dumb i know, but......?

i know this may sound daft, but could you explain the situation with visas and residency for me. how long does a visa last? are there different types? i want to work there so what one will i need? can i go there on a visa, work, find out i enjoy it, then apply for residency whilst i'm still there? will i have enough time on my visa to conceivably do this?
any help will be greatly appreciated!! am i dumb or what?! and i will be teaching your children soon!! take good care, yelllow

Not a dumb question at all! There are a lot of visa categories, each serving their own particular audience! Here's a brief rundown:

Holiday Visa: Will allow a stay in NZ for up to 9 months (12 months in special circumstances) but you are not allowed to work at all.

Working Holiday Visa: For 18 - 30 year olds, lasts for 12 months and entitles you to find 'Casual' work whilst on holiday there.

Work Visa/Permit: Normally lasts up to 2 years, but sometimes extensions can be granted. Grants you permission to find full time work on what they call a temporary basis (meaning it only lasts 24 months) and once it expires you will be required to leave NZ.

Work To Residence: Lasts up to 36 months on the grounds of you holding permanent work that would normally be suitable for application under the Skilled category. At the end of this period, you may be invited to apply for residence.

Skilled Migrant: This is an upfront residency application. You are not entitled to live or work in NZ while this is being processed, but once granted, gives you the right to live and work permanently in NZ.

If you cannot find a job before you want to go, you may have to visit on a holiday visa to find work, or a working holiday visa if you are 18 - 30 years old. Once you find work, as long as it meets the conditions of the work permit (i.e. must be on occupational shortages list) then you can stay for up to 2 years working full time. After the initial 12 months on a work permit, you should then apply for residency under the Skilled migrant category. By the time your work permit expires, you should have been granted residence!

Thats the plan anyway!

[yellowledbetter]

thanks for the help taffy.

[david]

I have not seen this before:-

"If you cannot find a job before you want to go, you may have to visit on a holiday visa to find work, or a working holiday visa if you are 18 - 30 years old. Once you find work, as long as it meets the conditions of the work permit (i.e. must be on occupational shortages list) then you can stay for up to 2 years working full time. After the initial 12 months on a work permit, you should then apply for residency under the Skilled migrant category. By the time your work permit expires, you should have been granted residence!"

I was under the impression from NZ immigration London that I could do the following:-

go to NZ on the UK visa waiver
Apply for jobs
if accepted apply for a work visa
When work visa is processed start work
I would then have enough points under Skilled Migrant Cat to be pulled from the EOI pool
I would then be invited to apply for PR

Where does the 12 months come into it??

Thanks, David

I'm not really sure why they state that. I know if you have been in full time employment for 12 months on a work permit, provided that job is on the occupational shortages list, you gain extra points on the EOI. I also believe (which may not be the view of immigration!) that if you can show the commitment of working full time and keep your nose clean for 12 months, its bound to look much more favourable in the eyes of immigration.

I suppose its more a case that immigration like to see commitment from people. They want to know that if they are going to grant you residency that you are really going to be an asset to the country. In reality, if you can secure a job offer before you go, they must naturally assume that you have something special to offer anyway. If, however, you are not able to find work, then they more than likely want you to prove your worth. Some people will naturally give up if they cannot find any work before hand, some people find work on a work permit after arriving and give up after a few months. It may not be obvious, but in my opinion, its a filtering system that 'Joe Public' automatically performs without immigration having to trouble themselves.

I firmly believe that if you stick it out on a work permit for the first 12 months, unless there is something specific that doesnt meet the criteria, you should have little problems gaining residency.

[david]

Taffy,

After posting the previous question I went into my NZ Immigration PDF archive.

The EOI bit says that if you have had employment for over 12 months you get extra EOI pool points than if you just have a job offer or have worked for less than 12 months. This is what I think you meant.

There is no rule that says you MUST have worked for over 12 months before applying for PR - in your opinion it would make the application for Perm Residency more straightforward. I do not think that anybody would disagree with you on that.

Dave

Yes, I thought it was odd that it stated a 12 month period. I didnt think it was a rule as I intend to get a work permit whilst applying for PR, merely as a means to stay there while waiting for PR to be processed.

I did read somewhere that immigration get a bit funny about this kind of process. Even though they actively promote getting a work permit, then applying for residence, I've read somewhere (can't remember where now!) that when this person spoke to immigration to ask if they could apply for a work permit whilst waiting for their PR application to be processed, the NZIS told them that if they did that, their application would for residence would be automatically refused and they would be banned from ever entering New Zealand!

They are a funny bunch of people, its no wonder everyone struggles so much with immigration with so much contradictory information floating around!

[Lozza]

Just a little update what u have been saying is absolutely right i have been doing my homework too on my application to get to New Zealand and work as a registered nurse. I have been told by the agency i am working for that if i get the work permit with view to residency that will gain valuable points when applying for residency as i will already be in New Zealand when residency is applied for also you dont have the hassle of getting medicals done for the work permits you only need those for residency applications. With all this considered this is the option i am going to take and when i get a job offer i will hopefully get the three year permit and then apply for residency once i have been working in NZ for a while.[/b][/u]