New Zealand - NZIS lowers pass mark to 100 points

Support migrant centric journalism today and donate

For the first time since the new skilled migrant programme was launched in December 2003, the New Zealand Immigration Service has lowered the pass mark to 100 points. This means that people who score at least 100 points under the points test [link] and have lodged an Expression of Interest will be selected from the pool and invited to make a formal application for migration to New Zealand.

Applicants who have lodged an Expression of Interest can now be selected from the pool even if they do not have a job offer in New Zealand. As long as you hold relevant qualifications, have at least four years of skilled work experience, and have gained this experience in a comparable labour market, then you should be able to lodge a skilled migration application for New Zealand. The NZIS makes a selection from the pooled Expressions of Interest that have been lodged once every two weeks. The latest drawing was on 1 September 2004 at 100 points.

Please see our points calculator for details on how one can gain sufficient points to make an application for permanent residency in New Zealand as a skilled migrant.