Brendon and welcome to MoveToNZ.
Let me try and pick my way through your post
.
This is a quick check for applying for a
Work Permit and these are the
requirements for getting a WP . There are several different types of WP so you need to decide which one applies to your circumstances. In most, if not all, cases you will need to have a job offer to apply. I think the 50k salary mentioned is only for some types of visa, like the
Work to Residence and not all.
When you say you have seen a lot of foreigners in Auckland do you know if they were living in NZ or just visiting? If you have only been there for a month it could be that many of the 'foreigners' are tourists because you are there in the middle of the tourist season. There are also many Pacific Islanders in NZ as it is very easy for them to come there compared to the rest of us who have a complicated process to undergo. Of course Auckland, being a big city, will attract people from all over the world to live and work there. Some may have been there for years and some may be quite new to NZ. Whoever they are and however long they have been there, they will have had to go through a similar process to get there, like the rest of us. There are many different types of visa so I guess these 'foreigners' you see around you have managed to get to NZ via one or another of these visa types.
It is true that some NZ employers say you can't have a job without a Work Permit. But you can't get a WP without a job offer so that statement can't be true. These particular employers usually mean something else when they say that. For example, perhaps they don't feel comfortable about having someone from another country working with them, including British and Americans. NZ can be a bit insular in that respect apparently. If you read Taffy's post on
here it will show what I mean. Or there may be some other reason why they don't want to employ you that has nothing to do with how you are but how they are. Other companies have no problem offering jobs to people and are prepared to wait while you apply for a WP, so it's worth continuing your search for a job. A WP doesn't take long to come through. It may be a matter of a few days to a couple of weeks, depending how busy the INZ branch is at the time.
Don't feel you are alone in this. Other people also often find it difficult to get started in NZ so it's a case of persevering in the hope that you will find a company that is more open-minded about employing migrants. Someone somewhere will welcome you with open arms.
Good luck.