How do they know how long you've worked for?

Does anyone know for sure how NZ Immi know how long you have worked for if you are on a WHV and are only allowed to work for 12months?

I would assume it's by your Tax records but do they check them and contact you when you've gone over the 12months?

Has anyone been through this. I cant for the life of me remember if I've asked this question before so if I have I'm sorry just loosing the plot a bit today..... :P

Hi Amy,

I've been trawling through the NZIS site for any hint of a way that you can continue to work beyond the 12 months granted under the visa. So far I keep coming up against the same brick wall i.e. you can't. They emphasise that you are supposed to be entering NZ in holiday mode rather than work mode so it's difficult to justify wanting to work the full 23 months (in their eyes). It's quite something to be able to support yourselves for the remaining 11 months without working though so I don't know how others manage.

The only way I see around it is if you took jobs on a cash-in-hand basis, but far beit for me to suggest you do something illegal . I'm only assuming, but I guess they keep a track of what you're up to workwise by getting employers to submit details of your visa when you start work with them. You'd know better than me whether your employers have asked for these details. I hope someone can come with some advice from personal experience.

Hi,

Thanks MB. I know the Rec Agencies take a photo copy of the Visa's but now I'm actually emplyed by the Company rather than an agency and they didnt take a copy so I'm completely stoomped with it all.

I think until we decide on PR or what not we'll be doing 'casual' work. That's what I did in Rotorua. At least I have an extra two months than Stu as of my casual work so I can try and keep us afloat for those two months.

I dont know how they think anyone can survive without working for that length of time. Ah well will keep searching...

Hey Amy, (hows it going, been a long time since I emailed)

I got my visa granted... WoHoo! so I have until jan next year to get over there.

As far as I understood you were only allowed to work for 12 months on a single work placement, I thought you could just get another job and continue working, so you can try another city or something,


maybe Im wrong dunno.

Hey congrats, when do you plan to come over?

With WHV you are only allowed to work for 12months out of the 23month visa unfortunately :(.

Still trying to work out how they know without drawing un-necessary attention to myself tee hee

Thanks Amy,
I think I'll be coming over 1st September this year, that way I get the best of the Dutch summer and then enter NZ near to the end of their winter. Also It gives me the chance to earn more money to take over with me.

I have no clue about how they would know if you worked more than 12mths, but I do know that if they wanted to stop you it wouldn't be that hard because you are most likely registered in there tax system as only being allowed to work 12 months, every wage you receieve after that would show up to the tax authoritys as being illegal employment, they might be able to withold your money whilst they investigate. this is what they do in the UK.

so your options are 1, steal the identity of a kiwi and continue working living forever. or 2, get a cash in hand job at a bar or something, I know your profession would pay more than this but it might keep you going for a bit.

for the record stealing someones identity was a joke, hah! and Amys a nice girl anyway so I trust she wouldn't do that ;)

Hey,

I thought they'd take it by tax as well but theoretically as Stu is self employed he doesnt pay GST or something as his agency pay it for him so I'm still not sure how that works.

May have to bite the bullet and phone immi and not give any names tee hee.

Like the idea of taking a kiwi identity... ;D

Ok I bit the bullet and held on the phone to immi for 25minutes and found out that no one keeps track of the work time its up to us and it's our fault if we go over it.

If we want to work longer we have to apply for a Work Visa. Which you need a letter from your employer blah blah blah...

They werent much more help than that. I asked what would happen if I went over the 12 months by accident and she said that would be my fault (laughed on the phone to me) and said I should keep a better count of how many months I've worked for.

Note to all WHV peeps - keep track of your time spent working just in case!