Looking for advice

[lanzilla]

Hi Everyone,

I am a newbie to this fab site and was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction?

My Partner and I are in our late 30s and have 2 Children aged 10 and 13 yrs.

I have been running my own business for the last 16 years and can't decide whether to apply for a LTBV or try and get an offer of employment and go that route.

We are visiting for 3 weeks over Christmas and I am hoping to check out a few areas and test out the job market.

We have good equity and savings so we have no problem buying a property or supporting ourselves for as long as we need.

We want to settle in New Zealand and feel that we could have a very nice life there. We are not afraid of hard work and are sure that we would find employment quickly.

I haven't yet made any applications as I thought I would wait untill I had taken a look.

Are there any other late 30s on this forum who have taken their Families over on a LTBV and if so... what types of business did they go into?

Kind Regards.

[Milliemoo]

Hi,

Sorry I don't know much about LTBVs but just wanted to say welcome to the forum. :icon_biggrin: :icon_razz: :icon_biggrin:

I'm not sure about timescales for LTBVs but we submitted our EOI (SM) o Sep 1st and don't plan to move till Spring 06, so that will give you an idea of backlogs with NZIS at the moment.

Where abouts do you plan to settle?

Milliemoo :icon_wink:

[lanzilla]

Thanks for the reply Milliemoo.

We do fancy North Island and that is where we are concentrating our stay.
We are staying at BOI for 5 nights and gradually working our way down. Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo etc.

I will be having a real good look at different places and sussing out some business opportunities as well as checking out what jobs are on offer.

My work at home is sales based and I wonder whether it would work over there, although it has been pretty lucrative for me here.

I am actually a Butcher by trade and still get my hands dirty now and again as I have a small interest in a shop run by a good friend of mine. I wouldn't mind just being a Butcher again if there was a demand for it.

Would being offered a job as a Butcher and having a few quid in the bank to sustain yourself be enough to be considered through the EoI route?

Would you be kind enough to tell me how you started the process as I really don't have a clue where to begin.

I am a bloke you know :icon_lol:

Hi Lanzilla,
Without doubt, going via the EOI route is the easier option, not to mention much cheaper. There are a few posts kicking around on the forum about the LTBV, so try the search function (menu near the top) and search for LTBV on here.

As a place to start, look on the New Zealand immigration site for the Priority Occupations list or Occupational Shortages list, and see if your trade is listed on there. I dont recall seeing butcher on there, but then I wasnt really looking for it!

If you have a sound business idea, and plan to employ a kiwi or 2, then you can still go for the LTBV if your trade isnt listed.

So, have a scout around looking for your trade, and let us know your decision about which route you are taking, and we'll have you sat in New Zealand before you know it.

All the best

[SteveNetWriter]

Hi Lanzilla,
Taffy and I are bascially in agreement on this, but I'm going to speak more plainly - it may save you a lot of trouble :icon_biggrin:

The LTBV route is SLOW, EXPENSIVE and blooming difficult.

After a lot of trouble and time you get a visa which you have to use pretty quickly. You only have 6 months to make serious progress.
After building your business for a few years (sorry I've forgotten the exact times), you still have to get medicals and go through an approval process to get residency.
After all that you could find the system has changed, or you're rejected.

I know all this because that's what we WERE going to do !
Others have tried it and failed (The Guitar Doctor for example).

So, my advice is this:

If you can just go and get a job, and submit an EOI and get residency - do that.
Or submit an EOI now. Check your points. You only need 100 at the moment. You shoudl get either a 2 year work permit or residency !
It's quicker, cheaper and a lot safer.
Only if you can't do that, consider an LTBV.

Once you've got residency, you can then do what you like, including setting up a business.

I hope that helps. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Cheers
Steve

[SteveNetWriter]

Hi again,
You could start here:

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/Migra...QuickCheck.htm

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/Migra...st.htm?level=3

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rd...Appendices.pdf

page 93 is the Priority Occupations List (POL)

You can always look at my website :icon_rolleyes:
That's got everything I know on it !

Steve

[lanzilla]

Thanks Steve and Taffy.

I will try the EoI route, although my Butchery skills aren't on the priority list.
As I go to Auckland in 3 weeks, would it be better for me to try and nail down a firm job offer and then apply when I get back?

By my calculations I would have 150 points with a job offer and exactly 100 without.

Does this mean that people are being accepted even though they have skills that are not on the priority list?

This site is a breath of fresh air and it's comforting to know that there are so many of us with the same goals.

[SteveNetWriter]

Hi,
If you can get a job offer and then have 150 points, your EOI would be processed more quickly than those of us without job offers (like me !).
The question is how long an employer is willing to wait, and how long it will take you to get to NZ to take up the position.
If getting and taking a job is possible, that is the best way.
However, there are lots of us on 100 with no job offer, waiting for either a 2 year work visa/permit or residency.
There is nothing to stop you applying right now if you have 100 points.
That will get your EOI on the way.
If you then get a job offer, you just contact NZIS and they will process you quickly.
You do not have to be on the OSL or POL.

You have to check the NZIS site for your circumstances re qualifications and job.
I don't want to give you wrong info.

You might get residency from an EOI.
If not, they talk about "skilled employment" and "relevant to your qualifications and work experience".

Just a word of warning. NZ salaries are low compared with the UK/US.
Prices are not that much lower. So people emigrating there will tend to feel worse off.
I suggest, if you haven't already, having a go on my "cost of living" & "cost of shopping" calculators.
Also the "emigration suitability calculator".

I did them to, hopefully, give people an idea of what to expect, and to make them think about their position, and whether emigrating is going to be easy or difficult for them.

Also, when looking for a job, don't just use agencies.
Many jobs are obtained via word of mouth etc etc.
I strongly suggest you get a list of possible employers together before you go.
Then call or visit them when there.
I've got a long list of 'directories', like yellow pages, from which you can find companies. Look at my "New Zealand Links Page".

I've just thought. Do you realise that Auckland may be very quiet at that time of year job wise. I've heard it said that they tend to shut down for the holidays.
I know someone looking for wokr in Wellington now, who is worried about that.
Just a thought !

Cheers
Steve

[SteveNetWriter]

Sorry, I forgot to say.
Of course anything I say might be wrong !
I'm only Human, and I make mistakes, so please check things for yourself.
Please don't make a life changing decision based only on what I say !!
Cheers
Steve

[lanzilla]

Steve,

I checked out your site and it's fantastic and the information is in a language I understand.

I do realise that it will be quiet over the Christmas period but I'm on a mission and I will get a job offer.

Any information I pick up that I think is relevant I will pass on when I get back.

I see you're based in Hants which means you aren't a million miles from me based in Bournemouth.

Thanks again for all the info.

Above and beyond Mate. :icon_wink: