basic qual not relevant to job offer?

[heidi]

another eoi question...

Does the 'recognized basic qualification' have to be relevant to the job offer to count?

OH has a bachelors degree that is on the recognized list---but can he use those points if the subject his degree was in has nothing to do with his work (or offer)??

I know we can use my bachelors for extra 20 points (and thank goodness it doesn't have to be relevant to anything useful!)....but we need his, as main applicant, too.

[MotherBear]

I think it's down to claiming points. If you want points for it, the qual has to be relevant to the job title/skills.

[heidi]

that is what OH thinks too
but it seems unfair, as we get points for my useless degree, why not his (lol)

i really hope this isn't the case because it really lowers our points, I am beginning to realize that a job offer would actually hinder our points rather than help and that just doesn't seem right either

[heidi]

i posted this question on another forum, and people there were pretty sure you can claim points for a basic qual it doesn't have to be related to a job offer, just the bonus points do (which we don't need)

i'm going with the advice i like best (LOL)

[MotherBear]

I have to hunt around for information, not having gone through the immi process myself, and have read many times that, if you want to claim points for a qualification, it needs to be linked to your job title. This makes sense to me as INZ want you to work at a certain skill in NZ, therefore they would want you to have the relevant qualification to back this up. However, I can't see anything on the INZ site so far that actually comes out and says this. It just talks about getting points for qualifications without mentioning whether they need to be job-related or not. Maybe it relates to bonus points, but that's not how it comes across. The more I read on the INZ website, the less I feel I know. There are so many grey areas and a lot of people are mislead because of this. It infuriates me that, whenever I look at the requirements for a particular visa, all I generally get is that the applicant just needs to be of good character and in good health. It doesn't give people the straight-to-the-point facts they really need.

If you feel you can get points for OH's qual then go ahead and claim. They'll soon tell you if you can't claim, so you've nothing to lose. It has to be worth a try. Quite frankly, from what I've read here, there and everywhere, the INZ staff seems to know as much as we do. One person will tell you something and another will contradict that information. The system is way more complicated than it needs to be.

[MotherBear]

I don't know whether this sheds any light on the matter. Perhaps you've already seen it.

[heidi]

Thanks for trying motherbear!

It is so frustrating that basic explanations aren't given ---maybe they need to hire all of us who have tried the system to fix the system

I imagine OH will phone immi -once again-- and hope for a clear answer direct from the horse's mouth

but as for me...I'm going to go with what sounds best because at least then I can sleep at night and not have an upset stomach (lol)

This whole process sometimes feels like building a house of cards that at any moment can tumble down but knowing you have enough points to start with is at least a good foundation to start building on!

[Dawn]

Heidi, you can only claim points for your qualification if that qualification is relevant to the job you are claiming you can do or the job offer you have received. My partner is a qualified hairdresser with 20 years experience - 50 points for the qual and 20 points for the experience. He also has a BA in Social Sciences but no job experience relevant to the qual - 50 points. When we arrived here on visitors visas we were unsure as to which route we would take to stay. Then Gary got offered a job out of the blue as a barber, something he hadn't done for 8 years. We took the offer as a means to an end. He can claim the points for his hairdressing quals but not for his BA. The residency application is based upon the job offer he's received and his BA has nothing to do with that. We can't claim for the points any which way, not even as bonus points if we needed them. It's one or the other.

Hope this helps

[heidi]

thanks Dawn for sharing your experience! It is so helpful to hear.

OH phoned last night and after much confusion and shouting (it was a bad phone line!!) the person at immi went to check the policy and came back to say there isn't an answer either way if the 50 points have to relate to a job offer or not, so she said to claim them and the branch would assess.

I hate this ambiguity...but after reading your post I've got a bit more perspective that everyone's case can be different (with so many possible combination of factors) and maybe they have to assess case by case .

OH isn't trying to get points for his teaching quals as we understand that isn't related to what he does anymore, but we feel just his basic qual of a BA should suffice for 50 points as they give the partner (me) 20 points for my BA which is not relevant to what I do (stay at home mom -lol). Oh well ...here's hoping they are feeling generous (lol)