Lee Lee

WOW! I look one day and have two replies, I look the next day - there are 29!

Well must say I'm really not sure now. We're are worried that if we dont have our visa on the go we wont be able to get employment thats another reason we were thinking of using a company that is in contact with recruitment companies. Now I'm confused!

My husband is a hydraulic engineer, currently he works with lorry loader cranes, multilifts, tailifts etc. We're not really sure how easy it will be to get a job in that type of role.

Kija

Our resident advisor is based in Wellington, basically what she does is tell us which documents to send and she fills in the forms for us, but we prepare all the paperwork required and send it to her. When we were shopping around for an agent we emailed quite a few and only a couple responded saying they would take our case, the majority said we didn't have a chance

The reason we took on an agent is because we're in Egypt and we have no New Zealand house or anyone to contact here (apart from the embassy) and OH felt it would be too complicated to do it on our own. Having been on this forum for a bit now, I see we could have probably easily done it on our own with all the help available here, everyone is mega helpful. But if we get those coveted blue stickers at the end of it all, it will have all been worth it. Best of luck to you

PS: Bevs you should consider becoming an agent

TeamEmbo

It was indeed Peter Croxson and I too would highly recommend him to anyone with a complicated case.

Lee Lee

Thanks for mentioning that, I'm going to take a look at his website, I think its probably best to use someone who is recommended, makes you feel a bit better when you here of someone by word of mouth rather than just any company that we've seen at an expo. Might sound stupid but we're in the UK so is it easy enough to use an immigration company thats in NZ?

TeamEmbo

We were in UK too when we used him. It can be frustrating not being able to see someone face-to-face and phone calls were usually in the evening but there was only one or two of those. Mostly dealt with by email and fax. You still have to fill all the paperwork out yourselves and gather all your evidence and pay out for copies and get them certified. But he does give you clear step by step instructions.

Using an agent doesn't mean applications get processed any quicker though. And unless you have a particularly complicated case I would still recommend saving your money towards something more worthwhile when you get here. But like I said, if you are going to use an agent, I would definitely recommend Peter at e-migration.

Lee Lee

But he does give you clear step by step instructions.

Thanks, I totally get what your saying. My husband needs employment to get enough points and were worried about getting the whole process right. We feel if it gives us a better chance of getting everything in order as and when it needs to be we have less chance of mucking it up and more chance of getting there its worth the pay out!

I'm not really sure if our case is complicated but we already submitted an EOI and are not entitled to as many points as we thought so we dont really want to mess up a second time. We also wondered if employers would take us more seriously if they know we are paying a company to help us get there.

I have to ask and please dont think I'm being cheeky but how much roughly do you think we are looking at paying?

matlynds

Hi Lee Lee,
We are in a similar boat, and have appointed an agent. He charges £1800 in 3 £600 installments. He is also a kiwi solicitor so can verify documents without the extra charge. If for any reason you need to pull out- he wont charge the remainder of the fees.
He is based in the UK and a really decent chap! Our first impressions of him were excellent we looked into other companies and felt they tied us into their fees and were heaps more pricey
Hope this helps

TeamEmbo

Yes he does give very clear step by step instructions and he is very thorough.

We were in the same boat. We didn't have enough points without OH getting a job offer. I am not sure that using an immigration agent has any sway with getting a job offer though. The NZ job market is relatively small compared to UK - fewer companies to approach in each career field. NZ employers and recruitment agents get inundated with emails from potential immigrants who are 'thinking' about emigrating and looking for work and I think unless your highly skilled in a specialist area you don't get taken too seriously unless you show up in person, though that isn't the case for some who manage to secure telephone interviews.

We used several recruitment agencies in NZ when we were in UK. They struggled to get my OH interviews until we could give them definite dates he would be in NZ to attend. We came over for a 6 day recce of both South and North islands. When we left home OH only had a couple of interviews lined up but once we landed in Christchurch and contacted them all to say we were here, everything kicked up a notch and OH had 11 interviews. It was manic but worth it as we got the job offer needed with an accredited company and originally came over on WTR via the Talent Visa route.

That was in 2007 though and things have changed dramatically since then. NZ unemployment is at an all time high. I don't know what lines of work you/OH are in but would think to be taken seriously and get the interviews attending in person and showing commitment to your plans that way would go further convincing potential NZ employers that you are serious than just simply employing an immi agent.

When we used Peter, he wasn't a recruitment agent. I don't know if that has changed now. What line of work is OH in? Maybe some people on here could recommend recruitment agents or avenues to explore?

I guess you'd have to contact e-migration to find out their fees - like I said ours was in 2007 so I couldn't even guess a ballpark figure for what it might be now.

BEVS

No.
The employer will just want to know that you would be legal to work and when you could start. They won't care if you are paying someone to take you through the emigration process or not.

Yes. The location of the immigration consultant makes not much odds as you will mostly deal with them via email , letters, phone calls anyway.

From what I hear from others , many of the immigration agents accept payment of their fees in instalments. I know that Peter Croxson did with my Hungarian friends.
The payments to the company were staged for each part of the process. they were told up front how much they would pay and when the instalments would become due.

As we have previously stated, it is best to shop around. Make sure the agent is licensed with IAA. There will be several great Immy consultants out there and by the same token there will be those that aint all that.

With regard to job hunting, I still feel it is best to use dedicated recruitment agencies.

When it is time for you to collate your certificates , proof of qualifications etc. you can take them to a solicitor , a notary or up to your local courts to be stamped by a circuit judge. Again, make a phone call and shop around. We got all ours done by a Notary for ten quid.

BEVS

Mr LeeLee is a hydraulic engineer.

Lee Lee

Again, loads of helpful info for me to ponder on - thanks.

Matlynds, I was wondering who your agent is, be good for us to check out as many as poss. Does he also deal with recruitment agents?