theguitardoctor

Hi there,

Is anyone aware that employers in NZ are currently refusing anyone work who is not a resident. We have tried dozens of agencies and employers directly in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington etc, and are being told that as we are non-residents they cannot deal with job applications from us. Even with a 12 month work permit they are not too keen to put people forward for position in case there is a problem with eventual residency.....

Checking the NZIS site, all I can see is that the prospective employer would need to get an Approval in Principle from the NZIS in order to employ someone on a WHV. However, this may be enough to deter them from employing someone. If this is the case, our options are becoming limited by the day....

Even with a 9 month Visa off the back of my LTBV employers have shown objection to the short viability of it, despite guarantees that it would be extended a further 27 months upon expiration. Basically, they want a long term work visa beforehand or permanent residency only.

All I can say to anyone attempting to come over on a Tourist/WHV is don't bother unless you have a job offer or are on the Occupational Shortage List.

I give up, I really do.....

When one door slams, so does the other....

Rich.

Jirrupin

Hello Rich,

Your not having an easy ride of it are you..... I know the costs are adding up for you in NZ, does the dire work situation mean you might have to bail out sooner rather than later....or are timescales still determined by your cat's injections?

The saying "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger" springs to mind when reading your post.

At least take some comfort in that you are not alone in your frustrations. Don't let the sandgropers get you down.

theguitardoctor

HI again,

We were going to try and sort the situation because otherwise we'd do ourselves an injury the way we were carying on, so we've made peace at present....thus the wife started to look into possible employment either now or for the future...i.e put feelers out, which he has done for several days - the phone has an imprint of her ear on it from over use. At present she is over on a Working Holiday Visa, but if my LTBV was approved then she would have a 9 month Work Visa, which would be extended to 3 years (another 27 months) once the NZIS saw that I had actually set up a business. Even with this in mind, the best she can get is temp work if someone will actually go to the lengths of interviewing her, which at the end of the day belies her graduate education and qualifications. Not only this, but it's low paid with very few entitlements and that means 3 years of low earnings (my business will need to be built up from nothing), so it will be a hell of an upward struggle whatever happens - we had hoped the money we brought over would help finance our first NZ property, but it will be sucked up in living expenses on this premise. I'm all for a bit of a battle and dont mind a bit of hard work, but this is ridiculous...it seems that New Zealand wants to put off anyone that's not on their shortage list, even down to businesses. Even the Business Unit in Wellington has ignored my contact, so I'm on the edge of throwing it in again....I mean what's the point? I think we'll turn the whole thing into an extanded holiday as planned and return to the UK with at least some money intact.

all the best, Rich.

Pollster

Oh Mr GD, I do feel for you, I really do.

theguitardoctor

Thanks for all the support, but the decision to pull out of it all has been made. If it was meant to happen this constant hitting of walls would not be happening. It was a huge gamble to get here (and expensive), but if we don't pull out now it will destroy everything. I'm getting nowhere badgering the NZIS business unit and the Economic Development Agency - my LTBV has no case officer for the forseeable future, the wife had a job offer pulled, and even if the LTBV is finally approved, it looks like the wife wont get a decent job anyway...and as she's a Graduate that's pretty piss poor. I want to be positive, but I've had it knocked out of me so much that I have no fire to start a business up in NZ anymore. I mean, who's to say the NZIS won't change their policies for self employed people before we qualify and we'll be shafted again.
It's no longer worth the risk or stress. I wish everyone emigrating the best of luck, it didn't work out for us...

Sorry if the posts have sounded negative, but there's 2 sides to every coin and this is the side that's not often seen....all I wanted to do was show this side because it exists for a few.

Rich.

jandjuk

this is absolutely no consolation, and won't help your current situation one bit, but perhaps when it's all over, it might be worth writing to one of the NZ MP's (immigration minister or someone) letting them know your story.

It's unlikely it would make a blind bit of difference, but if you're so inclined, it might stop the NZIS for changing the rules without warning again - which help others out in the future...

enjoy your holiday!

