Work Permit / PR / Work to Residence - Whats the difference??

[hotspot]

I have done masters and have the job offer from NZ company. My designation /occupation falls under Long Term Skills Shortage category. I had planned to file my application for "Work Permit" (Just completed filling Application to Work in New Zealand NZIS 1015 form) before I heard someone saying:

I think if it was me, with a job offer in place, and if you have enough points to put in a EOI then I would go down the route for PR. that way you are sorted on arrival and then you dont have the hassel of going on a work permit and then getting PR, especailly as you'd then have to get meds, police checks etc.

Now I am confused about this PR thing and work permit thing.. confused whether I should go for PR / work permit / Work to Residence.. what is the difference between these two at this stage of my application. Under which category should i file my application and which forms do i need to fill in? Please shed some light before i get into trouble. :confused:

I have already acquired medical certificate (by mistake) as it is only valid for three months (I read it in some forum post) and i havent even submitted my application. I assume I had to go for it once I had received the EOI Acceptance :( again.. please help before i make any wrong move!

Secondly.. Would it be feasible if i go to NZ myself and file my family case afterwards.. what do you suggest from visa point of view!

[MotherBear]

Hotspot and welcome.

If your job skill is listed on the LTSSL and you manage to get 100+ points you can submit an EOI and go straight for PR if you want to live permanently in NZ. Alternatively you could apply for a WTR visa if you already have a suitable job offer but this would mean working for 2 years in that job or one very similar to it before applying for PR. If you were to apply for a WTR visa, INZ would issue you with a WP to cover you during that time until your PR is granted. It is a quicker way to be able to work in NZ but takes longer to get PR. Even if you decide to submit an EOI and go straight for PR, you can still apply for a WP which will allow you to start work before your PR is issued. Your PR application will continue to be processed alongside it.

Here is the link to application for residence. And here is the guide for it. You would use this form to apply for residence if you weren't submitting an EOI i.e. if you were going the WTR route.

This is the EOI form to start your application under the Skilled Migrant Category and this is the accompanying guide . If you want to apply online you can register here. Once you have been selected INZ will send you an ITA pack to complete. In your particular case I would think going this route would be more straight forward and you should have PR within a few months, all being well.

Applying for just a WP would only give you temporary residence in NZ as it would need to be renewed every few years.

You can include your family in your PR application but there is nothing to stop you going to NZ on your own first and bringing them out afterwards.

It's true that the medical certificates are only valid for 3 months. They are usually submitted with the ITA package which could be quite a while reaching you if you are selected. It also takes quite a long time to get all your documents together, which will delay matters. Unless things happen very quickly for you, I imagine your medical would have expired by that time.

[hotspot]

Many thanks for such a nice reply.. Again I wanted to check with you on these points..

Originally Posted by MotherBear

Here is the link to application for residence. And here is the guide for it. You would use this form to apply for residence if you weren't submitting an EOI i.e. if you were going the WTR route.

I just read from the application for residence (WTR) guide you mentioned in your reply, it says

the first thing you will need to do to lodge a residence application under the skilled migrant category is to ensure you 
have received an invitation to Apply for residence from immigration new Zealand (inZ).

It has no mentioning of WTR Having hear from you about the Residence application form has further shocked me as I have been filling in Application to Work in New Zealand [1015] form, and this guide Guide for Working in New Zealand PDF [1016].

Please note that my employer wants me to join and work asap! so some of the employees had obtained visa initially and then went for PR after two years or so..

[gnom]

Hi hotspot,

A few months ago I was in the same situation.
I applied, including the sponsorship from my company, for a WP. The WP is very fast but only valid for 3 years. It is much faster then the PR and the company in NZ doesn't like to wait:-(

The difference between work to residence and WP is that with a WP you can apply any day for a PR. But when you have a work to residence visa you have to wait for two years.

My wife and my daughter came with a visitor visa, don't forget the onward flights, to NZ. My wife brought the police check from Switzerland with her and did the medical in Wellington. It is cheaper and faster here. After we had the results we applied for a WP for my wife as well. My daughter has a visitor visa. Both visa depend on my visa.

I applied later for the PR for the whole family. We are still awaiting the result. But it has to be positive because I work here anyway till 2011.

Hope this helps and good luck to you and your family

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by hotspot

It has no mentioning of WTR

At the top just under the word 'Residence' there is a box to tick called Residence from Work.

It would be better if you take advice such as from Gnom above who has already gone through this process. I have had no experience of filling in forms yet.

[hotspot]

Wow you're right Motherbear.. looks like I have found the perfect been-there-done-that kinda person!! hello Gnom.. GL with your PR..! my employer has recommended me to file for a Work to Residence visa. (Should i persuade him to file WP instead? as WP is a lot quicker as well... or should i be just positive and go for WTR) btw i was also thinking the same way.. "..But it has to be positive because I work here anyway till 2011..."

For bringing my family to NZ later on means.. I have to file them for getting visit visas Did i get it right..?

btw how did u send ur documents to embassy - i read somewhere that you shouldnt use files/folders/plastic bags, etc Just let everything lose ?? n put it in some courier provided box n send...:D well.. may be i am wrong can you tell me the best way to do it!

[rasin]

Hi gnom,
Does your wife need to have a job offer before she apply for WP when she's in Wellington? The medical checkup for the WP in wellington does it cost much? Is it mandatory to have the police clearence?
My hubby's now in Wellington and the kids and me (we'll now in Singapore) hope to join him later on so same situation as your family.

[gnom]

@rasin
No, she did not need to have a job offer in order to get her visa. It was enough that I was working in NZ. Anyway it is a lot easier to find a job when you can say that you have got a valid visa.
For an adult is is ~ 380.-- NZ$ and for a child, don't need radio, it is about NZ$ 280.--

[gnom]

@hotspot
I would go for a WP. Just tell you employer to sponsor you for this. It is fast, easy and gives you time to think what you wanna do in the future.
Your family doesn't have to have a visa. Oops, this is different from country to country. But as far as I know most countries doesn't need a visitor visa for NZ. This you better check what is the rule for you country. I don't no where you from. Once we arrived we did the application for my wife and for my daughter.
As I can still remember I sent the documents in a folder to the embassy in Switzerland. But also this can be different from country to country. Here in Wellington we just put the stuff in a big envelope and put it in the drop box in the immigration.

[hotspot]

If WP is the one that I should go for.. what are the changes that I need to do in my application (both at employer end, and at my end - the application form) (Application to Work in New Zealand (NZIS 1015) - I assume this is the form i should be filling in.. pls correct if am wrong)

This form may be used to apply for a visa or permit, or both.

[ ] I am applying for a work visa. Mark this box if you want to travel to New Zealand to work or if you already have a work
permit and want to leave New Zealand and return to continue working.

[ ] I am applying for a work permit. Mark this box if you are in New Zealand and want to work here temporarily or if you
already have a work permit and want a further work permit.

[ ] I am applying for a work permit and a work visa. Mark this box if you are in New Zealand and want to work here temporarily
and you also want to be able to leave New Zealand while your work permit is current and return to continue working.

What Work Visa and Permit policy are you applying under?

[ ] Work to Residence
[ ] General Work
[ ] Family
[ ] Other (please specify)