Dan_UK

My wife and I are looking to emigrate to NZ.

We are looking at a Work Permit and then once my wife is in employment for 6 months or so, if we like it, we would apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa.

Problems is that the Job Hunting has been very difficult. My partner is a newly qualified Social Worker with previous 5 years + experience as in the Social Welfare sector. She has a wide range of experience and a Bachelor graduate in Social Welfare and a Masters in Social Work. She has good reverence and made a good impression wherever she's worked.

She keeps getting lots of potential employers and all say they will contact their personnel department and get back to her, but then it all goes quiet for weeks on end. It's very strange to say the least.

Most recently a particular employer, one of the biggest in NZ, was very excited about my wife's experience and qualifications and promised to start taking things further and get in touch ASAP. This was more than 2 weeks ago. My partner than emailed her 3 days ago and still not even a reply to that.

What on earth is happening? Are things that slow in NZ? Are NZ employers reluctant to employ foreign workers?

Any thoughts, advice and ideas would be more than welcome. We're getting ver stressed out about this.

newkiwi

I cant comment on any specifics, but in my experience kiwi employers do have an unfortunate habit of saying "yes" or saying nothing, even agents sometimes dont even come back to you with a "no". Dont know why that is, ive had an experience of going for a job, interview etc then hearing nothing, writing it off, and getting the same agent on the phone several months later asking if I would be interested in interviewing for a completely different job.

Does yoiur wife have a work permit yet? That makes a difference, if she doesnt she should be up front about it from the start. Is she in the counrty to interview? If not maybe worth waiting until you know exactly when you will be in the country and line up interviews around specific dates..

NZ employers arent specifically hesitant about employing foreigners, but you have to realise that it is often less risky employing somebody with easy to verify Nz experience at organisations the prospective employers know about, or with qualifications employers immidiately recognise. Its a risk issue, but NZ employers arent worse than any other.

Good luck and dont despair.

howden40

Register qualifications in NZ and apply for a Visa. You may then have more luck with an approximate date for starting work.

Yes employers are very slow in getting back to you.

Best of luck

Persephone

Problem is that you can't get a work permit/visa unless you have a job offer. You can go down the SMC route without a job offer if you have enough points. This is what I'm doing and I'm hoping that being able to say I am applying for PR will mean potential employers will take me more seriously. I'll be looking when I go over to NZ next month for a few weeks.

Good luck

Sue

BEVS

Good post SueR.

It is a job offer first then apply for a temporary work permit. Not the other way around.

Here is a link to the Social Workers Registration Board. If you contact them , perhaps they can give you some pointers about vacancies and registration.

Otherwise , I can't see why, if you have enough points what with the professional qualifications , you don't submit an EOI without a job offer.

Dezza

My OH has just received a job offer - he was first in contact with this company last September! Yes we have found they are very slow in getting back - we heard nothing for weeks at a time but doesn't necessarily mean they're not interested. It is very stressful as you have no control over what they are doing - you have to wait for the email that never seems to arrive - we've been there.
You are in a better position than we were as your occupation is on shortage list.
You just have to be persistent and determined - you will get there if you want to enough.