Which one....?
 

Shall I go for a work visa or PR?

Am i right in thinking that a work visa can be extended ad infinitum?

What are the key differences between the two?

Police forms to be sent this week to get NZ Nurse Registration....

Re: Which one....?
 

Hi
From what I can tell a work visa can be renewed but you would have to apply under the conditions at the time. So if your job is on one of the skills shortages lists and is then removed you may not be able to renew.
How long are you thinking of staying in NZ- permanently or just temporarily?. This plays a big part in what you apply for.

A residence application is more expensive and takes longer but does give you the security and certainty of being able to remain in NZ permanently. You can change employers or indeed do any job you desired without restriction [once any restrictions were removed after 3months]. A work visa is tied to a specific job and employer so if you wanted to change employers then you would have to apply for another work visa. You can of course apply for residency and a work visa at the same time if you need to start work quickly. You would use the same Police certs and medicals then as well.

To put it simply, I would say the main advantage with residency is security, you cannot be removed from NZ because your visa has expired and your job is no longer in demand. Well, unless you do something really really bad!

Re: Which one....?
 

And again... this was going to be my next question!!

I've also been told its best to get the residency approved, rather than going for a work visa for the reasons you mentioned.

Whats the difference between a work visa, and a work to residence visa?

I also believe when you have residency you are entitled to all things that a citizen would be, where as with a work visa you're not.

Caro

Re: Which one....?
 

A work visa is temporary and will not lead to residency unless working in NZ ups your points total enough to apply as a skilled migrant.
Very simply, a WTR visa means that you can convert to residency once you've worked for 24months. You are issued a temporary work visa but there is that ability to convert that is not there with a work visa.
Your occupation, qualifications,work experience and personal preference etc may determine which one you can apply for.

As a resident you have the same entitlements as a citizen - benefits [after 2years as a resident], voting rights after 1 year. I think the main difference is that you can't stand as an MP - as far as I can tell anyway and I haven't looked into it in too much detail! There may well be others. You can also be deported from NZ.
I do not know what entitlements you can get as a resident compared with someone on a work visa.

Re: Which one....?
 

If you get a work visa valid for 24 months or more (which you are likely to get if you come over as a nurse) your entitled to the same benefits as if you have residency except your not entitled to vote.

I did the work visa route first, simply because it was much quicker to get at the time. My work visa application was processed, start to finish, in 3 weeks. You do still need to get all the same supporting info though, medicals, police checks etc so if your considering coming here long term and aren't in a rush then I'd say go for residency straight off.

As someone said a work visa is also tied to a specific job and employer so if your not certain where you want to end up it can be costly ($140 a time) to get your conditions changed if you change employers.