Visa confusion - please help
 

Hi everyone,

My husband and I (plus our two young children) have our hearts set on moving to New Zealand sometime in 2016.

I've been looking into Visa's but have several niggling questions on things so I'd really appreciate any thoughts anyone might have on this.

Relevant info is that I'm a chartered accountant with a degree in accounting, ACA qualified with 10 years experience. I am trying to get a transfer with my current job but if that doesn't work we want to go anyway. My husband has a City & guild NVQ in tig welding but plan is for him to be a stay at home dad. Iv seen that 'accountant' is on the immediate shortage & essential skills lists but soon to be removed off the former 😭

I think the best option for us is the Skilled Migrant Category visa (please correct me if I'm wrong!) so iv been trying to work out our points. Assuming worst case that I can't get a job transfer there, I'm trying to work out if I get more than 140 points without a job anyway as have read it's easier to get a job offer when you are there in person. So my queries are:

1) we don't want to be in Auckland so would I get the 30 points for this with no job offer in place?

2) iv included 50 points for my degree but are there any points available for having ACA qualification? I can't see it on the lists but it's a well recognised qualification here in UK

3) would I get any points for my husband having a Tig welding NVQ as again can't see this specifically on the list when it gets to this question?

Without points for the above I think I'd have less than 140 points so going without a job offer would be unlikely to get us in. Just trying to weigh up if I definately need to secure a job to get us there. Read a lot of blogs saying get there first then you'll get a job much easier!

Other questions I have are:

Are my husband & kids included on the SMC visa application or do they need to separately apply?

I know you need to provide health & police check info with visa application - am I right in thinking these must be dated within 3 months of sending the application?

Once a visa is in place how long is it held open for I.e. If sorted in August do we only have x weeks/ months to all get there otherwise it lapses?

I'd really appreciate your thoughts or tips on any of this and anything in general that would be useful on getting the ball rolling 😊

Re: Visa confusion - please help
 

the 30 points outside of Auckland is only if you have a job offer.
You would have to get your qualifications accessed if they are not on the lists - which obviously will cost and not sure if they would be included.
Yes your OH and children would be included in your application. The police and medical tests are not worth getting until you have an ITA as they are time sensitive. The application would be held on the EOI for 6mths and then it is removed. so if you want to apply you would have to create a new EOI and submit the payments again.

You need a relevand visa to be able to work so yes you could come on over without a job visa but you cannot start work until you have a visa which obviously is not guaranteed.

You could come over yourself on a visitors visa and have a look round and look for work, please bear in mind looking for work on a visitors visa may well be frowned upon and it is not what the visitors visa is for but lots of people do it but be aware there could be consequences. You would need to have an onward fight booked out of the country or you would not be able to get on the flight in the UK.

Re: Visa confusion - please help
 

Hi there and welcome to our wee New Zealand British Expats forum.

No.

No.

Yes. Depending on whether his NVQ meets the NZ standard. It needs to be an NZ level 4. This is normally NVQ3 and above.

Yes. Job offer is the golden egg these days.

Both. They can only apply on the back of your application unless it is your husband with the quals and job offer. In which case he would be the main applicant.

Yes. It is individual sets of forms for each applicant.

Wait until you have an Invitation to Apply.
You then collate your police checks and do yoyr health checks.

I believe you have a year to arrive and activate.

Re: Visa confusion - please help
 

Medical certificates are only valid for three months, police certificates for six months. It can take two months or more for an approved GP in the UK to have space for a medical exam for NZ, I've contacted the two that are within 200 miles of me both online and by email for their average wait time but neither have responded. I'll try phone calling this week but it doesn't look promising or very professional for them to be so poor at communication :(

Without a job offer we have under 140 points so there's no point us submitting an EOI for SMC as it won't be pulled. With a job offer we're well over 140 points so we'll be booking medicals as soon as the EOI is lodged as the ITA is (at the moment and keeping fingers firmly crossed) inevitable following EOI submission. I have an existing medical condition that means I have to tick 'yes' on one of the medical questionnaire boxes so we'll also go for consultant reports (have to be paid for privately) to show that my health doesn't stop me working and doesn't cost any money to the health system. I'm not sure how or if we can 'validate' them but we'll take them to the formal NZ medical panel doctor.

Once we're very close to paperwork being ready for EOI I think we'll do the police certificates as the time on them is longer than the time we'll take to submit EOI, be issued an ITA then submit the ITA response. It's up to each individual though as they do cost money.

One thing I've been doing while we've been sorting life out to, hopefully, leave the UK is read the ITA guide from the Immgration NZ website and make sure we have as much relevant paperwork compiled as possible. As an example we've had to obtain full transcripts for university education on top of our existing degree certificates and full birth certificates with parents names on. Compiling evidence of relationship has been interesting as we tend to have things in one or other of our names, not in both. The evidence you can give is quite narrow.

Re: Visa confusion - please help
 

Thank you for your response - very useful and answered many of my many questions!

Re: Visa confusion - please help
 

...Good heads up on the degree script and booking GP appointment etc. I'll definitely look into all that now whilst trying to get a job lined up. Thanks so much x

Re: Visa confusion - please help
 

Without wishing to sidetrack this thread.

Yes. Do gather consultant medical reports. Ensure they are timely.
Yes. You will send those in to underpin your application along with the panel doctor's independent report.
Your application would then go for medical referral with an NZIS medical assessor as you know.