Work Experience assessment

[yonadt]

Hi everyone,

I am intending to apply for skilled migration very soon. I have a question regarding the value of work exerience. For my particular qualification (gardener), I need to show that I have at least 3 years work experience. I have indeed 3 years of work experience but all of it was done as voluntary work, in exchange for Room and Food. I am quite young (23), and the only way I was able to get work in the past was to do this kind of exchange. Can anybody tell me if Immigration NZ will acept this kind of work experience?

Thank you and be well
Yonadt

[MotherBear]

Welcome Yonadt.

I have been trying to get onto the INZ website but it appears to be down. I had hoped to be able to post what they qualify as relevant work experience.

I had previously saved some information from the old Operations Manual and, although the page itself may be out of date, I would think the information would be the same or very similar. It should give you some idea of how the system works.

G4.1 Basic rules for work experience (26/07/99)

a. Principal applicants* must have at least 2 years' work experience to be approved in the General Skills category. Principal applicants* who do not obtain at least one point for work experience must be declined (subject to G4.1(b) below).
b. Principal applicants* are exempt from this requirement if they have completed a New Zealand qualification* (see G2.20.1) for which they have been awarded points or for which they were eligible to be awarded points but did not claim them, provided that they obtained the qualification without the assistance of NZODA funding.
c. Principal applicants* may be awarded one point for every 2 complete years' work experience, up to a maximum of 10 points.
Example: Five years of work experience would be awarded 2 points.
d. For principal applicants* to be awarded points for work experience, visa and immigration officers must be satisfied that their work experience is relevant to the qualification for which they obtain points (see G4.1.5 below). This requirement does not apply to principal applicants* who obtain 5 points for an offer of employment (see G4.15).
G4.1.1 What kind of work experience counts?
a. Work experience which was an integral part or course requirement of the qualification for which points are awarded will not be counted in calculating relevant work experience.
b. Research, study or training that is undertaken as part of paid employment may be assessed as work experience, provided that:
i. it is relevant to the qualification for which points were awarded, and
ii. it was not undertaken as part of the qualification for which points were awarded.
c. Relevant work experience may be aggregated.
d. Periods of parental leave, leave without pay, or unpaid study leave do not count towards relevant work experience.
e. Work experience does not include experience:
i. of such a low standard that it led to the principal applicant's* dismissal;
ii. gained before the age of 20 (except work experience gained after a qualification for which points are awarded);
iii. gained during compulsory military service or compulsory community service (except if the work experience is gained after the age of 20 and is relevant to the qualification for which points are awarded).
G4.1.5 Relevance to qualifications
a. Work experience must be accepted as relevant to a qualification if the visa or immigration officer is satisfied that the qualification was:
i. an important factor in the principal applicant* being able to obtain work or continue or advance in the position or field of work in which they have experience, or
ii. an important factor in a career path that has advanced progressively from the principal applicant's* pre-qualification work experience.
b. Officers should decide whether work experience is relevant to the qualification for which a principal applicant* has obtained points, by taking into account evidence about:
• whether the qualification was a requirement for employment;
• whether the employer considered that the qualification provided evidence of a level of education required to undertake the work;
• whether the knowledge acquired through the qualification is directly used in the employment;
• whether work experience involved the use of professional, technical or trade skills that were advanced through completing the qualification.

It doesn't come right out and say it, but, reading the above, I suspect that unpaid employment might not be accepted. Normally you would need to provide a contract and pay slips as proof that you did this work. Perhaps this is because, if an employer pays you, it means that he values your work at X amount, but it you are just doing it for a roof over your head and some food, INZ might not look at it as 'valued' employment. Was the work done in NZ and, if so, what kind of visa did you hold at that time?

[yonadt]

Thank you Mother Bear,

my work experience was not in NZ, it was in Australia and Germany. My German work experience was done before I was 20 years old, and my Australian work was done on a working holiday Visa.
I had a look at the operations manual a few weeks ago, and it sounded quite different from this excerpt. I didn't see any of that "under 20 years doesn't count" rule or anything mentioning paid employment.
All I can provide as evidence is a reference letter from each employer, and their contact details for INZ to double check.
Do you reckon I could simply call INZ, and ask them if unpaid/voluntary work counts as work experience?

thanks again and be well

[MotherBear]

I still can't get onto the INZ website . You should be able to contact INZ directly and ask your question.

