Am I calculating points correctly?

[5forNZ]

I've used the point indicator about a zillion times and I feel like I should be able to answer my own questions based on the # of times I've read through the immigration website...but alas, here I am, posting in hopes you'll settle my anxiety. (By the way, thanks a million for all the help thus far!)

To recap: We are a couple in our late 20's from the US. We are hoping to gain residence through the Skilled Migrant Category. OH will be the primary applicant. He's an ISA Certified Arborist with 4 years experience and plans to work as an arborist in NZ, though no job offer yet. He has an Associate in Applied Sciences Degree in Multimedia Design (though he has no work experience in that field). Can someone tell me what level an Associate degree is?? And is it a problem that his degree & work experience don't match?? Does the ISA Certification count for any points?

I will be staying home with our 3 kids...but I estimated points for my degree (it's the very basic 2 year Associate degree, equivalent to the general courses everyone is required to study for a bachelors degree.)

Anyhow, based on our age, his work experience and our degrees (I'm selecting level 3, 4, 5 or 6) the point indicator says 115 points without a job offer. I'm reluctant to submit the EOI with so few points, especially when I have reservations about whether I'm even answering the point indicator's questions correctly! Any help is MUCH appreciated!

[skywatcher]

....Can someone tell me what level an Associate degree is?? And is it a problem that his degree & work experience don't match?? Does the ISA Certification count for any points?

..but I estimated points for my degree (it's the very basic 2 year Associate degree, equivalent to the general courses everyone is required to study for a bachelors degree.)

Anyhow, based on our age, his work experience and our degrees (I'm selecting level 3, 4, 5 or 6) the point indicator says 115 points without a job offer. I'm reluctant to submit the EOI with so few points, especially when I have reservations about whether I'm even answering the point indicator's questions correctly! Any help is MUCH appreciated!

I am unfamiliar with the US "Associate" level degree but it sounds very much like a "Diploma" level qualification. If this is the case, then your assumptions relating to points sound to be about right.

The best option may be to have your degrees equivalenced by the NZQA first to establish exactly what level they are deemed to be and therefore the likely points you will be able to get. A job offer would also help enormously too. The NZQA will charge in the region of $1000NZ for the privelige but if you are serious about emigrating then you will need this anyway.

[5forNZ]

Thanks Skywatcher, you've been such a help!

Is having NZQA verify qualifications something everyone is required to do (at that charge)? Or are you just saying that we ought to have at least $1000 if we're honest about moving to NZ?

My "frugal" (read: cheap) husband starts to twitch when I suggest spending the ~$400 to submit the EOI without the job offer and hoping an offer will come if we don't get plucked before 6 months is up. (Have been reading history reflects a chance for lower points being accepted towards the end of the year??) I'm not sure he'll be thrilled to hear me suggest plunking down a grand for that!

[Azkateaz]

If your qualifications are not listed on the NZQA exemption list you will need to have them assessed to support your skilled migration application. You can read more here:

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualificatio...r-immigration/

We are still really early in our process but my opinion is you really have to be committed especially if you're frugal (and I am uber cheap myself!). So far, I have spent about $1500 USD (EOI, PAR, and IQA) and if everything keeps going well and we keep progressing I believe we'll be close to the $5000 mark before we're done. That's without having a job offer or knowing if we'll make it through the process successfully and that number doesn't include any costs for actually moving but is just the various fees and levys associated with migration.

For us, this is what we want more than anything so we can't imagine NOT trying no matter what the cost.

I have heard of people having difficulty if their degree didn't match their position but I'm not sure in your specific circumstances if that will apply or not. I think some people have had good luck with the free assessment of immigration advisors to see if they qualify. If anyone here has done this maybe they can provide details.

If I were you I might try and network with some arborists in New Zealand to see how the qualifications they have compare.

But, if you are going to pursue the move I think you will eventually need the IQA.

