Carkedit

I'm a bit confused as to what to do..someone help me please!!

My job is on the immediate skill shortage list (I'm a florist) if I apply for the skilled migration I understand it can take up to 4 months to get approved but as I need a job offer to qualify for approval and I cant see someone holding out 4 months till I get approval I'm in a catch 22 situation. How do I apply for jobs when I dont have the visa to actually work in the country..there is probably a very simple answer to this question and I just cant see it..

sorry for the strange questions..

Joshlin

Hi Carkedit - welcome to the forum - and no question is a strange one!!
you don't have to have a job offer to get residency, you'll get points for having a qual that's on the skills shortages list so if you've got enough points with qualifications / experience / age etc etc you can go for it anyway - if you don't have a job offer then as you get towards the end of the process you'll have a telephone interview (very straight forward and we cna give you guidance when you get there if you need it) and then if they think you have the ability to settle you'll get residency then you can get there and get a job if you want to (no requirement to!)
sorry if that's a bit of a muddle - up at 6 with eldest child!!
first thing first go the website - www.immigration.govt.nz and do a dummy run on the EOI points checker and see how your points stack up - if you're over 100 get your EOI completed online and go from there.
If you get a job they can process your application in double quick time ( as little as 3 weeks in some cases!)
Hope this helps

P18PPS

I can second all that, we've just got our visa's through - yesterday in fact. I'd recommend doing all the research up front, if you go the job offer route, be proactive now and apply for your police reports, make sure you've got the right type of birth certificates, make sure you've all got current and in date passports, and get loads of passport size photos each etc and once you've been selected from EOI book your medicals (these can sometimes take weeks to find an available appointment). Because my husband had a job offer everything was rushed through by NZIS. On another note, I'd say that if your prospective employer in NZ knows you're coming from the UK they will understand that there is a time delay due to visas and I'm sure they'll be accommodating so long as you keep them informed of what's going on.