andy6590

Hi,

I'm a 26 year old scot who has been hoping to make the move to New Zealand in the near future.

I work as a senior software test analyst. On doing the points calculator I only have 110 points. So it looks like I will need a job offer to get to the 140 points.
I do have both my Istqb foundation certificate and my Istqb advanced test analyst certificates (recognized certificates within software testing) however after contacting NZ immigration they don't class these as certificates they award points for.

I have number of questions.

1) will I be wasting my time submitting my EOI with 110 points or is it worthwhile submitting and can update it if I get a job offer?
2) how long is the process from getting your EOI accepted to making the move, as if I apply for jobs will they wait for me to go through the whole process.
3) I have looked at several jobs but I keep seeing regularly that it states they want you in the country for a face to face interview, that I can't do?
4) is there anyone on here with any contacts within the software testing community in new Zealand who maybe be able to assist?
5) I play amateur football here, will it be easy to get involved with something similar in new Zealand?

Any help would be appreciated

Cheers

MrsFychan

Welcome to BE and NZ forum Andy

Thats what we did, but then my husband came out to have a look round as getting no where with finding work in the UK. Also in the IT field.
Check the Immigration website for time scales. Ours took just over 3mths with a job offer and husband already working on a temp work visa

Yep we found that, so huband came out, landed on the Tuesday, job interview on Thurs/Fri, Offer Friday, got temp work visa Fri afternoon, started work on the Monday


sorry no

From other posts Yes

escapedtonz

Hi,

1. I'd say yes you are wasting your time submitting with a score of 110. It is highly unlikely to be chosen.
If you cannot come out to NZ to meet with potential employers and try to land a job then your EOI will just languish in the pool for 6 months then get chucked out.
You can land a job in NZ from the UK but it takes a lot of dedication and work.
Assuming you manage it you can apply for a Temp Working Visa to get you over here more quickly in order to start work - generally these can take as little as a week with a job offer in place, then just apply for the Residency at a later date from NZ where you are more likely to be granted it quicker than in the UK where Immigration has more of a workload.

2. How long is a piece of string ? All depends on your individual circumstances, police certificates, medical report etc. etc.
Some employers may wait if you are a skilled person that they are desperate to have as soon as possible due to a shortage of skilled people in NZ, but generally I'd say no they wouldn't wait for as long as the Residency application can take which is why you could consider the Temp Working Visa instead or at the same time.
There is nothing wrong with having these two applications going on at the same time.

3. Yes you will find this all over NZ. It's the cause of the classic catch 22 situation. Can't get a job without a visa and can't get a visa without a job.
Personally I don't take no for an answer and would hound employers to take you seriously.
You just have to make yourself just as attractive as a person already in the country by bigging yourself up on the CV, covering letter etc.
You can be interviewed face to face on Skype and/or video conference!

I agree, NZ employers want immigrants to prove their dedication by visiting to have face to face interviews. They really like this approach, but not everyone can afford to travel to the other side of the world for a couple of weeks to do it.

4. You need to look through the job adverts on www.seek.co.nz and www.trademe.co.nz to see the companies or most likely the recruitment agencies that are advertising the roles on behalf of the companies. Maybe sign up with one of the agents you feel are a specialist in finding professionals in your field of expertise. They could help, but you have to keep them on their toes.

5. Don't think you'll have any problem finding amateur football clubs in NZ.

Good luck.

chc4me

Hi Andy,
You haven't stated which part of New Zealand you are thinking of moving to. I know here in Christchurch that there are a number of IT companies who are growing and looking for staff, not sure if this includes software testing.

Perhaps contact a recruitment agent, discuss your situation via Skype and see what they say. But nothing beats being here on the ground.

andy6590

Thank you all for the replies, think I'll need to sit down and weigh up my finances and see if I can get over to potential interviews.

Thanks again