EOI Hell

[m.brad.russell]

My wife and I are looking to move to New Zealand under the Skilled Migrant Category. The EOI seemed innocent enough, but I thought I'd print out a copy and fill in the answers before completing it online. During the dry run I ran into a few questions I didn't quite know how to answer, so I turned to Google.

After searching for answers to my questions I found that there was more to it than I initially thought. Not only have I been largely unable to find the answers to the questions I originally had, but I've also started to doubt the answers I thought I had right. The EOI questions turned out to be more ambiguous and contradictory than I ever imagined and the various NZ Immigration offices around the globe have EOI guides that contradict one another as well.

I've tried to estimate my points on several occasions, based on the new information I've discovered, and had a range from well below 100 to 175 points. I have an Bachelors degree in computer engineering and over 25 years experience it IT.

The questions that have me concerned the most today and prompted my registration with this forum is as follows...

Q F3: Is this qualification(s) included on the List of Recognised Qualifications, (refer to our website List of Recognised Qualifications) or has an Occupational Registration Body assessed your qualification(s) as comparable to a New Zealand qualification that is on the List of Recognised Qualifications?

Mine is included

Q F4: Has your qualification been assessed by the New Zealand qualifications Authority (NZQA)?

No. I was under the impression that if it was on the list referenced in Q F3, I would not have to pay to have it assesed by the NZQA

Immediately following Q F4 is the statement:

PLEASE NOTE: If you have answered ‘no’ to questions F3 and F4, this qualification does not qualify for points as a recognised qualification.

This makes no sense to me. What's the point of even having Q F3 if my points won't be granted unless I have my qualifications assessed by the NZQA?

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,
Brad

[MotherBear]

Hi Brad and welcome .

Originally Posted by m.brad.russell

After searching for answers to my questions I found that there was more to it than I initially thought. Not only have I been largely unable to find the answers to the questions I originally had, but I've also started to doubt the answers I thought I had right. The EOI questions turned out to be more ambiguous and contradictory than I ever imagined and the various NZ Immigration offices around the globe have EOI guides that contradict one another as well.

You're right there. The INZ site is very confusing. After years wandering around it, trying to find answers for forum members, I still am still confused about many issues and find a lot of ambiguity. They don't define things clearly enough and set it out properly so everything you need to know is together in one place.

As I haven't had any experience in filling in an EOI, I'm not sure if there could be any other way of bypassing that bit. Looking on the LTSSL it only says you need Level 7 and a minimum of 3 years job experience, implying that, if your qualification is on the list of recognised quals, you should be OK. I know, with some job groups, you still do need to have your quals assessed but I don't think that included IT. I can't see anything about it on the EOI Guide (page 31).

I hope someone can help out as I know we've had other IT bods on here. It's the weekend so maybe it's a bit slow on here.

I'm hoping, by bumping this up, someone in the IT industry who has taken this route might be able to state how they overcame this problem.

[m.brad.russell]

Thanks for the effort Mother Bear!

I beginning to wonder if I should just let my wife's EOI cover me as a partner. She is a primary school teacher and has already begun the process of registering to teach in NZ. Her qualifications are being sent to NZQA within the next few days for review. She has a Master's in education, so I don't think she'll have any problems. Just submitting one EOI would save us some money as well.

I have a question on the Character section of the EOI too.

Q B11 asks, Have you ever been convicted or found guilty of any offence(s) against the law in any country?

Does this include traffic offences? Q B12 below asks us to include them. I can understand this because it refers to drink driving and other dangerous activity in a vehicle. But do they really want to know about a speeding ticket from 20 years earlier. I know I had a few when I was younger, but I certainly don't have any details for them. They actually drop off your driving record here in California within a few years of the offence, so I don't know how I could reference them in the comments section of the EOI.

Thanks again for your help!

Brad

[MotherBear]

They aren't really bothered by run-of-the-mill traffic offences although more serious traffic offences can cause a problem, in which case a character waiver would be needed.

From the Operations Manual...

