darbydoo

Hi All

My partner and I are considering moving to NZ after getting married in 2014 (yes, lots of time i know!)

It seems that we are both qualified/ experienced enough to gain entry, but I am wondering when would be a good time to start applying for jobs. Would it be best to try and get a job offer before going, to try and get some sort of relocation package?

And more importantly, are NZ employers generally willing to wait for you to go through the whole visa process after making you a job offer, or would they prefer a local candidate for this reason?

any advice much appreciated!
Thanks
Sarah
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Hi Everyone
My OH and I are thinking of moving to NZ to work and live after getting married in early 2014. Our main reasons for this are to have a better quality and more relaxed pace of life, more things to do - especially outdoors, and if we're lucky - better weather! Also interested in meeting lots of new friends.

I am in the marketing industry, and seem to have around 195 points on the EOI online form. My OH hasn;t done his yet, but he is (or will be) a qualified diesel mechanic. One question we have - if we obtain our visas on the basis of these qualifications and experience, are we then required by NZ immigration rules to work in those areas? We are quite interested in perhaps travelling around volunteering for a month or so first to see all he different regions where we could possibly live. I am quite keen in continuing my marketing career, but OH is unsure of what he wants to do. Any advice here?

Secondly, apart from the obvious pull of friends and family back home, on major thing we need to sort is our two cats. I don't think we will be able to afford the shipping costs of the cats, and obviously travelling around will prove difficult with them (as will renting a property when we eventually settle). But I will miss them loads and it would break my heart letting them go! Does anyone have any experience with this?

Finally - we will probably just try to sell our house to cut all ties back here and to hopefully free up some cash. The thought of trying to ship all of our possessions is downright daunting! Is it best to get rid of our furniture and electrical goods etc and start afresh out there? Obviously there will be some things we will need to keep so what is involved here?

I am a bit clueless obviously, so any help would be hugely appreciated! I have got plenty of time to make these decisions, but need to take everything into account

Thanks in advance!

PS we are having a stop-off in NZ as part of our honeymoon, so wil have a little look around then!

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Hi all. Thinking of emigrating after our wedding in 2014.

I am in the marketing industry, and seem to have around 195 points on the EOI online form. My OH hasn;t done his yet, but he is (or will be) a qualified diesel mechanic. One question we have - if we obtain our visas on the basis of these qualifications and experience, are we then required by NZ immigration rules to work in those areas? I am quite keen in continuing my marketing career, but OH is unsure of what he wants to do. Any advice here?

Thanks
X

thepinkone

Hi Sarah, nothing wrong with planning in advance! I went for the job offer before putting in my EOI as it gave me more points. My employers picked a date 4 months from their offer in the hope that the visa would be sorted by then (it has been). I started looking for work a bit earlier than we originally planned to allow time to apply for several jobs; I ended up getting the first one I applied for and we have had to get ourselves sorted a little sooner. Have you looked at your possible points for the EOI? Would you need a job offer or will you get 140 points without?

darbydoo

Thanks for your reply, I had never done the EOI test, but I have just come out at 195, so I'm guessing that's pretty good?

Ok, so do many employers give job offers that last for a few months then? How did you go about having interviews etc, did you travel over or just do it over the phone/ skype?

Thanks
Sarah

skends

just be careful as my profession was taken off the LTSSL, luckily it is still on the ISSL, but they do change every so often.
No harm in planning in advance though.
I got my job offer in April this year with a start date of 3rd Sept - we are still waiting! Luckily my employers are being very patient.

thepinkone

195 points is good. I used an agency (They take payment from the employer for finding them a suitable candidate so I didn't pay anything), they sorted out a telephone interview time and the employer phoned me (I'm in the health sector, on the skills shortage list). They knew I had to sort out our visa's and seemed really clued up on the time frame luckily.

MrsFychan

my first thought about this post is apply now as you're skills may no longer be required in 2014 which will mean your points will drop drastically and you may not get in.

simonsi

If either of you get a job offer and submit your application using it then you will be required to work in that job for that employer - and they check after 3mths IIRC. If you obtain PR without a job offer then you can work at anything for anyone.

Work permits are by definition involving a job offer (I don't know of any exceptions), and are tied to the job/employer.

darbydoo

Thanks, so I guess after three months we are free to change jobs / careers if we wish?

simonsi

Only once you get the visa condition updated with the new job/employer.

BEVS

Hi there Darbydoo and welcome to our wee NZ forum.

As you will see I have merged your 3 threads ( topics started) into just the one place. This way people won't be answering the same thing twice & you get to see the assorted answers easily.

As you are asking about shipping pets and household possessions I suggest you start 2 new topics about this in the main NZ forum. Lots of people there with plenty of experience about this.

edit here.....

Reading through your posts, I suggest we keep this thread just for visa info.

BEVS

Start with the basics.

If you want to come and visit NZ for a look around, that is a visitors visa. You can come stay and look around.

If you find work you can apply for a temporary work permit which would allow you to live and work in NZ. It is a job offer first before a visa/permit. Not the other way around.

If you visit and then decide to go the whole hog and emigrate here and become NZ resident, then you can apply to emigrate with or without a job offer. It would be the Skilled Migrant route & one of you would be the 'principle applicant'. The partner is on the same application . Points means prizes with this category & a job offer strengthens the application no end.

It is possible to be on a temporary work visa/permit and then start to apply for an NZ resident visa.

Please do the POINTS INDICATOR and come back with how that scores. I can't get your points to anywhere near 195 at all.

Marketing
This occupation is seen as skilled by NZ BUT it is not appearing on the shortages lists . So no 'bonus' points. Also, anyone offering you a position in this field will need to prove there is no NZ citizen or resident that could do the work.

This applies to a temp work visa/permit and/or an application to become NZ resident .

Diesel Mechanic.
This occupation does seem to appear on the long term shortage list. So if he were the main applicant , he could claim the bonus points. Anyone offering him a job is free to do so. He would need full trade quals NVQ etc + 3 years of work exp in the trade to be able to claim points.

If he made an application with a job offer in tow , then he would need to stay in that employment for 3 months.

Any job offers need to match your quals & current work exp.

darbydoo

Hi
Thanks for all the information. The points indicator is what I have completed before.
My bonus points come from:
Experience in a future growth area (ict and advertising)
Honours Degree
Postgraduate masters degree
Brother currently a skilled migrant
Partner's occupation being on skills shortage list

I can't remember if there was anything else, but it definitely came to 195.

BEVS

Search ANZSCO to find your occupation

darbydoo

Hi BEVS

With regard to the 'recognised qualification' on the points indicator form, is it just the level of qualification that counts or does it have to be in a specific field? Both my Bachelors and Masters are in Marketing, but marketing doesn't appear on any of these lists, so am not sure how many points I should claim (if any) for these.

Thanks
Sarah

darbydoo

Or a similiar question.... in what order and when should I do the below if I am looking to move with my husband to Auckland in December/January?

1. Apply for visa (eligible for skilled migrant as long as OH gets a job offer secured before applying)
2. Arrange shipping - only a small amount of essential items, not our whole house
3. Hand in notice with my job - 3 months notice period - this is the trickiest part I think
4. Book flights
5. Actually hand over things for shipping
6. Get on the plane!
- anything else?

Can anyone give me an idea of timescales at each point?

I wouldn't want to hand my notice in without securing a visa for example, and I wouldn't want to arrange shipping before that either. Quite confusing!

also, would people recommend using an immigration adviser, or is the process quite straightforward as long as you're organised etc? Seems extremely expensive.

Thanks