[yonadt]

Thank you again,

I will post what they said after I made my call.

[yonadt]

Hi Mother Bear,

I had a chat with INZ, and they told me that it does not matter whether the work experience was paid or not; it is the experience that they are after. The person also said that it is fine if I was under 20 years of age when doing the work.

I will call them again and double check with another officer, to see if they tell me the same thing, but it sounds good so far.

Bye for now
Yonadt

[MotherBear]

I will call them again and double check with another officer, to see if they tell me the same thing, but it sounds good so far.

That's a good idea as the staff in INZ don't always give out the same advice. Let's hope this time that they've got it right.

[MotherBear]

I've got the INZ website back up again and this is what it says in the Operations Manual.

SM11.5 Points for recognised work experience

Recognised work experience qualifies for points as set out below:

2 years - 10 points
4 years - 15 points
6 years - 20 points
8 years - 25 points
10 years -30 points

Points are calculated on the basis of every two complete years of work experience up to a maximum of ten years.

Example: Three years of recognised work experience qualifies for ten points.

SM11.10 Requirements for recognition

Work experience is recognised and qualifies for points if it meets the requirements set out at (a) and (b) below:

1. A visa or immigration officer must be satisfied that work experience is:
1. relevant to the principal applicant's current skilled employment in New Zealand or offer of skilled employment in New Zealand (see SM7); or
2. relevant to the principal applicant's recognised qualification (see SM14); or
3. skilled, because it required, or enabled the principal applicant to gain specialist, technical or management skills and experience relevant to an occupation that is included in the lists of occupations held at Appendix 11 or Appendix 12.
2. Work experience must also have been gained in a labour market that is comparable to the New Zealand labour market unless:
1. the work experience meets the requirements set out at SM13.20 for work experience in an area of absolute skills shortage; or
2. the principal applicant has current skilled employment in New Zealand or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand (see SM7).

SM11.10.1 Definition: Comparable labour market

1. Work experience is assessed as being in a comparable labour market if it was undertaken in one of the following countries by:
1. a citizen or permanent resident of that country; or
2. a person who had the lawful authority to work in that country.

Australia
Austria
Belgium-Luxembourg
Canada
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Malaysia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Portugal
Republic of South Korea
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

2. Work experience undertaken in a country not listed at (a) above will be assessed as being in a comparable labour market only if it was undertaken for a multinational commercial entity (including a wholly or majority owned subsidiary of such an entity that bears the same core name as the parent company) domiciled in one of the countries listed in (a) above.

SM11.10.5 Relevance of work experience to qualifications

Work experience is relevant to a principal applicant's recognised qualification if a visa or immigration officer is satisfied that the qualification was:

1. an important factor in the principal applicant being able to obtain work or continue or advance in the position or field of work in which they have experience; or
2. an important factor in a career path that has advanced progressively from the principal applicant's pre-qualification work experience.

SM11.10.10 Relevance of work experience to an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand

Work experience is relevant to a principal applicant's offer of skilled employment in New Zealand if an employer considers, and a visa or immigration officer is satisfied that:

1. the work experience is directly applicable to the employment offered; and/or
2. the offer of employment could not reasonably have been made if the principal applicant did not have that work experience.

SM11.15 Additional requirements for recognition of work experience

1. Work experience only qualifies for points if a visa or immigration officer is satisfied that the principal applicant's work experience is lawfully obtained.
2. Work experience will not be recognised if it was gained while in a country where the principal applicant was either an unlawful resident or required authority to undertake employment, but did not have such authority.

SM 11.15.1 Part-time work

1. Calculation of levels of work experience must be for complete weeks based on a 30-hour week.
2. Credit is given for 30-hour weeks only, even though a principal applicant has worked more than 30 hours in any week.
Example: Fifty-two 60-hour weeks are equal to one years work experience.
3. Credit for part-time work experience may be given on a proportional basis.
Example: Four years work experience for 15 hours per week is equal to 2 years work experience for a 30-hour week, and therefore qualifies for 10 points.

There may be some other rules hiding somewhere in the Operations Manual, but I can't see anything on here to suggest that you need to have received payment for your work experience.