oilmonkey

Morning all,

My family and are contemplating a move from Scotland to NZ,via the skilled migrant visa. I'm aware that you first have to apply for the Expression of Interest and then if you have sufficient points (140) you'll be asked to apply for the visa itself.

Without a NZ job offer neither my wife nor I currently have the required total of 140 points in order to automatically qualify for visa submission. We would have approximately 115 points on my visa application, and would therefore sit in the EOI pool awaiting to be asked for a visa application.

I have been given conflicting advice in applying for a visa. one agent advised to apply for the EOI and hopefully subsequent visa without a job offer in place and then seek work when in NZ. The second agent advised not to bother applying for EOI, and subsequent visa, until a firm job offer is in place because our application would just sit within the EOI pool and may stay there indefinitely.

So what is anybody else's experience?

whos had a firm job offer and then applied for EOI/Visa OR applied for EOI/Visa without a job offer and been granted entry into NZ and then found work?

its a bit confusing like, which came first the chicken or the egg?

any thoughts?

for info, im a mechanical engineer with about 14 year experience and my wife is a structural drafter. Skills i believe which are in demand.

BEVS

Just my opinion but you really need a job offer if your EOI is to be pulled from the pool.

From memory, I believe the last time EOIs were pulled from the pool without a job offer in place was well over a year ago.

EOIs stay in the pool for six months only. Not indefinitely.

MrsFychan

Evening

both jobs do seem to be on the list if you have the relevant qualification stipulated, no good being above or below it must match the requirement. looks like you would need a job offer from an accredited company to uplift a work to residency visa, so no point putting in an EOI on the points you say you have.
Also as BEVS has pointed out the EOI sit in the pool for 6mths max, after that time if you have not been pulled that application expires and you would have to apply all over again and pay the application fee again.

Timmy Chch

You wanna make a list of every Christchurch (at least) engineering recruitment agency and consultant engineers, get applying and the good old speculative application. There's conflicting reports on how bad the slow down is on the rebuild here but both these roles would be in demand. Your main problem is obviously not being in NZ but it does happen getting hired from abroad, if you're lucky/good. Good luck

oilmonkey

Thanks for the replies guys.