Yes, it is possible to immigrate to New Zealand without a job offer, but it may be more difficult. Many of the visa categories available to people who want to move to New Zealand require that you have a job offer or that you have skills and qualifications that are in demand in the country.
The categories that you can apply for if you don’t have a job offer are:
- The Working Holiday Visa: This is a temporary visa that allows young people from certain countries to work and travel in New Zealand for up to 12 months. It does not require a job offer, but you will need to show that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay.
- The Entrepreneur Work Visa: If you have a business idea or an existing business that you would like to move to New Zealand, you may be eligible to apply for the Entrepreneur Work Visa. This visa category is designed to attract entrepreneurs and business owners who can create jobs and contribute to New Zealand’s economy.
- The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC): It is a points-based system that assigns points to an applicant depending on their qualifications, work experience, age, among other factors. This can be obtained without a job offer but it would require higher qualifications and work experience to score enough points to be eligible to apply.
- The Investor or the Investor 2 categories: The Investor or Investor 2 categories are for investors and business people who are willing to invest a significant amount of money in New Zealand, These categories required a minimum of NZD 1.5 – 3 millions depending on the category.
It is worth noting that in all of the cases, you should check current rules as the context of COVID-19 might affect them.
It’s important to keep in mind that the New Zealand Government is particularly looking for candidates that can bring specific skills and qualifications in high demand, meaning that having a job offer or a business plan, or having a large investment, will increase the chances of getting the visa.