Expression of interest verses work to residence visa.

hi folks

We have just returned from n.z. Gained loads of tips & knowledge whilst there.
Question 1. don't know which visa to apply for? My husband is a skilled deisel mechanic. He has just secured a job in Wellington.I have read that you can apply for a work to residence visa. Is this a quicker route over expression of interest?
2. Having read the qualification guide. His qualifications are not recognised on the NZQA site. If we did choose the option of expression of interest. Do you still have to have the qualifications recognised? We would have over 100 points to qualify without the 50 points from qualifications.
Any valuable advice will be greatly received.

Hi Chaffinch

Well done to your husband for getting a job offer in NZ. I?m sorry I can?t help with advice as to whether EOI is quicker than WTR, but whichever, I would thing the process would be reasonably quick because of the job offer alone. NZIS would be keen to get you on your way. They talk about requiring the job offer to be with an accredited employer. Do you know if your husband?s job is with such a company? Hopefully someone will come on soon that has knowledge about which is the best way to go and whether there are different requirements for each method.

Sorry can?t be of more help, but the Immigration site won?t let me into the section on EOI to compare it with the WTR without first registering.

Hmmm not sure I can be of too much more help other than to say, if you pass 100 points without qualification, then sack it get EOI in, you stand in good stead.

Of the top of my head I'd suggest WTR would be quicker as less checks need to be made, but that's a tad speculative of me so don't take my word :icon_eek:

Thanks for the feedback. Yes the job he has secured is with accredited employer. Does this make a difference? Still not sure whether to go for expression of interest . But having read through all the info. In the end if we have still supply the info, we may as well get it done now rather than later. One question on the EOI is question no.H12.They are asking for a tax number. Do we have such a unique number here.?

They are asking for a tax number. Do we have such a unique number here.?

Having been out of the UK for quite a long time, I'm a bit out of touch. I wonder if they mean your NI no.? That is quoted on all tax documents. Either that or, if you have any correspondence from the Inland Revenue, have a squiz through (usually would be at the top) and see if there's any other number they use as well that's peculiar to them.

I believe you need an offer of employment from an accredited employer if your are going down the WTR route. It may even help to fast track the application.

The UK doesn't have tax numbers so leave that blank. There should be a box underneath asking for your NI number if I remember rightly?

Help
We have just had a letter this morning. We are confused! We have claimed points for different things. So we are down to 95 points. We have 14 days to give any further information but do not know which way to go. My husband has East Midlands Educational union craft course certificates in Motor Vehicle Mechanics. Although he did an apprenticeship we can only find a 2nd yr & 3 yr certificate, he also has his indentures to say he did a apprenticeship. We claimed points for me also . I have city & guilds in the hotel & catering industry which the NZQA do recognise. But they are saying that as I did not do an apprenticeship they don't recognise itas level 4. An apprenticeship as such did not exist in the catering trade.Do we have our qualifications assessed by NZQA? If we do , who is best, or do we both have to get them assessed. Please help.

Hmmm would think that if no apprenticeship existed then you can't do anything about it, have you got/can find any documentation of the course particulars saying no apprentisceship is neccessary.
If you go on his points, I would think that surely if you have 2 and 3 yr certificates then it would be a given that you'd have 1st year. Can't you get copies from the qulaification body?

On a slightly different note, I could be wrong but I bnelieve the primary applicant has to work in the profession realting to his quals for PR to be granted, in which case unless you're planning on going back into catering it may not be possible to go on your quals (although you can still claim points as the secondary applicant I think).

I assume you meant the letter said you only get 95 points unless you get this proof rather than 'when you get this proof you will score 95'.

Hi Steve
We have already 95 points. If we get the qualifications assessed this will bring us to over 100 points which we need to qualify for EOI. But the question is who do we get assessed.?

Hmmm I'd go with his, as he's got the job offer and most of the paperwork required. Might be worth confirming with NZIS by phone that you do need them assessed, didn't you say they were on the list of recognised qulaifications anyway? And all your missing in the 1st year certificate?

As I understand it, it's both a pain and an expense to do the whole NZQA thing so if you can avoid it by just providing proof of qulaification, surely that would be sufficient?