TALENTED and skilled potential migrants to New Zealand will have a better chance of their skills being recognised following changes to the Skilled Migrant Category.

Also announced in a raft of changes to the category by Immigration Minister Paul Swain were bonus points for close family members in New Zealand, providing they support the application.

The skills related changes include an extra five points for qualifications, work experience and skilled employment in areas of absolute skills shortage, such as radiologists and automotive mechanics.

A wider range of trade qualifications is being recognised, where they meet industry needs. These include more level four qualifications that meet industry needs. Some level three qualifications that meet industry standards in certain occupations, such as bricklaying and electrical servicing, also will be recognised and awarded points.

The list of occupations generally regarded as skilled has been expanded, and applicants who don't have a job or a job offer but who have high potential to readily gain skilled employment, can now be granted permanent residence up front.

The family member element of the changes will doubtless have applicants delving into neglected address books. Before they do so, the definition given is an adult sibling or adult child or parent of the principal applicant, or of the principal applicant's partner included in the application.

The bonus points awarded for that long lost relative are ten. The connection must have been a New Zealand or Australian citizen and/or the holder of a residence permit. Alternatively they could have held a returning resident's visa for at least three years immediately preceding the date the skilled migrant application was made and to have spent over half of the preceding years in New Zealand.

The changes, which come into force this month, also contain several clarifications, notably in the definition of skilled employment.

In this respect, there is greater recognition of the expertise that individuals have gained through relevant qualifications or previous relevant work experience.

Also, employment can now be regarded as skilled if it requires considerable specialist, technical or managerial expertise and if it is relevant to the applicant's recognised qualification, without the need for that job to be listed on the NZSCO.

Announcing the changes Mr Swain said they would make the category more responsive and flexible to labour market needs at a time when labour and skills shortages are increasing.

"Our first priority will always be to get New Zealanders into work. But at four per cent unemployment, skills and labour shortages are emerging. Quality migrants can help fill those gaps," he said.

The category shifted New Zealand's skilled immigration policy from the passive acceptance of residence applications to one that actively recruited the skilled migrants that New Zealand needed.

"It is starting to deliver results but the government recognises that more flexibility is needed," Mr Swain said.

New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) London Branch Manager Mr Kevin Cameron said: "I'd advise applicants to have another look at our website and reassess yourselves. You might get a pleasant surprise. Many UK applicants have family in New Zealand who might earn them points. Also, many fall in the trade categories that now earn points."

NZIS General Manager Europe, Africa and the Americas, Bruce Burrows said: "These changes are a case of fine tuning. The skilled migrant category only started in March. It's fairly standard practice that you can have the most marvellous policy in theory. After six months you begin to identify some of the rough edges. These changes are really a case of shedding some of those rough edges."

In order to make sure the changes are effective, an onshore and offshore recruitment campaign is to be boosted and a major staff training programme is underway.

The current points passmark where skilled people are invited to apply to emigrate to New Zealand currently remains at a low 100.
The passmark is assessed every two weeks according to the quality of people applying to migrate.