Victoria-Wayne

Hi there,

We are submitting EOI for selection 01/07/09 with 150 points and no job offer as yet. We have the report from NZQA, teacher registration, police checks and medicals booked for 06/07/09. We are applying for jobs but although there is a teaching term starting in October, most positions are available from beg of school year in Feb. We have booked flights for 03/09/09 and will go on visitor visa, issued on entry. A few issues though:
1) When ITA comes, hopefully before we go and if not mailed to my mums, we will need our passport to travel to NZ so will have to wait til after we arrive and send it back to UK. Will they be ok with us being in NZ as visitors and sending it over?
2) When we have job offer, how easy is it to get a temp work permit once they have had your ITA?
3) If still no job offer, unlikely but possible, by end of tourist visa, will be able to extend it or request or passports back for travel? Also, can we have interview in NZ?
The idea is that we don't want to come back! Have heard much easier to get teaching job out there!

Any help much appreciated!

Persephone

Hi and welcome,
Well you will be selected for certain with 150points but with no job offer then the process will take longer as you know.

I see you've got your medicals booked already, my feeling would be to leave them until you get your ITA or at least until as late as possible. They are only valid for 3m and if there are any delays with the ITA for any reason you could risk them going out of date. It seems that NZIS are faster at getting the ITAs sent out according to the website compared to when I got mine [a year ago]. I should have received mine in 2months or so, it took 5.5months. There was absolutely no reason at all for the delay as my case was very simple.
So you will probably be OK but it just seems to be an unnecessary risk as you can usually get them done within a week. And Sod's law means something will happen Have you got your full birth certificates as well?

I needed my passport so sent in a certified copy with my ITA rather than the real thing and this was acceptable. I was travelling to NZ for a few months as well. I was concerned that should I get WTR instead of PR I wouldn't have time to get my visas once back in the UK [long story!!] When I asked NZIS about this they said I could arrange to get the visas placed in my passport in NZ rather than send them back to the UK. I would be a little concerned about sending my passport all that way, effectively leaving you in a foreign country without a passport for a few weeks

If you are in NZ and get a job offer then inform NZ House as it will need to be added to your ITA. If you need to get a work permit to start quickly then these are the times from the Wellington Office [as not sure where you want to go]
So likely to be fast!

A sfar as extending your visitor permit is concerned, the following is from the NZIS website so it looks like you can do that if necessary:
Bear in mind that if you enter on a visitors' permit then one requirement is that you have tickets showing that you have onward travel from NZ. You will have to show this at the airport you are leaving from or risk not being allowed on the plane. I have entered NZ 3 times as a visitor and I have always had to show flight tickets OUT of NZ before being allowed to check in. I think some people on here have booked cheap tickets to Aus to get round this-I'm not sure how feasible it is though.

Hope this helps and good luck with the job hunt and EOI

Sue

Victoria-Wayne

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your advice - very comprehensive! Yeah, was concerned about medicals expiring too and booked them before deciding to take PR route... was thinking originally that might go down WTR route as a woman at an agency had said no worries about getting a job for term 4 (Oct)but it now seems that her promises weren't so great because when we asked to be put forward for a number of positions we'd seen listed on Education Gazette, we couldn't get hold of her! Decided to apply directly now. We booked medicals in as they were really busy and were full about a month ahead or so. Think there is a lot of 'jumping ship' from the UK at the mo! ha ha... Have looked into time others are getting their ITA with similar points and situation and they do seem to be taking 1-2 months right now so have decided to chance it 'cos there are costs involved in rearranging date. Might prove bad decision but with going to NZ on 3rd Sep would really like all sorted first...

We have got return tickets.. we don't intend on using the return leg though. My son turns 2 in Oct so got a return that is quite early to avoid having to pay for him for a journey we hope we will not need to make. Also, was amazing deal with Singapore airlines. Have another baby too and all 4 of us got a return to Auckland for £814 - could not believe our luck! On the location front, we think Auckland.. more jobs and fancy the climate... where are you? When did you get there? How you finding it?

Very good news on cert copy of passport!! Did you get permission for this or can I just send cert copies do you think? Would be such a relief!

Thanks again!! Vicky

Persephone

Hi Vicky,
It sounds like you've got everything covered! Those flights were very cheap
You'll probably be fine as far as the medicals are concerned and since it looks like it would cost to change then the risk should pay off. If it was easier to move them then that would be a different matter. NZIS do seem to have speeded up from this time last year! Sounds like your medical centre is doing well at the moment.I was booked in in less than a week.

I can't remember exactly where I read that you could send in certified copies of your passport-I think it was in the booklet enclosed with my ITA. I didn't get special permission, just paid £2 for a solicitor to certify it and sent that in.
I did ask on one of my many "where is my ITA" visits to NZ House about getting the visas placed in my passport in NZ and they said that it can be arranged. I got PR so was able to do it when I returned to the UK, it would only have been a problem if I'd got WTR and then would not have been able to do it when I returned[unless they gave me an extension!]. I did some travelling in Asia on the way back over there. It got complicated

I got here last December and live in Palmerston North. I came to Palmy because my partner lives here, so not really a choice. I'm happy here, I do like the town but since it's the only one I've lived in over here then I have little to compare it to. We have visited quite a lot of NZ but visiting is always so different to actually living in a place. Found a job quite easily and have settled in OK so far I applied through the SMC on my own as I hadn't lived with Mr Sue for the required 12m and that seemed like the easiest way-my profession is on the LTSSL.
I don't know what the weather is like in Auckland but here it is pouring down
All the best, let us all know when you're selected
Sue

Victoria-Wayne

Hi Sue,

Thanks again for all your help! It's great that you've settled so well.. I imagine the first 6 months away from family and the most challenging!

It's strange to be able to say that it's boiling over here in the UK, but it is! After the last few years it's hard to believe really. It will be probably raining again next week though so you're defo not missing anything!

Will keep ya posted on progress and much appreciate your help!

Vicky