braithers

Could I ask all you helpful people for some advice and pointers please?

I have been planning to leave the UK for a while and I am now booked to depart at the end of September. I am going to spend a month in Asia travelling and then 2 months with friends in Australia before heading to New Zealand in January. My plan was to go in on a tourist visa, look for work and then apply for a work permit / visa if I managed to secure a job.

This has now gone somewhat out of the window.

I haven’t been applying for jobs in NZ, however last week by chance I saw a job advertised for exactly the area of work that I was hoping to find ie teaching travel and tourism in a tertiary college. I sent off my CV and to cut a long story short they were very keen and following a telephone interview have now offered me a full time position starting mid January 2008

Whilst I am thrilled and excited I want to be 100% sure that what I think is the next step regarding applying for a work visa is correct and also that I even qualify for a work visa.

As far as I can see on the NZIS website the job is not on the Immediate Skills Shortage List (although travel consultants are ) so now that I have a formal offer of employment do I just apply for a work visa with NZIS in London? I have also read that the employer may have to apply for an approval in principle? Do they have to do this before I apply for a work visa?

The other question I have is as I am off travelling when should I apply for the visa?

Instead of going around and around in circles on the internet would someone be kind enough to offer advise please?

Many thanks in advance.
Ian

happynz

Howzit Ian:

This isn't a huge problem. What I suggest is that you have the institution that offered you the position supply to NZIS the evidence that they have made reasonable efforts to hire a local Kiwi but have not been able to find someone with the qualifications and skills needed. You need to present to NZIS evidence that you have the skills and qualifications that make you uniquely qualified for the position. NZIS will then hopefully consider your request positively and issue you with a temporary work visa and upon arrival your passport will be stamped with a work permit at the airport. The fact that you won't be starting until January 2008 won't be a problem at all.
The length of your visa or permit could be from one year up to three years and they can be renewed indefinitely. However, if you get a permit for longer than one year you'll need to get the medical reports done along with getting police clearances for any country in which you have lived for a year or more over the previous ten years.
My advice is to get the one year work visa, come over and get working and living here and if you like it, go ahead and apply for PR.

braithers

Hi happynz,

Thanks for replying and pointing me in the right direction.

I will contact the institution and advise them that they will need to send NZIS the Approval in Principle to Recruit Overseas Workers form before I can apply for a work visa. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Cheers
Ian

braithers

Another question. Sorry if it is a stupid one!!!

Does my prospective employer need to send me the completed NZIS 1113 form for me to submit with my application? It says that it must be submitted with the NZIS 1015 which is the application form I fill in.

The only reason I ask is because I have read elsewhere that the employer has to send it off.

Thanks again in advance.