand

New Zealand needs workers and talented people, and most of all welcomes immigration of students and professionals, while family-based immigration is much more difficult. It should be noted that more than a quarter of the country's population came from abroad, and immigrants here are taken friendly. For them and for everyone who wants to visit New Zealand, there is a convenient website with definitive, constantly updated information on entry visas and immigration.
It is worth noting that the quotas for some immigrant visas are limited, and sometimes the reception of applications for certain types of visas is completely closed due to the influx of applications. New Zealand simply cannot accept many immigrants, because it is a small country with a population of about 5 million people^[1].

• High quality of life. New Zealand holds the 8th place in terms of quality of life among all countries in the world and takes the spot right between Switzerland and Finland^[2].
• The opportunity to live longer. The average life expectancy of a New Zealander is 82 years. For comparison: in Switzerland — 83 years, the USA — 79 years, Russia — 72 years, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau hold the world maximum of 84 years^[3].
• Liberty. In New Zealand, same-sex marriage is allowed and the recreational use of marijuana is completely legal. The prime minister at the moment is Jacinda Ardern. She is the third woman serving in this position since 1997.
• Diverse climate. In the south, the climate is temperate and cool, in the north — subtropical and warm. In addition, the temperature changes in the mountains, and New Zealand residents have access to both beach vacations and ski resorts.
• Maori. While living in New Zealand, you can use the unique opportunity to get acquainted with the culture of the Maori people who inhabited New Zealand even before the arrival of the colonists and even learn their famous dance haka.
• Income to expense ratio. By the local purchasing power index, New Zealand is in the 17th place. Although it is lower on the list than Switzerland, Norway, Singapore, Australia, France, Japan and some others, it is still ahead of the US, Belgium, Austria, the UK, Finland, Germany and many other places^[4].
• Multinational composition. It is easier for immigrants to feel that they belong in New Zealand — at least 25% of the inhabitants were born abroad, and their percentage only grows over time^[5].
• Friendliness. New Zealanders are welcoming and friendly to others, which positively affects the feeling of subjective security.
• Leisurely lifestyle. The calmness of New Zealanders can strain the former residents of cities, where everyone is in a hurry. However, gradually you get used to it and learn to enjoy life.

• Expensive housing. New Zealand is one of the most expensive countries in the world when it comes to renting a place to live, so the immigrants have to spend hefty sums on moving^[4].
• Humidity. Due to the high humidity, things do not dry well and mold grows rapidly. Some people just don’t like humid air.
• Accessibility problems. New Zealand is a true edge of the world. It will take more than a day to fly here from most places, even with short transfers. Ticket prices are quite high with a minimum cost of about 800 USD.
• Natural disasters. The southern island of New Zealand is located on the Alpine tectonic fault. Due to this, earthquakes of varying strength constantly occur in the country. Among the recent devastating earthquakes was the Christchurch earthquake in 2011 (6.3 points), which claimed the lives of 185 people^[6].
• Problems with transporting pets. If an immigrant wants to take his beloved pet with him, he will be met with an abundance of roadblocks: not all countries are included in the list of countries approved for export, so an immigrant might need to jump through a lot of hoops in order to get a pet into a country. Parrots and some other birds and animals are completely banned from entry — it is strictly forbidden to import them into New Zealand, since the state is committed to protecting the local wildlife.
• Lack of cultural life. New Zealand is great if you want to bond with nature or do sports, but those who seek concerts, festivals and rich nightlife would be greatly disappointed.
• Cold houses. New Zealand is not a tropical country: winters are not especially warm here, which would be fine if houses were actually adapted to handle it.
• The risk of getting skin cancer is higher. New Zealand and Australia are the absolute leaders in the incidence of skin cancer and melanoma^[7].
• Expensive kindergartens. A kindergarten costs almost like renting an apartment — 627 USD/month (you can rent a 1-room apartment outside downtown for only 94 USD more)^[8].

