Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

Hi all

Happy new year.

Not used this site for some time and I am looking for all your help.

As most UK people i think who especially are on this site, we have become tired with the UK weather and its politics and lifestyle.

I am 30 and my partner 29. we are wanting to move perm to NZ as we have friends over there who have settled and say it was the best thing thy ever did.

we love the country and climate etc compared with oz.

I am 30 and have 10 yrs experience working within call centre environments but for IT, Telecoms and Digital satellite TV, but have no certificates for it.

However on the other hand I have 5 yrs studying Graphic Design and have a HND which under the quick points check gives me post grad status of 5. but alas i have no experience.

I did a skills quick check and got 105

my partner is 29, has a BA Hons in English and a PGCFE in further education tertiary for basic skills, ESOL, englishs Lit, Film and japanes language. She has 4 yrs experience.
She has no experience of teaching primary or secondary as this was not her specialism.

She gained 135 points

the questions we have are:

where can we look to gain offers of employment
is an offer of employment required before a visa is granted
if one gets job offer can the other go as a partner defacto
how long can we work in 1 job if we only gain whv
can we do whv for 9mths with 1 job then request to transfer to perm visa

we are sending our cv off like nobody business to people desp trying to find work, but they all say visa required, but u need job offer for visa, and a visa for a job. how can this be overcome.
also as i dont have any experience in my qualified field, i have asked about sponsorship and my salary to reflect this.
how can i secure sponsorship, and train in my qualified area to gain experience?

please help, we want to get on a plane and just go we are so fed up with things. :curse:

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

Hello and Happy New Year to you to. (Notice I wrote you and not the dreaded u. God, I hate SMS writing style in a medium where it isn't at all necessary. Sorry, nothing against you, but that sort of writing must be discouraged:curse:. Enough of that though and on to your concerns.)

As you have no certificates I think that your partner stands a better chance at getting granted residency. To better your chances at gaining permanent residency you should really come out here and secure a job. Getting a job in New Zealand applying from abroad with your and her skill set will be difficult to be honest. Really, one of you, or both, need to come here and knock on a few doors and shake a few trees.
Bring it...

Try www.seek.co.nz for a start. Also try the yellow pages and contact companies that are in the field in which you want to work. As I stated earlier though you would be better served by coming here to look for work. Boots on the ground shows your prospective employer that you aren't a time waster (I'm not saying that you are so don't get sensitive).
First you need to know the difference between a visa and a permit. A visa allows you to enter the country for a specific purpose. On arrival at the airport you will be stamped in with a permit which will state what you are allowed to do subject to the limitations printed on the visa.

However, you can come as a visitor, get a visitor permit on arrival and go look for work. There is no law saying that you can't interview. Before you can go to work you will need to apply for a work permit as you cannot legally work until that blue work permit sticker is pasted into your passport.

Yes, not a problem. You do have to show New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) that you have been in a genuine stable relationship for a minimum of the previous twelve months.
My understanding is that a work holiday visa holder can only work in a job for three months before having to move on. Most of my experience in that area is talking to Japanese and Korean WHV holders. It may well be a different situation for British passport holders. Check into that.
Sure you can. Do be aware that you will still have to go through the process the same as everyone else.

I hope this helps. Any other questions, fire away.

Good luck.

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

Just popping in from the Middle East forum.... hello one and all.

Can I ask a question?

Why mention that you are a lesbian couple at all? I don't have a problem with it, but why is it relevant?

If I'm being stupid, or have missed the point completely, just slap me down in no uncertain fashion......

