Immigration has just released the long-anticipated update on the minimum salary required to be eligible under certain visa categories. These updates affect work visas under the Essential Skills category and residence applications under the Skilled Migrant Category.
Worth noting: for any visa application, you will also need to meet 'market rate', which is the rate of pay which would be required to recruit a New Zealand citizen or resident to do equivalent work.
What are the changes?
The new thresholds will come into effect for visa applications lodged on or after 24 February 2020. They do not affect applications applications submitted before that date.
| Minimum salary threshold before changes | Minimum salary threshold from 24 February 2020 | |
| Min. Essential Skills level 1-3
Hourly $21.25 |
Min. Essential Skills level 1-3
Hourly $21.68 |
|
| Min. Essential Skills & Skilled Migrant residence level 4-5
Hourly $37.50 |
Min. Essential Skills & Skilled Migrant residence level 4-5
Hourly $38.25 |
|
| Min. Skilled Migrant residence & appendix 7
Hourly $25 |
Min. Skilled Migrant residence & appendix 7
Hourly $25.50 |
|
| Min. Skilled Migrant ‘high salary’ bonus points
Hourly $50 |
Min. Skilled Migrant ‘high salary’ bonus points
Hourly $51 |
|
