In a major move to streamline skilled migration, New Zealand will exempt qualifications from nine more countries — including Sri Lanka — from the formal assessment process starting 23 June 2025.
The update, issued by Immigration New Zealand, expands the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA). Applicants with eligible qualifications and education providers listed on the LQEA will no longer be required to obtain an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) when applying under the Skilled Migrant Category or select special work visas.
The nine countries newly added to the list are: France, Germany, India, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Switzerland.
This exemption is expected to save time and reduce costs for skilled professionals looking to migrate to New Zealand. It will also specify the points awarded for qualifications under the Skilled Migrant Category.
Immigration New Zealand also announced that minor updates will be made to existing qualifications from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (Newswire)
