Where to begin
 

Hey all im just after coming over to New Zealand from Oz with the intent of gaining residency ive been chatting on and off with malcolm pacific (immigration company)for the last few months about what I need to do and gather to get started with the process but they have turned round today and told me that if I was to get residency through them their fee would be 6000 so ive decided to try and go it alone! Now a little bit about myself and my situation im a electrician and currently hold a NZ sparky Licence and have a full time job in Christchurch with a proper contract etc on my visa will be my girlfriend of 3 years we are both over here on working holiday visas we have plenty of proof that we have been living together ie bills,shared bank accounts,rent agreement in both names etc so im just wondering where we go for here obviously I apply online pay the fee 600 I think and then wait for them to get back to us then do medicals etc what im wonering is how long will the process take from start to finish malcolm pacific told me if i was to stay in christchurch for the duration of the processing time i could get residency in 6 months anyone know anything about this

Re: Where to begin
 

Hi Robbie Sparky

Providing you have sufficient points, which as a spark with NZ work experience etc, I'm sure you will, I would have thought you would gain residency well within 6 months. UK processing times for residency about 1-3 months.

I wouldn't bother with an agent. We did it ourselves (husband a spark) and it wasn't too bad.

HeatherGirl

Re: Where to begin
 

Ours took 3 months, but that allowed for a break over the christmas/new year period and some queries on my medical. If that hadnt happened it would probably have gone through in a month. Good luck, but allow for any queries etc which may hold you up.

Re: Where to begin
 

ours was the same as ellenrosemary, just over 3mths with christmas and new year in the middle and some medical queries. That was with the London office which does seem to have more staff than the NZ one so could take as long, shorter or even longer. Best bet is to call/pop into the Immigration office and ask.
Can I ask if you are on a timescale? if so maybe worth mentioning to any Case Officer you speak to.

Good luck

Re: Where to begin
 

hi and welcome to our wee Nz forum

Bit confused right away. :lol: Are you in Oz or NZ ?

Even more confused now.
So. Which country are you in?
Is the job a full time permanent position with no end date & a contract of employment ?

OK. So she could be included in your application then.

Yup . You start an online EOI. & wait for that to be selected from the EOI pool.

Hold fire on that until you get what is called an Expression of Interest.

That's on a case by case basis but it wouldn't take forever provided you have acceptable standard of health & nothing shows on your police checks.

Uummm. If you apply under the skilled migrant category using your current employment, then you have to remain in that employment if you want to claim points for that - which you will.

Re: Where to begin
 

Hey all thanks very much for the replys all the feedback sounds good just to clarify Im in NZ and living in Christchurch at the moment the job is a perm position with no end date (pile of work and work offers here in Christchurch for Sparks by the way) got all the police checks done from the countries we have lived in for 12 months or more over the last few years and all are clean and I will be applying under the skilled migrant using my current employement initially but Ive been told that even if I do move jobs during the processing time it wont affect the time frame as long as the new job comes with a per job position/contract is this true

Re: Where to begin
 

the one thing we had to do for our PR's was prove that my husband (main applicate) had been in his job,was already working here on a works visa when we submitted the ITA, for more than 3 mths. if not we would of had travel restrictions on the visa which we did have by mistake but they noticed before we collected and cancelled those stamps and put the right ones in. made a bit of a mess with the passports though :frown: