Skilled Migrant EOI - Do I meet the criteria?

[jkhosking]

Hi - Can anyone provide advice regards my situation below?

This is an email i sent to an immigration officer at New Zealand Immigration. Details are as follows:

I want to complete an EOI and am having difficulty interpreting the immigration requirements around the Long Term Skill shortage list, and am hoping by some miracle I am able to collect at least 140 points. In light of the info below, can you advise whether I would be able to collect additional points from my qualification to get me over this threshold:

1) I want to apply for a skilled migrant visa as a qualified auditor - see ANZSCO code 221213 but am not a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
2) I have a BCompt degree in accounting & audit via University of South Africa (which will give me 50 points, as it is included on the list of universities on your website)
3) I am also a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the UK (this is a post graduate qualification, but is not listed on the Immigragtion website. I understand that i can get this qualification assessed by the NZQA, but this would not really benefit me, as it will only get me an extra 5 points - so i would still not get over the 140 point threshold). ACCA is a global accountancy body organisation and has presence in NZ. Their website is http://australia.accaglobal.com/
4) I have at least 10 years accounting/audit experience and work for a blue chip bank in London UK


Upon inspecting the Long Term Skills shortage list, I noticed that NZ has a shortage of auditors, but according to the supporting comments, you need to be a holder of a relevant degree (which I have), but you also need to be a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, (which is where I fall short)

I would really appreciate your help on this - as I cannot convert my qualification across to the New Zealand Institute of CHartered Accountants as they would make me sit a whole range of examinations.

Any advice you can provide would be appreciated

Her response was as follows:

Hi Justin

I have good & bad news for you. The bad news is, I spoke with NZICA & unfortunately there is no way around this requirement. The reason being, in order for you to

be an auditor here in NZ you need to have studied New Zealand law of entity structure (e.g. company and partnership law) & New Zealand taxation.

The good news is this college recognises ACCA & you can apply to become a provisional reciprocal member. However, before you become a full member you will

need to do the 2 papers above first, but at least you'll be a reciprocal member for now. I would recommend once you become a reciprocal member you go for the

points on the LTSSL(long term skill shortage list) & then when it is selected, I would then recommend you to advise Immigration NZ that when you arrive here in NZ

you would then study the 2papers needed in order for you to become a full member. There are a list of universities on their website in which you can study at &

more details of the information Ive mentioned above. This is the link: http://www.nzica.com/AM/Template.cfm...Overseas_Study

Hopefully, this will help you. Good luck!

Im struggling to understand why NZ Immigration are so prescriptive, as my qualification is recognised in NZ. I just dont see why they do not accept ACCA qualified auditors? - I do not want to register for any further studies

Any advice or would be appreicated

Kind Regards

Justin

[JandM]

Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but I am fairly sure I have seen posts from other accountants in the same situation as you are. No doubt there will be more replies when the NZ residents come online later. But from what I remember, there isn't any way round the requirement. As with all aspects of the NZIS rules (and there are parts that 'bite' for other occupations, and various human situations, which is why we're still in the UK for now), we often can't see that they make any sense, but that doesn't mean they don't apply, and they don't get bent for anybody. If we want to go to NZ legally, we have to comply, and that's that.

[jkhosking]

Thanks for your response JandM,

I think the 'posts from other accountants ' that you are referring to might have been mine (as you have responded to me previously).

As you can see, Im still trying to unpick this query 2 months later!!!