If you’re a doctor already working in New Zealand or you’re a specialist doctor wanting to come to NZ before July 2022, we’ve made the application requirements a little easier for you to follow. Here we’ve extracted what you need to know about NZ residence for specialist doctors from Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) recently published criteria for the 2021 Resident Visa.

Please visit the Immigration NZ website for more detail or contact us for a referral to our preferred immigration advisors who can help you with your application.

Timeframe One: 1st December 2021- 31st July 2022

Applications will be open for:

  • Doctors who have already applied for residence under the Skilled Migrant or Residence from Work categories on or before 29 September 2021, and
  • Doctors who have submitted a Skilled Migrant Category Expression of Interest and have included a dependent child in the Expression of Interest aged 17 years or older on 29 September 2021.

Others who have submitted a Skilled Migrant Category Expression of Interest after 29th September 2021 need to wait until 1st March 2022 to apply for the 2021 Resident Visa.

If you believe you’re eligible, click here for more information: 2021 Resident Visa Application Process

Timeframe Two: 1st March- 31st July 2022

The great news is that there is a pathway to NZ residence for specialist doctors who are currently working in New Zealand or who will be by the end of July 2022. If you are thinking about coming to live and work in New Zealand, but are not yet registered or don’t have a job, contact us ASAP to find out how we can help you!

Doctors with a Work Visa (must be in NZ)

For current essential skills and work-to-residence visa holders, there are potentially several criteria that specialist doctors meet. The key thing is that a doctor must be in New Zealand and working at the time they apply.

All registered doctors working on 29 September 2021 should meet the “scarce” Criteria. To be eligible, you must work in a job on a scarce list or that requires occupational registration. To work in NZ, specialist doctors will be registered on the locum tenens or vocational pathway with the Medical Council of New Zealand .

Applying under the ‘scarce’ criteria you need to be in genuine full-time work for an average of at least 30 hours per week.

You will need to provide evidence of an employment agreement and evidence of your Medical Council of New Zealand registration with your application.

Doctors with a Critical Purpose Visa  (must be in NZ)

If you are in New Zealand or arrive as a critical health worker for a role of 6 months or longer, you do not need to meet any other criteria if you:

  • held a visa as a critical health worker or other critical worker on 29 September 2021; or
  • were granted a visa as a critical health worker or other critical worker after 29 September 2021.

Critical Purpose visa holders must arrive in New Zealand and apply before 31 July 2022 to be eligible. Again, you must be in New Zealand and working in order to apply.

Please visit the Immigration NZ website for more detail or contact us about doctors jobs, Medical Council registration or for a referral to our preferred immigration advisors who can help with your application.