shelloid

I am in a bit of a dilemma and thought I would ask the wise forums for help.......

I am a pharmacist registered in the UK and am in the process of taking my conversion exam which is the first step in gaining registration with the NZ Pharmacy council.

Now my problem is that to obtain PR I know that I need to have registration with my professional body, but the NZ pharmacy council have told me that I need to have a valid work visa for them to give me an interim registration (whilst I complete my 4 weeks supervised practice).

So it seems to be a bit of a chicken and egg scenario in that to gain a visa I need registration and to gain registration I need a visa

So, should I submit and EOI without my registration - would it be a waste of time, or would I possibly get a WTR visa?
Or do I........no I can't really think of any other options (I'll be too old for a working holiday visa by the time I take my conversion exams).

Any help guys??

Denise44

Hi

We are in a similar position, but my husband's profession is as an electrician. We submitted our EOI whilst he is having his qualifications and experience assessed by the EWRB. Similarly, they will only be able to issue him with a provisional licence and he will need to get 3 months work experience in NZ to gain his full licence.

The guy in NZIS in the London office has been really helpful and e-mailed us a document outlining our options, with job or without. Apparantly there is a "Skilled Migrant - Work to Residence Deferral Visa" which can be used but NZIS generate it themselves! It is possible that a similar document exists for pharmacists. Not sure if I am allowed to give out his name or e-mail address on this site but if you want to PM me I can pass it on then.

Persephone

If you submit your application without registration then you will get a WTR visa off the back of your ITA. If your job requires occupational registration then they will not grant you PR.
Like electricians that makes it impossible for you to get PR without actually working in NZ.
Are you intending on getting a job offer before you go?

Options are to submit and go through the process and get a WTR visa. It depends on how quickly you can emigrate. With a WTR visa you have 3m to get the stickers in your passport and then another 3m to enter NZ, so 6m from being granted the visa to getting here.
You then have 9m to find a suitable job. After working in that job for 3m you can convert to PR. You do not need a job offer first for this option

Alternatively you could get a job offer and try for a work visa but pharmacists are not on either of the essential skills in demand lists so the employer would have to prove there were no NZers who could do the job. Or you could gain a job offer and apply for a WTR visa with an accredited employer and work for 2years before you can apply for PR.

If you can move to NZ quickly then maybe go under the Skilled Migrant category and go over with WTR. Depends on whether you have a house to sell and so on. By the way the 2 WTR visas are different!

Hope this is helpful
All the best
Sue

shelloid

thanks for your replies guys. That was what I was hoping.

It looks like, once we get my partners qualifications assessed, we will put in our EOI (not over Easter like we had hoped). Then my exam is in June and after I (hopefully) pass I will apply for the 4 week intern placement.

Once (if) we get our WTR we will be able to move quickly - we will be renting out our flat rather than selling. We live in London so it shouldn't be too much of a problem letting out our flat.

Fingers crossed all goes as planned.

sjake

In occupations that require registration, I believe that NZIS can offer a visa based on provisional registration i.e. subject to landing in NZ and satisfying the NZ pharmacy council with the 4 weeks supervised practise then you would be given full registration. I am a Biomedical Scientist & also had to gain registration with the NZ MLSB as part of my application. I did get full registration due to my qualifications & experience but would not be issued with a practising certificate until I complete 6 months supervised practise in NZ. NZIS only wanted me to prove that I could get a provisional registration. I hope this may help. I've attempted to copy a link which may help. Fingers crossed it works.
http://glossary.immigration.govt.nz/...gistration.htm

Incidentally NZ MLSB had to assess my qualifications for my registration and they turned them around within a week from me sending the documentation from the UK!! Cheaper & faster than NZQA I believe.

Fingers crossed for you.

Persephone

So sorry, I have made a mistake above. Pharmacists are on the long term skills shortage list


I think they will offer a WTR visa and not PR

shelloid

it's ok sue....I realised that they were and ignored your bit that they weren't!!! But the rest of your info has been really encouraging.

sjake - I have contacted the pharmacy council and to even get provisional registration they require that I have a visa and will not budge on it. Considering that pharmacists are on the LTSS list they don't really seem to want to help anyone get registered in NZ!! I have to organise my placement myself and they will not give me any info on the best way to go about this - cold calling it is then!

I'll be more than happy to get WTR instead of PR - any way just to get to NZ really. I really want to be working as a pharmacist full time over there and I'm sure this will be the requirement to convert to PR, so fine.