migration
 

hi! i wonder if anyone can enlighten me about this. Im from Manila, my husband & i is really considering migrating to New Zealand. But since moving to another country would be a big decision & needs preparation, with money & other thing. we are targeting to lodge our papers towards the end of 2003. My questions is, how often does the passing mark changes? would new zealand immgartion requirements be stricker by that time?
thanks.

Re: migration
 

Hi:
My advise to you would be to do it as soon as possible. With time migration rules are becoming stricter. In the case of independent skilled migration for both in Australia and Canada the pass mark has been increased by 5 ( 115 for Australia and 75 for Canada - as far as my info goes). If you have a sponsor then it might be easier. So be quick.

Re: migration
 

There is an election on at the moment, some parties are proposing tougher migration
requirements, and some are opting for no change.

The answer to your question depends on the results of the election; in my opinion
there will be slight changes towards tougher requirements.

--
Regards - Terry Hollis

Auckland, New Zealand

"marlene" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > hi! i wonder if anyone can enlighten me about this. Im from Manila, my husband & i
    > is really considering migrating to New Zealand. But since moving to another country
    > would be a big decision & needs preparation, with money & other thing. we are
    > targeting to lodge our papers towards the end of 2003. My questions is, how often
    > does the passing mark changes? would new zealand immgartion requirements be
    > stricker by that time? thanks.
    >
    >
    >
    > --

Re: migration
 

Marlene,

The passmark was for several recent years either 24 or 25 and NZIS allowed that more or less everybody applying under Gen Skills with the right points was granted PR. In H2 2002 the passmark was put up from 25 to 28 because record numbers were applying to migrate and NZIS was in danger of exceeding its target of +/- 10% of (from memory) 47500 migrants for 2002. In other words, the numbers being granted PR needed to be managed down by making the passmark harder to achieve. There was also the 'popular' factor of wanting to give the impression that migration was being well controlled according to policy because right now NZ is in the middle of a general election campaign and migration is one of the hot issues.

Assuming that immigration policy remains more or less the same after the election, I would imagine that the government will reduce the passmark slightly in order to meet its migration targets. At 28 points, NZIS would probably fall well short of the policy requirement total. I would see a gradual reduction down to 26 points as being likely, say, 27 in January or March 2003 then 26 points the following quarter.

But my advice, if you have sufficient points now, is to apply without delay - you never know how the passmark might change if there is a change of government and immigration policy.

All the best

Re: migration
 

thank you very much for all your reply & advice. as much as we wanted to lodge our papers the soonest possible, we cant really do it now, as i have said..funds & others things has to be considered. we were assessed by 24 points by our Immgration consultant here in Manila, meaning my husband being the principal would be applying for working to resident visa. Now, my question is is it possibly that he could get a job offer there in NZ while processing our papers?
thanks.

Re: migration
 

Marlene,

If you apply for PR but are assessed as having 24 points, your PR application will be refused because you are short of the 28 points passmark. But the good news is that the principal applicant will automatically be given the right to apply for and receive a work deferral visa because you are within 5 points of the passmark. This means you (the whole family) can come to NZ to find a job, and provided the main applicant finds a 'relevant' job within 6 months, you can reapply for PR within NZ with the 8 points from your job offer and you will get PR. If you fail to find a relevant job you will have to leave NZ after 6 months. For definition of 'relevant' see www.immigration.govt.nz (Migrate).

All the best

Re: migration
 

thanks newstartnz, now my question is; is it hard to find a job back there in NZ? MY husband is currently working at Nestle phils. working as Asst. Manager for Marketing promotions. are there job opportunities for him for this field? we heard that NZ is basically an agricultural country, unlike Canada & Australia who are more industrialized? what are his chances to find a related job the soonest possible?

Re: migration
 

Marlene,

We are not in NZ yet so I can't give you first hand advice, but my wife and I trawl the net for NZ jobsites from time to time and marketing jobs are reasonably plentiful. Most posters seem to think that it is reasonably straightforward to find a job in NZ provided you a) speak good English, b) are prepared initially to take a possibly lower paid job and at a lower level than you might be working at right now. However, you have to be in NZ to get the job, it is more or less impossible to get a job before you arrive unless you already have permission to work and very specialized skills.

