The residency pathway trap

There has been a lot of attention lately on migrants who were told great stories about certain pathways to a resident visa and who never got there. A resident visa pathway is a chain of visas you go through with the goal to get a resident visa in the end. A pathway can be a good option for many migrants who do not qualify directly for a resident visa.

But as with many things in life, you need to know what you are doing. Many people are being led to believe that by following a certain pathway they will end up with a resident visa while in reality they will strand somewhere along the pathway.

Students

One of the most common pathways starts with a student visa. There are many foreign nationals who come to New Zealand to study in the hope they will be able to find a job after they graduate and then move on to a work or resident visa. This is a viable and good pathway IF you choose your study wisely.

When you choose a very generic and fairly low level course, such as a level 5 or 6 Business Management programme, you kind of set yourself up for failure. You might be able to get a post graduate job search visa but if you can find a job, you most likely will not be eligible for a work or resident visa. Simply because an employer will need to show that there are no suitable New Zealand candidates available for the job. This will very difficult.

So choose a study that is at Bachelor level in an area where New Zealand has a shortage in qualified people. There is no guarantee you will get the resident visa you are after, as you still will need to find a suitable job, but at least your starting point is good.

Lower Skilled Workers

Another trap lies ahead for certain lower skilled workers. Most people who do not have an occupation that is considered skilled (you will need some form of formal training to do the work) can’t get a work visa nor a resident visa. Some lower skilled occupation are in demand in New Zealand, such as heavy truck drivers and some construction workers in Canterbury. If you can find a job you most likely will get a work visa. But because your job isn’t considered skilled and does not appear on the Long Term Skill Shortage List you will not be able to get a resident visa. And this is okay, as long as you know this upfront, and don’t have unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately this often is not the case and people are in for a surprise when they apply for a resident visa.

Farmers

A third group of people that has to watch out are the people who get work visas to do work as a Herd Manager or Assistant Herd Manager. You need to prove that you either have some years work experience and/or have a qualification in agriculture on level 3, 4 or 5.

However, Herd Manager is not considered to be a skilled occupation for residence purposes. A Farmer is. To be classified as a Farmer you need at least 5 years work experience as a Farmer and/or have a Bachelor Degree in agriculture. A lot of people who come to New Zealand as a Herd Manager will either have to keep renewing their work visa or leave the country after a couple of years because they can’t get a resident visa.

Feija van Bokhoven

With over a decade of experience, Feija has been helping clients navigate New Zealand's immigration system after migrating there in 2010. Known for her expertise and personalized service, she assist with various visa applications, such as work, residency, or family visas. She understands the challenges of migration firsthand, offering guidance tailored to each client's unique needs. Reach out for professional assistance in achieving your immigration goals.

Andy says:

August 9, 2019 at 11:16 pm

I applied for essential work visa as a truck driver with a pay rate $22.50 so my wife also get a work visa or visitor visa

Thanks
Andy
1. Feija van Bokhoven says:
  
  August 14, 2019 at 10:04 am
  
  Hi Andy,
  
  Truck Driver is a skill level 4 occupation. Unless you are paid $37.50 (the rate is indexed every November), your employment will be assessed as lower-skill. This means you are not able to sponsor your wife for a visa.
  
  She can apply for a visitor visa in her own right, but this will be for a maximum of 9 months and there is a chance that it may not be approved as Immigration New Zealand may not believe your wife intends a temporary stay in New Zealand.
  
  Kind regards,
  Feija
Terry says:

April 21, 2018 at 11:27 am

Hi Feija,
I am working as a plant operator in a factory in Auckland and my current job has been categorized as level 4 which is not meeting the salary limit of $35. I was an engineer before coming to New Zealand. Without my current job and depending on my previous overseas work experience and qualification, I am able to have 160 points.

If I apply for residency what is the possibility of getting PR?
Regards,
Terry
1. Feija van Bokhoven says:
  
  April 24, 2018 at 12:35 pm
  
  Hi Terry,
  
  There might be an option but you will need a skilled offer of employment at some point before a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category can be granted, so as you are in NZ already, it is probably easier to find a suitable job before you apply for residency (and change your work visa).
  
