andrewmenet

I'm a single (no children) 33 year old IT professional that has an MCSA and Citrix quals ect, ect...but no formal quals such as a degree. Looking at the points system the only that I will get over to NZ is a job offer...

So what do you think about just selling my house which would give me about £60,000 and just going over for a 3 month holiday and getting a job over there in that time...would this be bonkers as if I then get a job I would have about 150 points to play with.

Anyone else done this? Is it to risky? I cant stop thinking about it !!! Every day I sit at my desk and wonder should I start that 2 year NZQA approved course or just hand my notice in and go for it...

What do you think, should I !?!?!

UKNZAUS

Hi Andrew

My hubby is in IT but no degree or equivalent quals, just worked his way up the ladder the hard way! We've been here since June and came as visitors with our 3 kids on the hope we could stay and get him a job. It was tough but he got himself a job, temp work visa and we've just handed in our ITA this week so hopefully PR will be around the corner

It's very risky but I think it could work out for you as you don't have kids etc. to work into the equation ... but only YOU can decide what you want to do In my opinion though, I'd say go for it. You might regret not doing it in a few years.

Good Luck

Michelle x

andrewmenet

Thanks sound advice! I would take any low level job to get started ! it gets you down when you try to apply for jobs then they say 'only people who have the right to work in NZ may apply'!!

happynz

That goes as a matter of convenience to weed out the ones who are just 'fishing'. It is a different story with boots on the ground. Sure, it's a punt to come out here on 'spec'. However, it will give you a better chance of securing that job offer that will get you the points you need to start the immigration ball rolling.
So yeah, don't worry about arriving on a visitor permit. It isn't against the law to look for work here. It is against the law to work without a valid permit. Get an offer, get your one-year temporary work permit, go to work, get a life here and then submit that EOI.

Go for it, mate. You're single, no drama.

UKNZAUS

We had the same trouble ... 'please contact us on your arrival in NZ' was all we got back, if any reply at all. So after long chats about it we decided to sell up and go for it - luckily it paid off as his job is so new to NZ it's classed as skilled but not yet on the list.

I'd suggest if you are going to do it, contact as many IT firms as you can letting them know you'll be in NZ on such a date and get a contact name and number. THEN as soon as you're here, get on that phone or go door to door armed with CVs and get as many interviews as you can. Do as much as you can from the UK so that you have a head-start this end. Don't expect a job offer to fall in your lap asap neither ... the Kiwi's do take their time to respond to anything we have found! Don't be disheartened by this - it's just the laid-back culture

nelsonpom

We took a punt on coming over here fairly confident that visa would work out. Shipped everything out including 2 cats but when we got here had probs with verifying HND qaulification. But as we were here immigration were very good and I found it easy to find work (face to face is so much easier) and ended up having to work in crap job but only for 3 months
Am now so glad I took the gamble as may well have given up at first hurdle if stayed in UK. YOU HAVE NO KIDS, WHATS THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN ?

andrewmenet

you shipped all your stuff and cats when on a holiday visa...you have guts!

Animal Crackers

I say go for it you only live once!!!!

JAJ

It will be a very expensive trip if it doesn't work.

Selling house in the U.K. with no entitlement to stay in New Zealand is a highly risky thing to do - not to be done on a whim.

It might be better for the original poster to see if he could have a chance of migrating to Australia.

nelsonpom

Just really wanted to be here and were convinced it would work out. But suppose was a gamble but it payed off and we are all very happy here. Been here 2 years now and cats love it as much as me.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Darren.

ex_exile

Wouldnt sell the house before you have sorted out some kind of residence Andrew, but if you have good IT skills then finding a job in New Zealand and moving from holiday (if you are from UK you will get 6 months visa not 3 btw) to temp working to Perm Visa is not that difficult.

Be warned though, its bl**dy quiet down here!

Dustybin

Why on earth would he want to move there???

Jump on a plane and come over, if it doesn't work have a great three/six month break and go back, skint but happy with lots of stories to tell!

simonandlozzie

Hi everyone
Been reading this thread with interest, as my hubby wanted to do the same thing (sell house, ship family over - being me, 2 kids aged 8 and 10 and St. Bernard dog!) but I told him it was too big a risk to take. So we have now booked a flight (just me and hubby) and are coming over to Auckland for 2 weeks (unfortunately that's the longest my mum would have the kids!), longer would have been nice, but that's life. Anyway, we are coming over armed with his CV and trying to get all the connections and contacts we can whilst over there (we have been dealing with a company who can help us with recruitment agencies etc and will be giving us all the relevant details before we fly so that we can meet them once in Auckland and they have been sent my hubby's CV).
I've never been to Auckland and I told hubby I wouldn't sell and move without going over first, that's why we are going in a couple of weeks. This will be all or nothing for us. Upon our return we will decided whether we want to move or not. We are hoping to secure a job offer first before moving over (am I correct in this?) as it's no good sitting on our 'bums' here in the UK, they want to see our face over in Auckland. I hope we are doing things the right way round? Any helpful advise/contacts etc etc would be useful. Many thanks everyone
Lorraine and Simon

Maz

Look on the NZIS website for the list of accredited employers. I got a job offer without meeting my employers first. If you can get a permanent full-time job offer, then you go the Work To Residence route (like me/us). This turns in to Residence From Work after two years, so you have PR after that amount of time. The latter flows from the former, and I've been advised against doing an EOI after one year (when I would have 140 points).

Good luck!

Definitely definitely definitely worth coming out to see the place a bit! I have a bit of an opinion about people who up sticks and move to another country without stepping foot in it first, but I'll bite my virtual tongue. You going to look at Wellington at all? There's an overnight bus service between the two cities, as well as the Overlander train, if you don't fancy yet another flight.

andrewmenet

I have had a 3 week holiday in Auckland and did trvel around a bit. I liked what I saw.