work visa or work permit????

[muddywheels]

we have just arrived back from NZ after securing a permanent position with a builder as a carpenter/joiner. I have left the "employer's supplementary form" with him for completing. Can you tell me the difference between a work visa and work permit and which I should be applying for? Thanks

[MotherBear]

Hi Muddywheels, welcome to the forum.

Congratulations on securing the job. Well done.

Off the top of my head, a work visa is one you apply for when you are outside NZ and a work permit is one you apply for when you are in NZ. I would assume that, if you are applying from your home country you would apply for a work visa, but if you're waiting until you arrive in NZ, you would ask for a permit. I believe this is correct, but someone will put me right if it's not.

[Pulsarblu]

Hi MuddyWheels, a warm welcome to the forum and Congratulations on the job offer.

You will apply for a work visa when you are outside of New Zealand and when you step into New Zealand, it will be converted to a work permit.

In your case, you should be applying for a work visa.

Please keep in touch when you are here in NZ since we are always interested to know the latest happenings to members

pulsarblu

[muddywheels]

thanks for the warm welcome and for clearing that up for me.
all i have to do now is to decide which one to apply for. i believe if i apply over here it could take some time and would require me to send birth certs and passports off to NZ. If this is the case, we are worried that we won't get the passports back in time for us leaving in approx 12 weeks time. So would we be better off applying for permits when we get over there?

Ahh the old visa/permit question.

There's a very simple way to know what you need:

Visa - lets you in
Permit - lets you stay

If you are outside New Zealand, you will need to apply for a work visa, and then when you land you will be granted a work permit by immigration. If you are within New Zealand, you apply for a permit as you are already within the border.

Whichever way you apply (initially a visa in your case) you require a permit. Even with a visa, your permit can still be declined upon arrival in NZ, so you can be sent packing! Don't worry though, that only happens to people with fake documents or undisclosed criminal histories etc!

As immigration like to say - 'You must have a valid permit for the entire length of your stay within New Zealand'.

[muddywheels]

Thanks for your prompt message this morning. Just printed off the app to work in nz and browsed thru' - my mind is going round and round at the mo with lots of questions, can you help????!!!!
can you give me any advice re family coming to nz. My husband has the job offer but I will be looking for a job once we have found a place to rent or buy. Do I need to apply for a work visa separate to my hubbie? Also am I right in saying my 5yr old son will need a student visa to go to school? If so is there another form we should be completing for him now?

I've been reading through the forum tonight and can't believe what a good site this is, I think I'm addicted already!!!
I can't seem to find any other comment/question relating to another important issue which is affecting us.........my mum wants to come out with us, she is 73 and widowed. Obviously she is retired now, so won't be applying for work visa - what sort of visa will she need? Our plans are that she will live with us, she will be bringing money over with her so won't need to rely on govt at all. We will be looking to apply for residency but my husband wants to obtain the necessay qualifications over there to boost our points before applying. Can you envisage any probs with my mum coming with us?
I bet you wish you hadn't read this now, but I'm hoping you will reply!!! [smiley=icon_lol.gif] [smiley=icon_lol.gif]

We try to answer everything :icon_biggrin:

From the top.... If your husband is applying for a work permit, then you need to apply for a work permit based on partnership. What that means is you will be granted an open work permit for the same length of time as your husbands, entitling you to work for whoever you want.

Your son will need a student permit, but you usually need to know the school he will be attending before you can complete the form. May well be better off leaving the student application until you know where you will live, what school etc...

For your mother it's not so straight forward. The only way she could live in New Zealand with you would be if you sponsored her under the family category. To be eligable, you need to have held residency for a minimum of 3 years prior to applying to sponsor her Any time spent on a work permit is not counted towards those 3 years.

[MotherBear]

I can't seem to find any other comment/question relating to another important issue which is affecting us.........my mum wants to come out with us, she is 73 and widowed. Obviously she is retired now, so won't be applying for work visa - what sort of visa will she need? Our plans are that she will live with us, she will be bringing money over with her so won't need to rely on govt at all. We will be looking to apply for residency but my husband wants to obtain the necessay qualifications over there to boost our points before applying. Can you envisage any probs with my mum coming with us?

This is the situation we are in. We have to wait until Taffy has held PR for 3 years so that he can sponsor us to live in NZ. It?s all very hit and miss, as there?s quite a queue of parents waiting to get in and only so many are taken each year (not sure, but it may be 250, that is worldwide). We also have to be confident that we can pass the strict medicals as well to prove we won?t be a ?burden? on their health system. Even if we are to be selected, it could take any number of years to finally get PR with only a few people being granted it each year. There was talk of NZIS changing the policy from 3 years after PR to 3 years from entry into NZ before immigrants could apply to sponsor someone, but nothing more has been heard, unfortunately.

I?m sure if it was made easier for parents to get PR and be allowed to live in NZ, it would help a lot of new immigrants settle much quicker. A fair number of those that return to their base country do so because they can?t face the separation from family members. It also saves immigrants worrying about elderly parents left behind if they are there in NZ with them.

The only suggestion I can make about your mum is that, in the interim, she lives with you in NZ for 6 months of the year on a visitor?s visa, then spends the other 6 months back in the UK. The 6 months can be extended to 9 months in some cases, but that would mean she?d have to spend 9 months out of the country before she could return.

It?s a pain and also quite upsetting when parents, especially those on their own, want to spend their retirement years with their offspring and enjoy their grandchildren as well. Sorry it?s not better news [smiley=icon_cry.gif] .

[muddywheels]

Thanks for your reply Mother Bear, not what we were wanting to hear as you can imagine. Quite a traumatic week for us. We know it's the right decision for us, but it's still emotional to think we have to leave people behind, especially when they so want to come with us.
We are just applying for our visas now ............will let you know how we get on, fingers crossed. [smilie=Best_wishes.gif]

[Pulsarblu]

Motherbear, after reading your post, I cannot help but to start worry about sponsoring my parents-in-law in three years time after receiving my PR. However I hope it will be eventually successful since they are still very young just hitting 50 and very healthy.

Well, we will see...

Pulsarblu