bonus points for a qualification in an identified future growth area
 

Our EOI is selected, but we are still nervously wating for ITA. I must say a forum like this one does wonders for our nerves during this waiting period. After we submitted our EOI, I contacted an employment/emigration agency in NZ, but the person I spoke to there sounded very negative and did not sound like he was very interested. So my wife and I decided we would rather brave it all on our own and rely on the much friendlier advise we get from people on this forum.

The latest thing that is getting me nervous is the fear my measly 115 EOI points may become even less because I claimed 15 bonus points for a qualification in an identified future groth area. I now wonder if I understood the following line correctly:

"You may gain bonus points for a qualification(s) in an identified future growth area if you have been awarded points for current skilled employment, or an offer of skilled employment in an identified future growth area, and your qualification is considered relevant to that job."

Initially I thought that "current skilled employment" it means my current job in my home country. But now I'm starting to wonder if it actually only refers to current skilled employment or job offer in NZ. Do anyone know if "current skilled employment" means "current skilled employment in New Zealand", or does it also apply to your current employment in your home country?

Re: bonus points for a qualification in an identified future growth area
 

Hi there,

It says the same about the bonus points for a qual in an area of skills shortage but I was given the points for this without having a job offer. I presume the same applies for future growth areas.
i thought that I wouldn't get the points when I read it but you get given them when you fill in the EOI and I have had my settlement interview and am waiting now to see whether I get PR. They haven't taken the points away:thumbsup:

Good luck, even if they take them away you still have the magic 100pts!

Sue :D

Re: bonus points for a qualification in an identified future growth area
 

See what I mean? How friendly and re-assuring is that answer! Thanks Sue. :)

Re: bonus points for a qualification in an identified future growth area
 

We have also been wondering about this as in the quick points checker we claimed points for this but on filling in the EOI (which we are yet to submit) it didn't give us points for this at it seemed to only give you point if you were working or had a job offer in NZ....any one know what is correct here?

Re: bonus points for a qualification in an identified future growth area
 

Hi there

I don't want to sound negative or add to your worries (as we are going through exactly the same thing right now and I know how stressful it is) but I would be VERY careful with bonus points. They seem quite sticky about these precious points.

The way I read that as well was that if you were claiming bonus points for work experience in your area of identified future growth then you are ok to claim bonus points for your qualification in an identified future growth. That makes sense to me and if they expect you to have a job offer/current job in NZ then I think their wording is a bit ambiguous.

If I were you I would e-mail/ring up NZIS - they are very helpful. I asked them about claiming bonus points for a qualification in an area of absolute skills shortage and they told me that it was ok to claim bonus points for my qualification even though I wasn't claiming any bonus points for my work experience BUT this was specifically for an area of absolute skills shortage and I think it's different to identified future growth area so I wouldn't rely on that.

Good luck.