Immigration without skills...
 

Hello all,

This is my first post here - stumbled across this site almost by accident, but pleased I did.

I spent a year in New Zealand back in 2000/1 and would love to move back. After New Zealand I went to Australia for a similar period of time, but feel New Zealand would be the place I'd like to settle permanently.

I'm educated to the higher of A/O levels (in Scotland, Highers) but have no further formal qualifications. I've a lot of experience in customer service, travel and tourism and hospitality but have little in the way of trades skills.

My career path is, roughly :

1998 x 2 year : Travel Consultant (Glasgow, Jersey)
2000 x 1 year : Senior Travel Consultant (Auckland)
2001 x 1 year : Travel Consultant/Tours Manager/Web Developer (Brisbane)
2002 x 2 year : Department Head : Leisure Travel (Glasgow)
2003 x 8 year : Airline Cabin Crew (London based)
PRESENT : Hotel management (Glasgow)

I'm 29, single, good health and would probably look at taking about £60k in available funds (read : cash in bank) with me.

What are my chances?

Thanks very much in advance guys.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Working holiday visa if you haven't had one previously, or sponsorship although that may be difficult...but with that much money in the bank I would wing it and go on "holiday" and look seriously at gaining work/sponsorship. Only caveat to that is being careful not to burn all your financial bridges, so if you did need to return to UK you could.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Thanks for this. I have previously been to NZ on a WHV. Shame I cannot apply for another.

In terms of the available funds I mentioned, would the 'authorities' accept proof of assets instead or do they specifically want funds? I have three properties worth around £500k in total and the cash would come from an equity withdrawal.

Would that be necessary? The properties provide me with a fairly healthy monthly income. Would the authorities recognise this?

Additionally, I've been speaking to some of my old colleagues from when I was in NZ before and they're confident that they'd be able to find me a good job with them, although it may not fall within the skilled workers categories. Would this help, or would NZ say that I cannot have that job?

Thanks for any help/advice you can offer.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Any job you are offered, outside of the shortages lists ,will be NZ labour market tested to see if there is an NZ resident or citizen that could fill that vacancy. So no, your contacts can't just give you a job offer.

An NZIS accredited employer on the other hand would be free to offer you a job which matched your skills without it being labour market tested.

NZIS will not be interested in what funds you have unless you are looking at an investment visa.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Thanks very much for this. Very useful.

Air New Zealand is listed on the NZIS as an accredited employer. Does that mean that, if I was lucky enough to secure a job offer from them - regardless of the nature of the job - I'd be granted a visa (conditional upon everything else - criminal record, background, health etc. being clean) without much trouble?

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

You and the job offer still need to meet the NZIS criteria. Link

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/20594.htm

If you can find a job that fits into any of these descriptions, then you have a fighting chance of getting a work permit. From there, depending on how long you have been in the country, you could potentially apply for PR.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Surprisingly enough, "Flight Attendant" is listed.... Down in part C.

That list seems extremely wide-ranging. So based on that, it might be worth my persuing an application?

Thanks again.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Flight Attendant is , indeed, seen as a skilled occupation. Your UK training would need to be seen to match that of NZ.

However Air NZ state this

........which is somewhat at odds with it's NZIS 'accredited' status.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

I would suggest, dont bring your money over until you have lived here for more than 5 years.
that way you will see what it is really like working and living here. And you will be able to leave whenever you like!
Look at www.trademe.co.nz jobsite, www.seek.co.nz, www.backpackerboard.co.nz, for a brief view of jobs.
In my experience, in NZ, It is not what you know, it is who you know.
It can be tough.
good luck

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Cheers. Interesting. I hadn't noticed that on the ANZ page previously.

If I was able to secure work in NZ as, for example, a Hotel Manager (which I have experience in), how long could I expect visa processing to take?

431411 Hotel Service Manager

I have contacts in that industry but am concerned that, should I get an offer, it might take many months to get things through to allow me to head over....

Is it possible to go over and apply for the working visa while there? Is it likely that they wouldn't let me in if I were honest about my reasons for being there?

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Yes - Thats what I did, took about four weeks to get a work permit
Yes - You would be in for a hard time from immigration, if you said you were here for work, when travelling on a visitors visa.

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Thanks very much. So when you went over, did you say you were there on a holiday to get in, not mentioning your intention to stay, and then make the effort to get the work permit?

How did you go about doing so? Were your skills in demand or did just just kinda wing it?

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Came over as a visitor, it was easy as we were backpacking already and flew in from OZ, so went straight through without any awkward questions.

Completely winged it, got a job offer, then the work permit. This was back in 2004, so the job market was very buoyant. I was working in six weeks of arriving.

Good luck

Re: Immigration without skills...
 

Cheers mate. Was the job you got in one of the skills shortages categories, or was it with a company on the accredited employers list?!

I don't think I'd have any problem getting work out there BUT might struggle getting something before arrival.