  Feel free to ask a question on the home page of my website http://www.experienzimmigration.co.nz so we cna look into this more.
  
  Kind regards,
  Feija
Asanka perera says:

March 23, 2018 at 5:21 pm

Hi feija.
I’m working as an assistant dairy farm managerin newzealand and got level 7 bachelor degree in agriculture. My position is also a skilled .so already i’ve got 170 eoi points. My questions is , in my working place there is a farm manager above my position and under this circumstances can i apply for residency ? Or should i go for a farm manager position?
Thank you.
Asanka
1. Feija van Bokhoven says:
  
  April 5, 2018 at 4:14 pm
  
  Hi Asanka,
  
  If you can prove your position is skilled then the position of Assistant Dairy Farm Manager is fine. However, it is notoriously difficult to show to Immigration that the position of an (Assistant) Farm Manager is skilled.
  
  Kind regards,
  Feija
Mangala Fonseka says:

March 3, 2018 at 10:51 pm

Hi,
I’m working as an ICT Networking Technician and currently earning $20 an hour. I might get a salary increment to $24. But I have to go out side the auckland to get 160 points. Is there any way I can apply for my Residency from auckland? Cheers…!!!
1. Feija van Bokhoven says:
  
  March 21, 2018 at 5:15 pm
  
  Hi Mangala,
  
  Please note that the salary threshold for a resident visa application is currently NZD 24.29. This is indexed (goes up) every year in November.
  
  Based on the information you provided I can’t tell if there is an option to apply for a resident visa with a job in Auckland.
  You are welcome to complete the free visa assessment for on my website.
  
  Kind regards,
  Feija
Edvert S Cerda says:

February 20, 2018 at 11:28 am

I’m truck driver for more that 18 years I make 1600 a week tuesday to saturday this is around $40 dollars por Hours. can this help to get residence in the USA?
1. Feija van Bokhoven says:
  
  February 20, 2018 at 3:19 pm
  
  Hi Edvert,
  
  I’m sorry but I only provide advice on visa applications for New Zealand.
  
  Kind regards,
  Feija
Kanchana says:

August 30, 2017 at 6:24 pm

Hi, My husband is working as class 5 truck driver for more than two years in Christchurch. We applied for the eoi and and got reject, that was before April of this year. It says that Truck driver is not in the Skilled migrant list (App 6). Under the new rules Can he apply for the residency? He earns $23/h and more than 50hrs per week.
1. Feija van Bokhoven says:
  
  September 7, 2017 at 11:40 am
  
  Hi Kanchana,
  
  The minimum income threshold is $23.49 per hour. If your husband earns $23 per hour he cannot apply even if he would meet all other requirements. Please note that the hourly rate will be indexed in November each year, including this year (and most likely will go up).
  
  Kind regards
  Feija
2. Kanchana says:
  
  November 14, 2017 at 7:15 am
  
  The company has been increased the salary from 23 to 24/h. I have a problem about the skill level. It says the truck drivers are level 4, so that should they have salary 35/h?
  
  Thanks
3. Feija van Bokhoven says:
  
  November 21, 2017 at 12:23 pm
  
  Dear Kanchana,
  
  If you wish to apply for a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category your work must be assessed as skilled. The occupation of Truck Driver is classed as skill level 4. This means you need to earn equal or more than $35.24 per hour. So with $24 per hour as a Truck Driver, you are not eligible to apply for a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category.
  
  Kind regards,
  Feija
Neetu says:

March 7, 2017 at 7:45 pm

Hi
I am on my job search visa after completing level 8 post grad diploma in business management. I still couldn’t find a proper job as I’m on a job search visa. However my husband took a class 4 truck licence in NZ recently. If he gets a job as a heavy truck driver in Canterbury, will he be able to apply for a residency in NZ?
Awaiting your reply back in my email
Thanks
Neetu