For any migrant moving to New Zealand, it is pretty stressful to deal with immigration New Zealand visa application processes, which need a lot of paperwork. And getting documents in time from the authorities is also a challenge and adds to the stress of migrants in their journey of settling in NZ.
One such document that those who want to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) are typically required to have is an International Qualifications Assessment (IQA) of their overseas qualification from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) as part of the visa application process.
For the uninitiated, SMC is a points-based system that assesses the eligibility of skilled workers who want to migrate to NZ permanently. As part of the eligibility requirements, applicants are required to have their overseas qualifications assessed by NZQA through the IQA process. Applicants take part in an Expression of Interest (EOI) process, then a selection is made based on a points system and invitations to apply for an SMC visa are sent by INZ. Once an applicant has been invited to apply, migrants have four months to submit their application, which includes all their supporting evidence with their application.
When submitting an EOI, migrants typically need to submit all evidence that suggests they meet the criteria to be invited to apply for an SMC visa, including an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from the NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA). This also applies when an individual is invited to apply for their SMC.
The IQA aims to compare an applicant's overseas qualifications to the NZ Qualifications Framework (NZQF) and to determine whether they meet the minimum level required for points recognition under the SMC.
The IQA report provides information on the level of overseas qualification, the type of qualification, and the area of study. This information is then used to determine the number of points that can be claimed towards the Skilled Migrant Category visa application.
However, reportedly there are currently delays by NZQA in processing IQA, and it is taking months before a decision is made. This leads to stress for many migrants who want to apply for SMC.
“We have seen the same delays from NZQA in assessing qualifications. NZQA wouldn't have been aware of the restarting of SMC, so we're likely caught unaware. Even if they had known, finding staff is difficult at the moment for most employers, so there is no guarantee that they could have found the necessary staff, nor if they would have hired them for just the period needed to get through the current workload,” says immigration lawyer Arran Hunt.
Giving her response to Indian Weekender’s query about the issue, Eve McMahon,
NZQA Deputy Chief Executive, Quality Assurance, said, "NZQA has received a significant and sustained increase in the number of IQA applications since the opening of NZ's borders and changes to immigration settings. Most applicants receive their evaluation outcomes within 12-14 weeks.”
McMahon revealed that to manage application timeframes, NZQA is employing additional evaluation staff and developing efficiencies in their processes to process applications faster. She adds, "We are working with INZ and other stakeholders about the impact on application timeframes. The number of people processing applications has significantly increased this year. We continue to monitor the number of applications received and adjust staff levels to take into account increases in demand.”
However, seemingly acknowledging this delay by NZQA, INZ has recently made changes to the requirement to have the IQA assessment before you apply, which will assist many. INZ announced that if someone is facing delays with their NZQA assessment, they will still be able to lodge an EOI and the SMC with just the evidence of the assessment lodgement.
Nicola Hogg, General Manager of Border and Visa Operations, told Indian Weekender, "We are aware the NZQA is receiving high volumes of applications, and the completion of IQAs may be delayed. Because of this, we have taken a pragmatic approach to recognise the delays from NZQA.
“Currently, individuals can submit their EOI without their IQA. However, they must declare and provide evidence that their IQA is under assessment with NZQA. Individuals who have been invited to apply but still have not received their IQA back must also declare and provide evidence that their IQA is still under assessment with NZQA.”
Despite this, Hunt warns that applicants won't be certain as to whether they would get the added points that a higher qualification would provide until perhaps too late. He says, "We recommend that applicants get legal advice, calculate it at the lower point level of that is a possibility, or wait until the assessment is done. An error could cost the applicant significantly if it meant they no longer had the required points."
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