One-third of skilled migrant EOIs selected are from Indians

It was on October 12 that Immigration minister Michael Wood announced that the skilled migrant category (SMC) residence visas would restart in November.

The SMC involves a two-step application process. Applicants must first submit an expression of interest (EOI). EOI selections are made based on a points system, and if the EOI meets the requirements, the individual is invited to apply for an SMC visa.

Interestingly, the EOI selections had been suspended since April 2020 due to the Covid-19 global pandemic.

Following the announcement, the first selection of EOI for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa took place on November 11 for migrants with 160 points, with the points requirement then rising to 180 to better align with the future direction of the Skilled Migrant Category and the Governments rebalance goals. The following selection is going to take place next year.

Under the new system for the skills category starting next year, applicants must reach a threshold of six points from a mix of training and experience in their field, qualifications, and income. They would also be required to have a job or job offer in NZ paying at least the median wage, or 1.5 times the median wage for higher-skilled occupations.

Talking about the EOI selection that took place on November 11' 2022, Nicola Hogg, General Manager, Border and Visa Operations, revealed that a total of 7,279 EOIs were in the pool on November 11 2022, and out of them, 6,515 EOIs were selected. This means that around 10 per cent of EOIs were unsuccessful as they did not meet the 160-point threshold.

When asked explicitly about the EOIs received from Indian nationals, Hogg told Indian Weekender, “There were around 2,300 Indian nationals in the pool on November 10 2022. Please note we don't hold daily snapshot figures, so this is an approximation of those EOIs that were historically in the pool on November 10 2022. Out of them, 2,161 EOIs selected were from Indian nationals.”

The data clearly shows that nearly 33 per cent or one-third of the EOIs selected from the pool are from Indians.

EOIs will be selected again on January 18, 2023.