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

i do hold certificates for my graphic design but never worked in it so no experience.

however i have worked in IT and telecoms ceustomer service for 10 yrs however i have no certificates.

so you see, i have one and not the other and vice versa.
is it worth us both applying with the 105 and 135 points and see who gets a skilled visa first.

can you get granted a skilled visa even if you have NO offer of work?

so hypothetically, my partner and i book a 1 way ticket to nz tomo, visit for 6 mths.
whilst there we look for work. either 1 or both of us gains work.
what then?
can we request residency if we reach 2 yrs

would a working holiday visa for 12 mths be more beneficial allowing us to work in nz for 12 mths, with the option??? to exchange it for a work permit?? that allows us to stay in nz for longer?

help as all confused.

we dont have much money, but what we do have is a few friends to put us up, passion for nz, the chance to succeed and the detrmination to work hard




FAO The Dean

Certain countries especially the Middle East, due to religious beliefs they do not accept same sex relationships. hence a lot of marriage for visa occurances in the 80-90s.
We wouldnt want to either offend or presume when applying nor to be granted 1 visa and not allowed to go together. we have had a civil partnership therefore in our eyes we are practically married. how would other heterosexual married couples feel if they had to leave their partner at home?

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

Fair point - I've been in Saudi on and off since 1992 - you can imagine how you'd be welcomed here....... Still, at least you weren't sentenced to 200 lashes for being raped....... (see Middle East forum - various threads).

Good luck with it - let me know how you get on.

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

If you find work in the graphic designs field it may help. Do be aware that to get a job as a graphic designer you and your prospective employer will need to show evidence to NZIS that no local Kiwis could be found for the job and that you are specially qualified to do the job.

That won't really matter much if you come here on a WHV.

Sure, you can. Both applications will be treated separately and judged on their own merits.

Yes, but one would likely have to have a job skill on the long term shortage skill list or have some special skill or talent that would benefit New Zealand.

The airline probably won't let you on the plane without onward travel arrangements unless you have a visa waiving onward travel. You could book a refundable ticket to Aussie or one of the nearby Pacific Islands such as Tonga or Samoa to get around that regulation.
Assuming that you or your partner can qualify for a work permit one of you will be tied to the sponsoring employer while the other will be given an open permit allowing one to work for whomever at whatever. The open permit will be valid for the same length of time as the person who has the 'tied' permit.
You can apply for residency at anytime. It works on a point system.

I don't see as how it would hurt. It would allow you to get here and 'test drive' the country so to speak and see if New Zealand is really the place for you.

I hear you sister. I arrived on these sunny shores with US$300. Fortunately I had a job to go to.
Good luck.

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

Your civil partnership will be good enough to prove your relationship. The ISNZ may also require you to show some joint bills that are 12months old.

I would also suggest that if you are thinking about applying for residency one of you applies as the main person. This would cut your costs and allow the other partner to come to NZ on the main persons visa.

It is a costly process with the medicals etc a recce if you can afford it may be a way to go, this would allow you to secure jobs and apply in NZ for a visa. Good luck and if we can help give us a shout.

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

ok im confused.

how did u manage to go to nz with only USD$300?
did you not have to prove at the airport you had funds for rtn ticket etc?

ok, we get a whv, it says we need to prove our funds, but if we can get one, we will just come over asap and gt a job and then use the money we earn to save for a rtn tkt if required. or book rtn ticket, and use it to visit home if we need to.

tis all so confusing. just want an easy plan set out for us to work to.

think the whv is cheapest so far. get work for 12 mths, if we like it after 6 mths apply for perm skilled visa, can one cancel out the other then if skilled granted?
can you apply for skilled if in nz and already working?

what is the easiest and cheapest guaranteed way to come to nz asap, be able to work and be able to stay 6mths+ with option to change things at 6mths?

we have low funds, and no job offeres, but high interest in our cv at present! they just want us there in order to interview and employ they said.

help....

can take working in this country no more, im chewing at my desk as we speak!!

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

First of all, stop using u for the word you. It is not necessary to use SMS style writing on this discussion board. :frown:

*cough ahem* Where were we? Oh yeah. I was able to buy a one way ticket as I had a job offer and work visa and onward travel arrangements were waived because NZIS knows that flights cannot be booked more than eleven months in advance.
Immigration was a breeze. I presented my passport with the one year temporary work visa and a one year work permit was stamped in my passport. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeasy.
I believe that they are looking at your ability to support yourself while you are in New Zealand.

