Jobs for house painter?

[carolina]

Hi
I found this great forum while looking for NZ immigration information. My husband and my two teenagers have been very interested in migrating to NZ for the past two years. We finally put our house on the market here in the US and are getting serious about moving.

My husband is a very hard working professional house painter. He's had his own small painting business in the US for over 30 years. We would like to move above Auckland (possibly Whangarei?). Does anyone know what the job outlook for construction trades is up there? (or anywhere else in Northland?) Our other thought was possibly Hamilton. Would that be a better choice for his profession?

Thanks! Karen

[Orewa]

Karen,

I just saw you note. Whangarei is a nice place. Nice climate. Nice beaches to the east. Unemployment though is still high in Whangarei.


But I doubt unless you have a million dollars NZ or have a job in advance in a category thats required that you will get enough points for immigration.

There are plenty of house painters here. In some circumstances you have to be a licensed painter as houses with a stucco finish require that the national building code requires certified applicators. Meaning I can't apply a coating on my own house myself.

[carolina]

Thanks for your reply. But wow, that really sounds discouraging. We don't have a million NZ, but we will have close to half that (I know, that doesn't get us any points).

My husband can get the certification if necessary, possibly even before we leave here, but I was under the impression that if he found work in his profession or if we started our own small business in another field that we could get residence(?) He is 50 years old.

Thanks again, Karen

Hi
If you were looking to start up a business, you would need to be looking at getting a Long Term Business Visa. Have you checked the Occupational Shortages List to see if your husbands occupation is listed on there?

Being 50 years old is very close to the 55 years age limit for the skilled migrant category which might put some employers off. But dont write yourselves off! If it is an occupation shortage, but you have difficulty finding work then the LTBV is certainly an option for you.

If starting your own business is something you would consider, then let me know as I'm quite familiar with the LTBV process.

All the best

[carolina]

Last year when we checked, painters were on the Occupational Shortage list in Christchurch - but now it is no longer on the list. It seems very risky to hope that it will be on the list when we need it.

Is it possible to start up a new business with the LTBV other than our main occupation (say, a small retail store?)

Thanks again.

When applying for the LTBV, the immigration service want evidence of relative business experience. So, with that in mind, the only kind of things you may be accepted for would be to do what your husband is doing now, or if you wanted to go in to retail, it would have to be related so you could maybe open up a painting and decorating outlet.

The LTBV is a strange beast, in so much that some people have been accepted, without question, opening business that are not related to their field. This usually arises from instances where people have owned, taking your husband as an example, a decorating business, but prior to that used to work as, for instance, a TV repair man. In that case, as you have both business ownership experience, and experience of the new chosen business as you used to work in it, you may be granted a visa to open a TV repair shop. That kind of thing anyway!

Hope that helps

[carolina]

I am still a little confused. If my husbands occupation is not on the occupational shortage list (which it currently isn't) but he receives an offer of employment in his current occupation (which he as been in for over 30 years) is that acceptable? We once contacted Gray Skills in Hamilton and they said they could most likely get my husband a job. They said the pay would no doubt be lower than if he started his own painting business, but we don't care! :|

I would be willing to get employment as well, I have office skills from running my husbands business, but no certifications.

We have been in love with the thought of moving to NZ for two years! I just can't bear the thought that they won't give us residence status. We are the 'can-do-it' type and are willing to work hard to achieve our goals.

Is there any other advice to offer another way "in"?

Thanks again, Karen

Hi Karen,

Ok, lets sort you out! Firstly, have you taken the points test to see what score you acheive? If not:

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/pointsindicator

Your husbands job might not be on the occupational shortages list, but it is still skilled work. So, on the form, select that you have an offer of skilled employment, outside Auckland (as you are planning on Hamilton).
Select the number of years he has been in this trade, and select that it has been obtained in a comparable labour market. If you can also secure a job offer, indicate on the form that you meet the minimum standards of english required, and that you also have an offer of employment (not necassarily skilled).

When you submit the form, you get an automatic points score and you need to have a score of over 100 to stand any chance.

You may find that although your husbands job is no longer on the list for one area, it could well be wanted in another, so don't be afraid of checking out other areas in the first instance, after all, you can always move once you have been granted residence!

Let us know how that goes, and we'll see what we can do!

[carolina]

Thanks so much for your help Taffy!

Ok, I took the evaluation exactly as you outlined and we only scored 95 :(

However, if I also select:

"Have you been in skilled employment in NZ for less than 12 months?"
I score 100.

-OR-

"Have you been in skilled employment in NZ for 12 months or more (ongoing)?" I score 105.

So, is it possible to work in his area of employment for a year before applying for residence?

Also, since 100 is the minimum score, does it have a higher rejection rate?

[carolina]

Hold on, I redid the Points indicator form and included that I also have an (unskilled) offer of employment (somehow missed that the first time!) and now we score 105 even without the 12 months ongoing employment. (The 12 months employment helps tho, bringing the total to 115.)