A5.25 Applicants normally ineligible for a residence visa or permit unless granted a character waiver

Applicants who will not normally be issued with a residence visa or granted a residence permit, unless granted a character waiver (see A5.25.1(b) below), include any person who has been:

1. convicted at any time of any offence against the immigration, citizenship or passport laws of any country; or
2. convicted at any time of any offence involving prohibited drugs; or
3. convicted at any time of any offence involving dishonesty; or
4. convicted at any time of any offence of a sexual nature; or
5. convicted at any time of any offence for which they were sentenced to a term of imprisonment (whether the sentence was of immediate effect or was deferred or was suspended in whole or in part); or
6. convicted (whether in New Zealand or not) of an offence committed at any time when the applicant was in New Zealand unlawfully or was the holder of a temporary permit or was exempt under the Act from the requirement to hold a permit, being an offence for which the Court has power to impose imprisonment for a term of 3 months or more; or
7. convicted at any time of any offence involving violence; or
8. convicted at any time during the last five years, of an offence (including a traffic offence), involving dangerous driving, driving having consumed excessive alcohol (including drunk driving and driving with a blood or breath alcohol content in excess of a specified limit) or driving having consumed drugs; or
9. in the course of applying for a New Zealand visa or permit, has made any statement or provided any information, evidence or submission that was false, misleading or forged, or withheld material information; or
10. at any time in a public speech or public comments, or public broadcast, or in publicly distributing or publishing a document:
1. argues that one race or colour is inherently inferior or superior to another race or colour, or
2. used language intended to encourage hostility or ill will against any person or group of persons on the basis of colour, race or ethnic or national origins of that person or group; or
11. has been, or is, a member of (or adheres or has adhered to) any organisation or group of people which (at the time of the person's membership or adherence) had objectives or principles based on:
1. hostility against people or groups of people on the basis of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins, or
2. an assumption that persons of a particular race or colour are inherently inferior or superior to other races or colours.
12. in support of any application by another person for a New Zealand visa or permit, has made any statement or provided any information, evidence or submission that was false, misleading or forged.

With regard to you both submitting an EOI, only one of you needs to do this, usually the one who is most likely to be granted PR. The other person as partner/spouse can be included on that person's application and gets through that way. As you say, it saves a lot of extra work and expense .

[Bunstar]

Originally Posted by m.brad.russell

I have an Bachelors degree in computer engineering and over 25 years experience it IT.

The questions that have me concerned the most today and prompted my registration with this forum is as follows...

Q F3: Is this qualification(s) included on the List of Recognised Qualifications, (refer to our website List of Recognised Qualifications) or has an Occupational Registration Body assessed your qualification(s) as comparable to a New Zealand qualification that is on the List of Recognised Qualifications?

Mine is included

Q F4: Has your qualification been assessed by the New Zealand qualifications Authority (NZQA)?

No. I was under the impression that if it was on the list referenced in Q F3, I would not have to pay to have it assesed by the NZQA

Immediately following Q F4 is the statement:

PLEASE NOTE: If you have answered ‘no’ to questions F3 and F4, this qualification does not qualify for points as a recognised qualification.

This makes no sense to me. What's the point of even having Q F3 if my points won't be granted unless I have my qualifications assessed by the NZQA?

Hi Brad,

We're not in IT but my boyfriend is an electronic engineer and has a degree in this that was listed on the List of Recognised Qualifications. He didn't get this assessed by NZQA and we claimed points for it (hopefully they haven't changed the rules since we applied nearly 2 years ago now!).

My reading of the PLEASE NOTE section is if you have answered no to both questions then your qualification does not qualify for points, if you have answered yes to one or both of the questions then you qualify for the points.

Hope that helps and that an IT bod can confirm it's the same for IT!

[m.brad.russell]

Good point Bunstar.

I need to recognise the difference between "and" and "or". And I was hoping not to have any issues with the English language requirement.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this and need to take a step back.

Regards,
Brad

[mountainlake]

We listed all traffic offenses. We just gave an estimated date and said they were for minor traffic offenses. I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

I'm sorry I don't have an answer for your qualifications questions.

Listing the traffic offenses didn't hurt, because I just found out informally that we have been granted residency!!!