Bear

Hi
Me and husband-to-be are planning to go to NZ in April/May. Our flimsy plans so far are to fly over as tourists,him to get job as plumber, get a work permit whilst there, then apply for residency at a later stage when built up some extra points for nz work experience. Visited Auckland last month but preferred bay of plenty so planning to settle in Papamoa. Had job offers in Auck whilst there and only there for 2 days, if fail to get work in b of p straight away then will take job in Auck until do. Taking two cats. Does anyone know of any flaws in this plan? can we take cats and house stuff if not residents etc?
Bear

WheelsOfSteel

Sounds like a plan to me! I hear the sailing is vey good up there...

theguitardoctor

Hi there,

Speaking from our own experiences I'd wait until you have the job in hand (i.e started work) before shipping cat and stuff over. You can take the risk, which is what we did, but it's not worked out....now we have to pay to return the stuff and the cat has to go into 6 month quarantine. Sometimes the risk pays off....and certainly as a plumber you should be ok....but I wished we'd erred on the side of caution as we'd have been able to sustain a longer shot at it. The cats can come over...but you really need to have them collected by a NZ cattery as they may ask for copies of your passports otherwise....seeing a WHV or TV they may not be impressed if you are importing pets. On a Work Visa you'd have no such worries...the same goes for personal posessions...without a WV or PR, then you'll have to pay a bond based on the total value of the shipment......

I know that the Govt are trying to tempt people away from Auckland, but it's probably the best area for job vacancies in our experience.......and unless they create or move some of the industry, then this will always be the case I imagine.

Rich

Don

Should be very straightforward to get a job (and work permit whilst in NZ) as plumber right now. If I were you, I would be very obvious about going as tourists as NZIS restated recently that you may (likely if they find out) be turned round at Immigration and sent home if you are going to NZ looking for work on the wrong visa. In other words, arrange for a friend to send on your cats/ possessions when you are properly visa'd.

bondipom

NZ is the only country I have been to where I have been asked for evidence of a return ticket on arrival.

Roger

Building is booming in New Zealand at the moment. I imagine you would have to fight the job offers off as a plumber. Get a few addresses/e-mails from www.yellowpages.co.nz in B of P and contact them. I'm sure you'll get some interest.

This is a little ingenous but a possible - get the job offer in Auckland in writing, put your papers in, then turn the job down in Auckland when you get here. Have a long away starting date so as not to inconvenience them too much. Then go looking with your PR and IRD number.

I had PR for a job in Wellington but decided that didn't like Wellington (I'd becoming home too Guitar Doctor if I was you). Upped sticks after a couple of days, turned down the job, and went on walkabout, eventually setttling in Hawkes Bay.

You will be asked for proof of PR when shipping household goods to NZ.

Not sure about Cats but it is expensive and terrifying for them once, let alone going back again.

NZ is a great place to live (with caution if you have enough capital to buy most of a house). Do it.

Roger

Jamie Smith

Hi all


Yes Roger, that's one way to do it, but with other consequences:

1. NZAMI has been trying to get employers to be more supportive of applications for PR, if that means they can hire the right person.

Issue has been employers don't want to be scammed, and neither do they want their genuine offer of work to be abused. On the other hand, "how would anyone ever know, eh?"

This post is not terribly helpful towards encouraging employers to hire migrants and help them get their visa sorted out.

NZ is a small country, employers do know each other and swap war stories, so maybe the risk is you get "named" in the industry?

Other issue is, NZIS have set up a fraud unit as they know the SMC focus is on job offers. They will probably track the longevity of new workers with their employer, and any early bail outs could result in investigation of the employer.

What is he/she then going to say? Maybe how frustrated they were at hiring this person and how they now doubted the migrant's bona fides. NZIS might then take a closer look at the new arrival and subsequent work offers.

End result is NZIS might not transfer the new job offer to the original PR approval, and you'll lose your visa.

Although it's possible, it's not a good way to get started in a new country. NZ's not that desperate.

Sorry for sounding so policeman-like, but the more genuine applicants stand to lose a lot if the process is abused.

Happy New Year

sofistek

I tend to agree, Jamie. Accepting a job offer, getting the employer to properly document that offer, and then renaging on that agreement, once you have your PR, is potentially detrimental to other hopeful immigrants, apart from the moral issues.

However, I don't think the poster who started this thread, falls into that category. It sounds like the job offers from Auckland are verbal and open. If any are formally accepted, though, I'd hope he takes up the position and tries out the area for a while, before deciding to move on.

Roger

Jamie, I agree that this is not the best way to start a life in a new country. Personally I genuinely wished to make a 'go' with the job. However you get to a stage in your life when you know if you like somewhere or not, and as we didn't like Wellington (it will suit some though), we moved on. It is has worked out good for us, and NZ is benefiting from my taxes and a substantial inward investment.

I think that if we had stayed and not liked it, we would have returned to the UK.

Just stating an option. However Bear has said they liked the B of P and he should find an employed to sponsor him.

Roger

Jamie Smith

Your post had made it seem like you used the offer to get what you wanted only - it appeared that you knew you wouldn't stay there even when you were accepting the first job. And you were only there in Wgtn for a few days???

No offence intended if I got it wrong.

Regards

S Oldfield

Perhaps thats because you look very dodgey with that beard and santa hat

Bear

Thanks for the posts, it's good to hear things talked through.We were aiming to settle in Auck so had made contacts before visit so that Tony could go and meet them - he had several job offers, they all knew we weren't planning to go over until early spring and said to think offers over and let them know after xmas if he was still interested. We were quite suprised at how relaxed they were and thought they would all say come back nearer the time - although obviously we don't have anything in writing yet. We were pleased that the time taken to visit a few people had proved that he prob wouldn't have much trouble finding a job However whilst in Auck we decided it wasn't really for us and preferred the more laid back, quietness of Bay of Plenty. So now the process starts again, just a lot fewer contacts in BofP, started going through the Yellow Pages. However alarm bells started ringing when we sold our house recently and if we haven't got a job secured what are we going to do with regards to no work permit, stuff, cats etc.
So started thinking perhaps we should take one of jobs in Auckland and give it a go there first, only trouble is house prices have risen so high in Auck and its just too expensive. I know exactly what posters mean about ruining relations between potential employers and newcomers and really wouldn't want to take jobs without being able to give them a real go. Also employers especially in Auckland must be fed up with employees passing through, but must also accept that it is a high risk factor when employing potentially people who may have never visited their country that they may move on.
For now we are going to crack on with trying to get a job offer in BoP and panic again if we haven't got anywhere in a months time!
Bear