Scousebird

crashed and burnt will probably cost $756 with no guarantee - plan b me thinks. Thanks anyway, anything is worth a try.

Olivesk

I'm in a very similar situation. One exception is I found out AFTER paying out for application (and Medical & NZQA & PAR & Criminal Records Check). I'm pretty annoyed as I think any reasonable person would conclude that a post-grad would be better than a bachelors. (IT sector)

Job offer it is then, have been applying for 2 months and always getting the response "great CV but there are people here on the ground", nobody offering phone interviews, we have to get ourselves out there.

So, we've helpfully told visa officer that we're going to travel to CHCH. "Oh no you can't do that, you won't be allowed into the country under a visitor visa to go to job interviews" AARRRGGHHH!!!

The link simonsi posted now looks like my only hope, i.e. get NZQA to re-assess against a Bachelor's. They're uncontactable until 4th Jan and our application will be closed on 15th.

I can't find any specific IT body or training organisation listed, can anyone help there?

Better still can anyone offer me a job?

Scousebird

I feel for you as I was gutted after potentially losing the EOI application but you must fraught! Another way is to get a work visa because if you've still got you medicals/police checks they wont be wasted as they would do for them, then get yourself over there if you can get a job whilst on the ground. I was also reading through some posts the other day and it does say you can extend your medicals by getting the person who has done it to change the date - check some of the posts on this. At least if you have to re-submit all that could be done and you won't have to pay again??!

I'm just sorting out my NZQA assessment now and that it will boost me back up for EOI selection - hopefully within the timescale I've still got to re-submit. We've gained an extra 20 point putting back to 125 but I doubt this will get us selected under the current criteria. Just need to finish the last part of my qual before I can submit to NZQA. It's frustrating and I'm sure I'm going to meet more hurdles but keep your chin up and hopefully it will sort itself out. Good luck.

Olivesk

Best of luck to you Scousebird and thanks for the heads-up re: extending medicals, we can get in contact with our DR fine and I'm due to talk to visa officer in the next couple of days.

WTR...
I have some friends in Christchurch and one of them said that would probably be our best bet if we can't resolve this before 15th Jan. Anyone ever done this? (converted PR application to WTR). The only (short-term) drawback would be that only I could work whereas with PR my husband would have been eligible too, but not under WTR as far as I know.

Thanks for your words of encouragement, we haven't given up yet but i'm getting a nice bruise from where I'm banging my head against the wall

robertandjackie1

Reference the job interviews on a visitors visa, I have just done this.
I was in the same boat and got knocked back by employers when I applied for jobs from UK so I arranged for a week of interviews, flew out to NZ and got 4 job offers.
Hopefully get my PR Visa in by the end of Jan or will just get Temp Visas till the PR is processed.
Hope this helps.

Olivesk

Our visa officer said I wouldn't be allowed into the country if I told them I was going for interviews...

Congrats on the job offers.
So you're not in NZ now, you've come home to complete the PR application? I think that would be too late for me anyway, my application gets shut on 15th Jan.

robertandjackie1

Had to return to UK to finish my job and now waiting PR.
Am finished job now and am just waiting, might have to get temp visa so I can start my job.
Lookin forward to NZ

Scousebird

What about your husband getting a 12 month working holiday visa for now? That might get around him working although you have all the evidence for a work permit I would think - but hey I'm no expert and immigration have given me ambigious advice that's left me confused. I'm probably being a bit thick but am I right in thinking that you never got the full assessment from NZQA and this is why they've knocked you back and you only got a PAR? Or do you get the full assessment and have to argue further about the result? If so that's so unfair but also really scary. I'm frustrated as I know my quals are recognised and accepted out there yet they are saying not comparable at EOI stage.

Olivesk

So far as a 12-month working holiday visa goes we're too old, he's 39 i'm 35. I think 30 is the max.

we did PAR prior to EOI and then NZQA for our ITA. The NZQA graded my post-grad at Level 8 (we were high fiving ourselves as we thought it would be a 7). It is highly mis-leading we think . We have friends on the ground who are approaching an Immigration Consultant for us.

We have made an approach to the NZCS (NZ Computer Society) who are the professional body for IT. We're asking them to confirm that a post-grad in computer science would be (and i'm quoting from NZIS webpage provided by simonsi)
"sufficient to undertake employment in the specific occupation"
Now this seems straightforward to me in view of the fact that employers and agencies in NZ have been telling me my qualifications are more than adequate.

Scousebird

I forgot to mention the age bit - we've already had a whv and now are too old to! My PAR put me at level 8 which exceeds their level 7 but because it's not 'comparable' they would not give me the extra points so I'm hoping the full assessment will put me up there. I was hesitant at first but after further enquiries its useful to have the full assessment not only for immigration but also for employment reasons - despite the cost! I was going to mention about getting in touch with a professional body as I've done the same today as a back up to see if they would support me after my NZQA if immigration again continue to be difficult. Half of me thinks it's a jobs worth because they have people doing the same stuff with the same qualifications and they are being inflexible. There are people in NZ working with the same quals and experience yet they make you jump through many hoops still probably knowing what the outcome wil be - that they quals do meet the requirements. I argued every corner of this quoting everything but still hit the brick wall so I'm hoping the full assessment and any information I can get from the registration board will be enough. Hopefully 2011 will make them more sensible - good luck and let me know if you get anywhere.

simonsi

But that isn´t any sort of offence. Simply come on a visit visa for a holiday, if you talk to any prospective employers or have interviews then apply for and obtain a work visa of some sort before you start work and all is good. NZIS are concerned about peeps overstaying or working illegally, provided you do neither all will be OK.

Be prepared for your status of having no work visa to still be an issue for employers...

Jan n Neil

re interviews: I came here on a holiday visa for an interview, and had to tell the immigration people at the airport who were suspicious our flights had only been booked for two weeks!! They let us in, BUT as an employer we have been told that the rules have now been tightened in 2010. The following now applies, in a nutshell:

If you are coming in to do any work or receive payment, then you must have have a work vias. "work" include visitors to a place of work (e.g. a University) who are not on a salary, but may be receiving payment by way of paid accomodation.

In our case, then, under these new rules I would not have been allowed in as my future employer paid for our hotel for 7 days.

I think your immigration officer has told you the bare bones of these new rules, but if you book a flight well in advance and then tell immigration at the airport in NZ you are here for a holiday, you will not stand out. We did, as our flights were booked at short notice.

Jan

Scousebird

I get the feeling that there appears to be a lot of new rules with immigration and that they are all not fully aware of or uptodate with. And information shared by them can be a bit confusing. I'm definitely going to double check everything from now on or query what they state.

Olivesk

We've had a positive development (at last!!). I've been offered a job. The employer knows what INZ need from him and he's sorting that at the moment. Just one question, will he need to prove that he can't fill the vacancy locally? As usual the NZIS website is abiguous, as I'm filling a job on the LTSSL then no he doesn't, however another part of the site says i don't qualify for LTSSL as i'm not qualified due to the Post-Grad NOT being a Bachelor's.

but nothing would suprise me at the moment, it does feel like they are looking for any technicality to keep me out. I don't know what they've heard about me

Scousebird

FAB!! I believe it's a bog standard rule that employers have to evidence they've tried to employ a kiwi for the position but have been unable to.(same rule for me in 2005 and I didn't have to do anything, work just said you sort out immigration not us which was ensuring I was legal and showing them the evidence ie visa). Hopefully someone in NZ working can fill that gap for you and confirm it incase it's changed. Unless your reputation proceeds you (??!!) I think, like I've previously stated that some new training maybe required at NZIS to counteract new rules - hang in there!