New Zealand Names 7 Countries Exempt From Qualification Assessment for Residency

• Immigration New Zealand updated its List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment ahead of a major visa reopening in October 2023
• Seven countries and territories made the revised list, with South Africa standing as the only African nation included
• Citizens from the qualifying nations may skip one of the most time-consuming steps in the skilled migrant residency process

New Zealand has named seven countries and territories whose citizens could be spared from undergoing a formal qualification assessment when applying for residency under the Skilled Migrant Category.

Immigration New Zealand published the update to its List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA) on 29 September 2023, just ahead of the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa's official reopening on 9 October 2023. The revised list was deliberately aligned with the updated visa's eligibility standards.

The 7 countries on New Zealand's LQEA

The seven countries and territories confirmed on the updated list are;

1. Hong Kong
2. Ireland
3. Malaysia
4. Philippines
5. South Africa
6. United Kingdom
7. United States of America

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For nationals of these places, holding a recognised qualification may remove the need for a formal skills assessment, streamlining what is typically one of the more demanding stages of the residency application.

South Africa stands as the only African country featured, giving its citizens a considerable advantage over applicants from elsewhere on the continent, who must still complete the standard assessment process.

What Immigration New Zealand's review covered

The LQEA revision went beyond simply adding new countries to an existing list. Immigration New Zealand conducted a comprehensive review that also involved removing credentials that no longer met the criteria set under the updated visa framework.

As part of the overhaul, a new "qualification type" field was introduced for every entry, offering greater clarity about which specific credentials qualify for exemption.

The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is one of New Zealand's principal routes for drawing skilled workers from overseas.

By synchronising the LQEA update with the visa's reopening, the government sought to ensure that the exemption framework remained consistent with the immigration system's current priorities.

Applicants who wish to confirm whether their specific qualification appears on the updated list are advised to consult the official Immigration New Zealand portal directly.

Source: YEN.com.gh