nicrock

Hi All,

I am usually posting my troubles on the Australian forum, so i'm new to the NZ one

Our visa troubles are very long and boring so I'll break them down to the main parts:

1. Applied for PR Visa for Oz, my partner has 11 yrs exp. as a welder but no formal qualifications
2. Travelled to Oz on WHV in June08 to settle whilst the visa was being processed
3. The TRA stopped this visa INDEFINATELY!
4. My OH's temporary employer in Oz agreed to sponsor us if we paid the fee's
5. We had to withdraw the application and lose all our money as the company is closing

We now have less than 4 weeks to sell all our furniture, car etc. find someone to take over our lease and leave the country!

I am so fed up with Australia and the difficulties and heartache we have faced this past year. We have never been to NZ and we'd love to visit, Newzealands seem so much more friendlier.

I need to know if I may prefer NZ as a country to emmigrate to instead of going back to England and starting another visa application straight away for Australia.

My worry is, do we now apply for a 12 month working holiday visa for NZ and hire a camper van to look around. Then see if there's an area we would like to look for jobs?

Or do we just fly on a visitors visa, see if we like it, then apply for a working holiday visa whilst were there?

I believe the WHV can take upto 4 weeks to be granted and we will have to have left Oz by then and have no visa to enter NZ with until it comes

Any advice would be greatly appreciated I'm so stressed and confused..............

newkiwi

I think you can apply online for a NZ WHV, look on the NZIS website.
Not sure if your WHV can be processed while you are in NZ, work visas can so maybe WHVs can as well. If you have time pressure maybe give NZIS a call to see what they say. A WHV may not lead to a full work visa or residency if you dont qualify though, just be aware of that, but certainly gives you the chance to live and work in nz for a while

Kiwiprincess

Not sure how much you have been able to research yet, but this is the Immigration Departments website in regards to a WHV for NZ:

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...idayscheme.htm

You can apply from within New Zealand but you must be on a temporary permit - presumably a holiday visa is ok? You really should check, however, as the first eligibility requirement on the list is

usually be permanently living in the United Kingdom – this means you can be temporarily visiting another country when you lodge your application

While it's common for people to come to NZ after being in Australia on a WHV I am not entirely sure they would consider you 'temporarily' visiting Australia???

I'm inclined to think you could justify the Australian trip as temporary but I wouldn't have a legal clue!

nicrock

You can apply from within New Zealand but you must be on a temporary permit - presumably a holiday visa is ok? You really should check, however, as the first eligibility requirement on the list is

usually be permanently living in the United Kingdom – this means you can be temporarily visiting another country when you lodge your application

While it's common for people to come to NZ after being in Australia on a WHV I am not entirely sure they would consider you 'temporarily' visiting Australia???

I'm inclined to think you could justify the Australian trip as temporary but I wouldn't have a legal clue![/QUOTE]

We have appled for our WHV for NZ and just hope they are granted and permitted in the next 4 weeks before we fly out to Auckland. It said you could apply as long as you haven't had a WHV for NZ before.

We are hoping to stay in the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga area. It looks really nice and a good starting point until we figure out where we can live from there. The prices for holiday rentals look quite expensive so far though, so hoping we can find accommodation for a week no more than $400/week. We might have to look at a different area thats cheaper.

Fingers crossed all goes well and we can find work quite quickly close to the coast in Bay of Plenty I've been buying some winter woolies this week! ha ha

celeliza

Hi

I also have applied for a WHV to NZ and am waiting to be granted subject to medicals. I am eager to get to Auckland before I turn 31 in September.

Cheers,
Claire

nicrock

Have you gone for the 23 month visa? I thought you needed chest xrays for that but nothing for the 12 month visa? Hope i'm right

I think it's aweful that they put an age limit on WHV visa's really.

celeliza

Yes it's a 23-month visa. I had a chest x-ray and medical but now it's been referred to a Medical Assessor as I have a cochlear implant.

I too was in a position to migrate to Australia and then by the time I turned 30, I lost points and I kept failing the IELTS test so gave up fighting and considered NZ as my last resort. Also hoping to get in Oz whilst I stay in NZ for 2 years.

Did you apply 12 or 23 months visa?

nicrock

We applied for the 12 month visa and will try to go for PR if we find a company that will do so with my partner, all being if we like it in NZ anyway. Fingers crossed it goes well for us both.

celeliza

Yeah I'll keep our fingers crossed too. Will you go straight to Auckland once granted?

P2L

Hi Guys

Can I suggest to all of you coming in on a WHV that you DO NOT head for Auckland but go south!!!!!!

The Ski season is just about to kick off here (early this year too!) and you are far more likely to find gainful employment in that market than anywhere else at the moment.

HTH