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Skilled Migrant Category and Accredited Employer Work Visa: routes to live and work in New Zealand
Document Checklist
Passport
Validity: At least six months beyond the intended visa expiry.
Required for: All five routes.
The document number, country of issue, and personal details must match exactly across every form the applicant submits to Immigration New Zealand.
Job offer and employment agreement
Issuer: Accredited employer in New Zealand.
Minimum hours: At least 30 hours of work per week for the AEWV.
Must show: Position title, occupation code, pay rate, hours, start date.
Required for AEWV (Routes 2 and 3) and Green List Tier 1 Straight to Residence (Route 4). The SMC resident visa also requires an offer of skilled employment from an accredited employer.
Evidence of qualifications
Form: Certified copies of degrees, diplomas, trade certificates.
Assessment: International Qualifications Assessment from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority where Immigration New Zealand requires it.
Some Green List occupations specify exemptions or alternative qualifications; consult the role-specific Green List entry before commissioning a qualifications assessment.
Evidence of work experience
Form: Letters from employers stating job title, employment period, hours, duties, and pay.
Alternative: Tax records where employer letters are unavailable.
Used to satisfy the AEWV migrant-suitability prerequisite (two years of relevant experience or NZQCF level 4 qualification) and the SMC skilled-work-experience points bucket.
Evidence of occupational registration
Required where: Occupation is regulated in New Zealand — medical specialists, nurses, lawyers, electricians, engineers, teachers, and many trades.
Form: Current registration or confirmation from the registration body that it is willing to register the applicant.
Required where the occupation is regulated; check the registration-body confirmation has not lapsed before lodging the visa application.
Police certificates
Coverage: Every country the applicant has lived in for twelve months or more in the last ten years, including the country of citizenship.
Validity: Less than six months old at the date of application.
Re-issue from some countries takes weeks; plan certificate gathering close to the lodgement window to avoid expiry mid-application.
Medical evidence
Form: General medical certificate plus chest X-ray (applicants aged 15 and over).
Issuer: Immigration New Zealand panel physician where one operates in the applicant's country.
Validity: Less than three months old at lodgement.
Additional tests can be required based on age, country of origin, and the role applied for. Pre-arrival applicants book panel-physician appointments through the Immigration New Zealand panel directory.
English-language evidence
Form: IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE Academic, Cambridge English, or OET test result, or qualifying education in English.
Validity: Test result no more than two years old at the date of application.
The SMC requires evidence the applicant can speak and understand English; the AEWV requires a test only where the job is skill level 4 or 5.
Identity-supporting evidence for partners and dependent children
Form: Marriage certificate, birth certificate, or evidence of a genuine and stable relationship.
Required where the applicant includes a partner or dependent child in the application.
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