• 35x45 mm;
• Colored;
• On a light (but not white) background;
• Without dark glasses and headwear;
• No older than 6 months;
• No bigger than 3 MB;
• Photo size 900 x 1200 px — 2250 x 3000 px

Detailed information with photo examples can be found on the official website. You can also give the photographer official full English instructions.

Language certificate must be no older than 2 years. In some cases, a certificate of study in the UK, USA, Australia, Ireland or New Zealand for bachelor's (from 2 years) or a master's (from 1 year) is also suitable.
More details on the official website.

Police certificate must be obtained in a home country. If from the age of 17, the candidate has lived 5 or more years in another country, a certificate from this country will be needed as well. The certificate must be no older than 6 months at the time of application.

Evidence of funds can be of several types:

• Confirmation of a scholarship indicating the required sum;
• The contract with the employer for the required sum;
• Bank statement;
• Another source of income that provides the amount required.

Medical examination can only be carried out by New Zealand-approved medical personnel. The names and locations of experts can be found here (type the name of your country in the search bar). After the doctor examines the candidate, the results are sent directly to New Zealand.

It is recommended to undergo an examination after preparing the rest of the paperwork. By the time the papers arrive at the New Zealand services, the results of the examination should be no older than three months.

For medical examination you need to bring:

• Identification document;
• Glasses or contact lenses (if any);
• List of prescribed medication with doses (if any);
• Other relevant medical documentation or results of photofluorography;
• If the candidate has an immigration adviser, fill out the form.

It is necessary to bring the original documents. Everyone under the age of 18 must be escorted by a parent or a guardian. You can bring along a family member or a person for moral support, as well as an interpreter. In this case, you need to warn the clinic in advance when scheduling an appointment.

Doctors in most countries, use the special eMedical system to transfer the medical results of immigrants to New Zealand. The candidate signs a special eMedical agreement, and after the examination, he receives an eMedical reference number, which you will need to put into your visa application. You can ask the doctor to give you a copy of the results after the examination.

A medical examination includes a full-body examination (height, weight, mental state, hearing, eyesight, state of the nervous system and so on), urine and blood samples, and photofluorography. Sometimes, for the examination, you may need to contact multiple specialists. Detailed information about the medical examination can be found on the official website.

All documents attached to the application must be translated into English. Translations are attached to the original documents or their certified copies. Translation can be done by:

• The Translation Service Department of Internal Affairs;
• Professional translators with proven recommendations of accurate translation (not the applicant, not his relatives or his immigration adviser);
• Embassies and high commissions (if the translation is confirmed by the seal of the corresponding embassy or high commission);
• Any other private or official translation agency.

The applicant must pay for the translation. It must be verified as an accurate translation by a certified professional. Each translation must have the seal or signature of the translator or translation bureau. If possible, it should be printed on the official blank of the translating organization.

More details on the official website.

In New Zealand, secondary education lasts 12 years, so that if your country has an 11-year secondary education system, you must undergo Foundation courses or transfer to a New Zealand university after completing a first year of the university in your home country, although the latter method is not always valid. As a rule, foundation programs are available at each university, lasting from 8 to 18 months and include English and vocational training. In the end, a certificate of CUP (Certificate of University Preparation) is awarded. You can find the Foundation course that suits you the best on a university’s website.

Main article Universities in New Zealand

• Certificate of previous education with a translation;
• Recommendation letter;
• Motivation letter;
• Language certificate;
• A CUP from a Foundation program, if necessary;
• Other on-demand documents.

• Job or job offer in New Zealand;
• Recognized qualifications based on:
  • An assessment by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority of the level it occupies on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF)
  • The level it occupies on the NZQF as set out in the 'List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment'
  • The level it occupies on the NZQF based on the applicant’s occupational registration in New Zealand (if that registration involves an assessment of comparability with a qualification on the ‘List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment’)
• Whether or not the profession belongs to the Long Term Skills Shortage List;
• Language proficiency, partner language proficiency;
• Work experience;
• Other criteria.