Hi everyone in NZ,

I am about to try to join you (having sold my house in the UK and bought new suitcases). Could anyone help with the following;

is it still possible to get a 'looking for work' 6 month visa?

are IT skills (network management) still in demand?

how long are temporary work/permanent resident visa applications taking these days?

can and do people just pitch up, find work and get a visa?

Thanks very much

Claire

If you're referring to the Job Search Visa (where people who were within 5 points of the passmark were given a 6 month work visa in order to find work) then unfortunately the answer is no. NZIS killed off the JSV and the General Skills category on 1st July 2003.

It has been replaced by the Skilled Migrant Category, which is still a points based system, however work experience, relevant qualifications and a job offer are pretty much mandatory. More info on the SMC at: www.immigration.govt.nz

It IS still possible to visit NZ for 6 months - assuming you are a British Citizen, you'll be given a 6 month visitor permit on arrival. You aren't allowed to work on a visitors permit, and your intention should be to visit NZ for a holiday, however plenty of people come to NZ as visitors, look for work and then apply for a work permit or residence.

If you are 30 or under, a better option might be a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) this allows you to stay in NZ for 1 year, permanent employment is not permitted, however temporary employment (eg contracting) IS ok. This gives you more time to job hunt, submit a work permit or Permanent Residence application and to some degree support yourself in the process.

If you have solid experience, qualifications eg MCSE, CNE etc (industry quals not essential, but looked upon v highly) then Yes. I am an IT contractor myself in the networking/security field, we have had several engineers come and go recently who were absolutely useless. Employers will tell you that finding good, Experienced (I can't over emphasise experience) staff is difficult. IT job market in NZ is competitive, but nowhere near as bad as things were 2 years ago.

Work permits - you can no longer turn up at the NZIS office in Akl and get a work permit whilst you wait anymore, NZIS insists you post them or hand them in. This was allegedly to reduce turn around times. For a work permit, 3-4 weeks seems the norm.

As for PR apps submitted under the SMC, people in other places say the process has been either very quick, (couple of weeks) or can take a few months. It all depends on your individual circumstances however around the 3-4 month mark seems to be the average.

Yes. If you are prepared to get over to NZ and job hunt here you stand a much higher chance of success than trying to get a job offer whilst you are in the UK (which is difficult, if not impossible)

No worries

Russ