New Zealand Updates Residency Rules for Seven Countries

On 29 September 2023, Immigration New Zealand announced an update to the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA), which allows citizens from seven countries and territories to be exempt from formal qualification assessments when applying for residency under the Skilled Migrant Category. This update aligns with the new visa's eligibility criteria, as the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa is set to reopen on 9 October 2023.

South Africa is the only African country included in this list, providing its citizens with a significant advantage over applicants from other African nations, who must still complete the standard qualification assessment process. The LQEA review involved a thorough examination of the existing list, resulting in the removal of qualifications that no longer met the updated criteria and the introduction of a new "qualification type" field for clarity.

This update aims to reflect the current priorities and standards of New Zealand's immigration system.