Pollster

Go helihiking on the Franz Joseph glacier, swim with dolphins and go see the whales at Kaikoura, hurl yourself off a ledge with just a bit of elastic round your ankles in Queenstown, drive up 90 mile beach, take a trip in the R Tucker Thompson in the Bay of Islands and have dinner up the tower in Auckland - at least then you will have a few positive memories of NZ and you won't feel that it was all totally in vain.

Have a really good holiday.

JaneandJim

Don't forget to go to Hells Gate. Then you can say you've walked away from it!

Best Wishes,
Jane

theguitardoctor

Thanks all,

We intend to do a month in each of the major places, such as Nelson, Christchurch and maybe Queenstown, and see NZ from these. Then head back up to the North Island and stop off in Napier and finish off in Auckland, visiting all the places we can from these. We've seen most things here and within driving distance of Wellington, such as Featherston, Martinborough (where the hell are all the peope? It's like a ghost town....there's nothing there....!) Paraparaumu is the nicest area within easy reach for anyone considering a visit to Wellington.

Anyway, just to say thanks for the support...we are in Wellington til Jan 3rd, then we're off on the trip....

all the best, Rich.

DavidT

Have you enough money to buy an established business, a safe bet like a store or cafe, & use this if it really is possible to pay you both a wage, meet more contacts & integrate, perhaps then let somone manage it when your on your feet. Just a thought I am sure its as tough as you say it is but you must be nearly over the worst. You have done all the hard work, one final push could do it, the money your going to spend on the touring could be a good deposit. This is intended in the right spirit good luck GD

theguitardoctor

Hi There,

Trouble is you cant just buy a business and start to run it in NZ. You have to go through the whole LTBV application process again. Even if you decide you are relocating the business to another area of NZ you can be asked to resubmit a business plan with new market research.....

If it was that easy I'd have come over and bought something like a Superette (as many on here are want to do) and stay indefinitely. It would have saved a lot of strife. The NZIS will not allow it though.....but thanks, I understand the sentiment.

Rich

jandjuk

lol, yup that's NZ!

Your tour plan sounds like a good idea - basing yourself in different places will be nice and relaxing. you might want to do some quite big touring loops though and then return to base.

you never know, you might find a place you really like and not leave it.

theguitardoctor

Yeah,

On present goings on though, whether we wanted to stay or not the NZIS wouldn't let us......

We'll just have to see what pans out in the future I guess, but at present we can't even get our shipment without a $2000 bond as the job offer was pulled out and the LTBV is several months from approval, so we've left it at the port under bond at present ($20 a week) as it's getting turned around and sent back at this rate....

Rich.

St George Six

Hi Rich, Get in touch urgent, I am in wellington and lodged LTBV after you. I was told middle of Nov had at least 6 month wait to get case worker, however I found away round this and within a month got our LTBV approved. This may work for you.

Cheers Kev.

theguitardoctor

Hi Kev,
Unfortunately, I was told several weeks ago that the NZIS are no longer interested in one man businesses regardless of whether they feed a demand..they told me that the businesses they were looking for were those that employ NZers within 3 years. Mine was a self sufficient business, making a reasonable profit, but it wasn't big enough to employ anyone but me in reality. The NZIS all but told me that I would not be approved then (this was over the course of about 4 visits with an immigration officer). Thus I withdrew my application a couple of weeks ago, though I have not had the refund as yet. Having lost a fortune getting here and all the shit we've been through with the loss of a job offer (wife) when the Gen Skills cat was removed suddenly...we've decided to cut our losses of $30K and return to the UK in the New Year. I don't know what else I could have doen as I tried to gain assistance form a number of sources and they all came to nothing...I just got the feeling that the NZIS were getting aggravated with me.

What line is your business in? Param is a nice area (much nicer then Wellington), although it is a run from the city, especially in traffic. If you can survive up there, I take my hat off to you...

I'd be interested to know how you got yours done quicker...
you have my email...
all the best, Rich.