EOI - Should we bother!

[Werner]

My husband and I are considering applying for our Expression of Interest. We only have 110 points without jobs offers (husband is a spraypainter, wife an admin manager). We have had quite a few personnel companies interested in interviewing my husband as soon as we arrive in NZ (about Sept 2008). We are aware that once he gets a job offer it would take about 4 weeks to get a work permit.

Once he gets a job offer this will increase our points to 170 (50 for the job offer and 10 for been out of Auckland) and hopefully then be invited to apply for residency. I have read on previous posts that once immigration have a copy of the job offer they will speed up the process for residency. I am worried though how long this process will be. Do you have any idea?

Would it be better that I apply for the work permit and only once I receive my work permit apply for my EOI or do you think it would be worthwhile applying before we leave?

Sorry about all the questions- we just can't wait to start our adventure. Wish we were leaving tomorrow.

[MotherBear]

I'm not sure if I'm getting confused here (the INZ website tends to do that to me) but I was under the impression that if your job wasn't on the LTSSL but was on the ISSL you couldn't automatically apply for PR. Your husband would need to apply for a Work Permit and work his way to residency via a job offer from an accredited employer. This is a Quick Check for the WP route. I would hope someone would correct me if I'm wrong.

I found the job title Administration Manager on this list which includes jobs for both the Skilled Migrant Category and the General Skills Category. If it doesn't appear on the LTSSL I doubt very much that you could claim points for it, but managerial skills are still needed in NZ and you could apply for a WP.

I don't think anyone could give you a guarantee about how long INZ would take to process your application. It usually depends on which branch your application is submitted to and how busy they are. Also there can be delays if there's any problem with a police or medical certificate or any other query that is thrown up but I would think applying for a WP would be a lot quicker than applying for PR.

[MotherBear]

Question
What is the Immediate Skill Shortage List?

Answer
The Immediate Skill Shortage List (previously known as OSL - Occupational Shortages list) is a list of occupations that we have a current shortage of in particular areas of New Zealand. This list is updated every six months. If a NZ employer offers you a job that is listed as a shortage in your area, your application for work permit/visa will be prioritized.

Please note that this list is not used for Skilled Migrant or other residence policies - it only applies to temporary work policy.