I think in your situation you may want to consider buying a one-way ticket with a refundable onward ticket to Aussie or one of the other Pacific island nations such as Tonga, Fiji or Samoa. Then come here as a visitor where as a British passport holder you will get six months on arrival. You are free to look for work. However, do be aware that you cannot undertake any work until you have a work permit in your passport. That's one option.

The advantage of the WHV for you and your partner is that you could start work right away thereby keeping the funds flowing in somewhat instead of watching your savings dwindle to nil.

I can emphathise to an extent. The first important step is to get off your bum and announce to youself, 'Self, this is the way it's going to play!' and go for it. It is only as difficult as you want to make it.

You can apply for permanent residency (PR) at any time you like. Once granted you can remain indefinitely in New Zealand.
Yes, for sure.

I'm not a travel agent so you'll have to sort the flights. As for guarantees - none are implied or given. You have to be willing to weigh up the pros and cons, calculate your chances and then decide if it is worth taking a punt.

There you go. If at all possible it may serve you well to fly out here. Boots on the ground tell a prospective employer that you are serious about being in New Zealand and that you are not a time-waster.

I may be repeating myself, but if you or your main squeeze get a job offer it has to be on a skills shortage list, or if not, you have to show NZIS that no suitably qualified Kiwi could be found and that you or your partner have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job. You do this and you should be able to get a work permit.

If you are fortunate and do get a work permit I would suggest you get the one year permit as you won't be required to get medicals or police clearances. If your permit is longer than a year, or if you extend your permits, you'll need those.

Chin up and hang in there.

Good luck.

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

apologies, but due to the nature of my job and typing fast I use "u" not you as a quick ref.
this is habit, and i dont mean to offend.

If we come on a whv, and gain work ie ANY WORK such as call centre etc, how can i prove to the NZIS that a kiwi cant do it or skills shortage?

does this mean i wont get a permit to stay longer?

can i work doing any work, part time on my whv, but do voluntary work to increase my skills in graphics for free, and gain a reference for graphics jobs to get a skilled visa or residency?

my sister lives in perth oz, if i booked one way ticket, and then a 1 way to her it would be the same as a rtn to nz, so prob better doing this.

on a whv, am i required to provide the TB xray and medical?

thanks for all your help

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

Nothing personal. I'm a bit of a grumpy old bastard about the use of SMS writing. Don Quixote tilted at windmills and I rail at the ugliness of SMS writing. :lol:

Your prospective employer would have to show NZIS that they have made reasonable attempts to find employees but could not. This evidence may include classified adverts and the such.

Probably not. You need to have a work permit, a working holiday visa, work-to-residence-visa or residency (Kiwi citizenship of course as well) to legally work here.

Yes, but with certain limitations.

See this link => http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...idayscheme.htm

Up to you.

See the link provided.

You're welcome.

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

Update

we decided to do a quick reccie last night again at the points for skilled.

going on this info

further education lecturer and ESOL teacher
8 yr exp
PGCEFE - BA HONS ENG 2:2 - Basic qual
UK based
aged 29
native english
partner defacto
native eng also
with basic qual and no exp

we got 185 points!!

not sure if its worth forking out the huge expense of £450 each for medicals
extra expenses for visa etc on skilled
and it faile

in personal opinion do you think we would be chosen from the pool pretty quick and pretty certain to gain PR

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

^
185 should see your application picked from the fortnightly draw. EOIs that are over 140 points are automatically selected.

Does that total include a job offer or not?

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

yes we put that it had job offer
so without we are at 135
so desp trying to get work offers, which is damn hard not being in nz.
the immigration website i have found to be a bit of a pain.

u email a question and australian immigration reply saying they dont deal wtf??:curse:

Re: Lesbian couple looking to emigrate to NZ - help pls read
 

another query too.

if we had a job offer now and the skilled visa is picked as 185 points
then it states can take up to 7 mths.
within this 7 mths do we either
a: go on a permit to fulfil job and await residency
b: wait in UK till full residency visa given before we can go to NZ or even start job?

ie, employers wont keep jobs open for 7 mths or so surely?