sharkuk

Hello, I'm new here, hope everyone is well.

My partner and I are in the early stages of discussing a move to NZ in the next few years and were just wondering if we could ask some preliminary questions.

Is a recent Open University undergraduate honours degree a recognised qualification by the NZQA?

When beginning the application for PR process, at what stage is it wise to begin applying for jobs? How does one go about finding employers willing to not only employ someone from overseas, but hold a job for them for X amount of months and take the risk that their application may not be approved? Is it as difficult as it sounds?

This is a fairly specific question, but if anybody knows, is there a good job market for management accountants and forensic psychologists in NZ?

What are your personal experiences with living in the Auckland area? Is it at all feasible to live in Waitakere City/North Shore City and commute to Auckland City for work?

We have worked out with the points checker on immigration.govt.nz that we should, by the time we apply and my partner has a job offer over there, receive either 175 or 195 points (depending on whether I would also be able to secure a job pre-emigrating as well as my partner, and this is on the basis that my OU degree is accepted, although by then I should have a Masters at a regular UK university, would this improve my chances? My partner will be the main applicant and has a water tight degree and post-grad qualifications, however.) - With a score of either 175 or 195, how likely is it that we - a family of 2 adults and 2 primary school aged children, all in good health and no criminal record - would be granted permanent residency in NZ?

Did you use an immigration consultant, would you recommend doing so would be a good idea, and how much did this expense set you back?

And lastly, from start to finish how much did the entire process cost you? Is it more/less than you budgeted? And if anybody could give a breakdown of their personal costs that would be brilliant; I have read a few cost estimations and checklists online but nothing quite specific enough, and we would like some personal experiences to see how realistic the online estimations are if at all possible!

Many thanks for all your help, don't feel obliged to answer everything but if you have an area of expertise in any of my questions I'll really appreciate your answer!

sharkuk

Also one more question I forgot about (sorry!). My partner is not the biological father of my eldest, who will be 7 at the time we are thinking of emigrating. His biological father turned his back on him before he was born, has never seen or had any involvement with him, never paid maintenance and did not sign the birth certificate - there is a blank space under father's name. I would have absolutely no idea how to track him down now if I wanted to. Is this going to present a problem with having my eldest approved for residency, if consent from his absent bio father is impossible to attain - or would his absence from the birth certificate mean legally there is no father and therefore no need for consent?

Tan0410

http://www.psych-recruitment.com/default.aspx

Am an ex UK Forensic Psych (was a trainee in UK) now working as a Psych for NZ Corrections (just about to finish supervised practice).


Check out the above link.


Doug McCall (the founder of this company) was responsible for helping both me and my husband secure our jobs with Corrections

Not sure what the overseas recruitment market is like right now (have been here 2.5 years) but Doug will be able to give you some insight

banshigirl

Hi Sharkuk,

Cant answer any of your questions apart from living in Waitakere.

We live in Laingholm and my Hubs works at Victoria Park in Auckland and commutes every day and never has any serious problems. Takes him aout 30 mins to an hour depending on when he leaves in the morning.

Good luck with your impending move and the rollercoaster you are about to embark on.

Debs

littleal

Hi - I'm glad Tan0410 has already responded because I would have suggested you contact her.

I'm a management accountant - market is not too hot in Hamilton, but probably fine in Auckland & Wellington. Chch didn't seem to want to take a chance on a Brit

My husband has an undergraduate OU degree (graduated 2000) and that was totally acceptable to Immigration in 2007.

Good luck
Alison

Tan0410

Hi Al..

Sharkuk - I should add that I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever with respect to leaving the UK system and joining NZ Corrections.

Here they actually give some proper attention to culture, reintegration needs, and appropriate treatment...both within the community and prison systems. There are still resource issues but they are no way as bad as the UK.

I currently work within the Special Treatment Units, so am dedicated to patches of assessment but mainly full-time intensive treatment. By comparison with the UK, the Corrections Psych community could be called a small world which means that people communicate nationwide. Their place within the system is much clearer, understood and valued.

I LOVE IT

...but I am rediculously busy

Mrs Pointer

I wouldn't bother with a consultant. We did it all ourselves and the only fees you have to pay are the ones NZIS expect you to pay. They also answer your questions (or the nice people on here will help you out), so why bother paying a middleman.

All it takes is a bit of planning and a bit of work - we found it very straightforward.

It's around £2-3k all in, which includes the medicals where weren't cheap.

We signed up for seek.nz to get an idea of the jobs market - which you will need for your interview. They are mostly interested in how you'll get a job, and I was able to say how many there had been (a lot thankfully).

We're going to start applying in the next couple of months = aim to move in April. We can't go too early as we're getting married in February and my mum would never forgive me.

Tan0410

Another after thought . . .

There are no costs associated with the company that I gave the link for. They get their commission from the employer if you are successful in securing a post

Moses65

All you need is to write a covering letter to NZIS explaining this and they will be fine.

Woodpigeon

Hi.

OU degrees are recognised, but when I had my BA (Hons) (Open) assessed by NZQA in 2003 they only recongised it at a basic degree (i.e. not honours) really pissed me off cos it took me 7 years of damn hard slog part time study whilst bringing up pre-school kids to achieve it

However, I still list it on my cv as an honours degree and the only people who have asked to see the NZQA assessment have been the teacher's college when I applied to study for a graduate diploma in teaching (who was who I had it assessed for in the first place!). Annoyed me that in their graduation programme they listed my previous quals as BA, Certificate in Music (level 4) and Certificate in IT (level 4). The two 'certificates' were OU Diplomas, but again that was how NZQA had assessed them

Bizare thing was that when I was asked what hood I needed for my NZ graduation no-one asked for proof, so I just told them I had honours and they gave me an honours hood (but they also insisted that I wore a mortar board even though I explained that wasn't official 'dress' for OU grauates)!

Sorry, will get off the soapbox now