All the best

Re: migration
 

okey, so we havent lodged our papers as i have said, coz we need to really prepare for it you know, so we are targeting last quarter of 2003 & with God's help the passing mark go down a bit...haha, you think its possible? that they lower it by that time eh? & is it really true that if we were assessed by 24 pts. which mean we are within the 5pts marks, can we really all go to NZ with my husband? coz thats not what our consultant told us, they said that my husband being the principal should have to fly to NZ first, find a job then thats the only time we can come to NZ? please enlighten me with this matter.
thank you very much.

Re: migration
 

I agree with your consultant, your husband needs to get a job first and the points
required will either stay the same or they will go up.

--
Regards - Terry Hollis

Auckland, New Zealand

"marlene" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > okey, so we havent lodged our papers as i have said, coz we need to really prepare
    > for it you know, so we are targeting last quarter of 2003 & with God's help the
    > passing mark go down a bit...haha, you think its possible? that they lower it by
    > that time eh? & is it really true that if we were assessed by 24 pts. which mean we
    > are within the 5pts marks, can we really all go to NZ with my husband? coz thats
    > not what our consultant told us, they said that my husband being the principal
    > should have to fly to NZ first, find a job then thats the only time we can come to
    > NZ? please enlighten me with this matter. thank you very much.
    >
    >
    >
    > --

Re: migration
 

Marlene,

If you fail PR, but instead get a work deferral visa, it is effectively a work permit valid for 6 months and the whole family may travel with the principal applicant but only the principal applicant can find work until you get PR (as a family). The whole family needs to pass character/ health requiremnts prior to travel.

If the principal applicant fails to find appropriate work, the whole family will have to leave NZ after 6 months.

All the best

Re: migration
 

so we can travel with him at the same time right? me & my two kids are gonna hold a tourist visa? ok, so if he is able to get a job & got the points that we need for PR, how long will the processing be? like holiding a tourist visa ia like staying there for 6mos. what if our PR papers hasnt been approved, are they gonna send me & my kids back home?

many thanks!

Re: migration
 

Hi marlene,

I don't think you would have a tourist visa, I'm not absolutely sure from the NZIS website but I think it will be clear from the visa you get that your husband has a work permit and you and the kids are out in NZ with him under that visa. Maybe someone who has gone down the work deferral visa converted to PR can add something?

You don't risk getting thrown out of NZ provided you lodge the PR application (in NZ) within the 6 month timeframe. Presumably your passports are amended appropriately while the PR processing takes place. I gather it is a much simpler and quicker process to convert work deferral visa into PR because all you have to do is provide evidence of the genuine job offer, you don't have to go through the whole points process again.

All the best

Re: migration
 

hey, that was a quick reply. thank you very much... i know our target lodging of papers is like more than a year from now, but it is nice to hear bits & pieces of what most likely we are about to face or something...migrating is a very major decision it is not like you are leaving your home, your good career, your extended families & friends, gamble your life time savings & then go back if things dont work out, im not sure if im making any sense. but i really appreciate all the replies i got.

Re: migration
 

There are big companies like Cadbury's (Dunedin) Heinz Watties (Hastings) and loads
in Auckland. Have you looked at www.nzjobs.co.nz?

"Terry Hollis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I agree with your consultant, your husband needs to get a job first and
the
    > points required will either stay the same or they will go up.
    >
    > --
    > Regards - Terry Hollis
    >
    > Auckland, New Zealand
    >
    > "marlene" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > okey, so we havent lodged our papers as i have said, coz we need to really
    > > prepare for it you know, so we are targeting last quarter of 2003 & with God's
    > > help the passing mark go down a bit...haha, you think its possible? that they
    > > lower it by that time eh? & is it really true that if we were assessed by 24
    > > pts. which mean we are within the 5pts marks, can we really all go to NZ with my
    > > husband? coz thats not what our consultant told us, they said that my husband
    > > being the principal should have to fly to NZ first, find a job then thats the
    > > only time we can come to NZ? please enlighten me with this matter. thank you
    > > very much.
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > --
    >