[5forNZ]

Thanks Azkateaz! We DO very much want this move, too, and are VERY MUCH in the beginning stages. There's some kind of flow-chart thing on the immigration website that illustrated fees and such, and I've read up on what those fees would be for our family...and it's not cheap. I'll have to give it another pass and see if we've missed anything...You've hit the nail on the head though - you definitely need to be committed - I keep saying I feel like we're just venturing blindly until those blue stickers are in our passports!

OH has reached out to prospective employers and the response received was good. I just don't know if it's good enough for an employer, is it good enough for INZ?

I do think we've gone back to plan A, though, which is to not submit the EOI without the job offer...

[skywatcher]

Thanks Azkateaz! We DO very much want this move, too, and are VERY MUCH in the beginning stages. There's some kind of flow-chart thing on the immigration website that illustrated fees and such, and I've read up on what those fees would be for our family...and it's not cheap. I'll have to give it another pass and see if we've missed anything...You've hit the nail on the head though - you definitely need to be committed - I keep saying I feel like we're just venturing blindly until those blue stickers are in our passports!

OH has reached out to prospective employers and the response received was good. I just don't know if it's good enough for an employer, is it good enough for INZ?

I do think we've gone back to plan A, though, which is to not submit the EOI without the job offer...

You're not wrong about the need for commitment in the process and the overall cost. I think you've made a good choice on getting a job offer in place before applying for EOI/ITA. This will also allow you time to get some money behind you to help with the immigration and medical costs notwithstanding flights for the family, shipping of belongings, selling property/vehicles and sorting the same when you get out there. You need as much dosh behind you as you can.

Also, as I've said in a previous post, it would be well worthwhile getting the degree/diploma equivalenced with an NZQA IQA if you are sure that it isn't already shown as exempt on the NZI listing. Getting it done ahead of submitting any EOI/ITA will save a lot of time and worry.

You have time and are doing the right things in planning well ahead and anticipating potential issues and sorting them before they become bigger problems.

Keep up the good work.

[5forNZ]

Thanks, Skywatcher!

And yes, I agree - the PAR seems the way to go as our degrees are not on the exempt list. How early do you suggest doing that? Also, it looks like, providing we submit EOI with a job offer, we'd only have to include OH's degree to have enough points for EOI (155 points). Would you recommend getting both our qualifications assessed anyhow, or just his?

[GeorgeV]

Hi There

Most people actually come down for some weeks and do a job hunt and contact consultancies after doing earlier groundwork or line up people to meet. That might be a good way to secure a job and get a feel of the place...

Out of curiosity what makes you want to move from the US to NZ?

Cheers

[5forNZ]

George, I wish I could answer your question simply enough but it seems that only my husband and I seem to understand each other when we try to explain our decision. Deciding to move to NZ came after we decided to take a look at our life and compare it to where we'd hoped we'd be by now. We literally made lists of what it was we were happy with and what we wanted to see change and eventually we figured we have to leave "home"...as though the things that are so familiar are what was holding us back. If that makes sense.

So we started close and slowly moved our options further away until I suggested Australia and he scoffed and said if we moved down there it'd be to NZ. It's not one that comes up often in conversation or anything so neither of us REALLY knew much (except he's a LOTR fan -I know, I know- but he had also read good things in magazines/the paper, too). So, we did an internet search, read several sites & blogs and with everything we read, it just fit. It seemed ridiculous to even think about moving across the world but whenever we started doubting it, something totally unsolicited would happen (we had promised not to say anything to anyone until we had more information behind us). Like my sister sending us a random email about arborists being "wanted" in NZ...or a conversation among coworkers at his work about a trip someone had taken years ago to NZ and how it was a perfect place to live, etc etc. Like I said, NZ is not something we hear or see or talk about often...so these things were particularly interesting to us. Long story short, with each "sign" (if you want to call it that) we got more excited and more interested, until finally we decided it was now or never. We either chose to pursue it or let it be a pipe dream.

And so here we are...trying to piece together the best course. Maybe it happens next year, maybe not until the next. But if you ask us, we'll tell you...one day it will happen. Unless INZ has some other opinions, of course...

[skywatcher]

Thanks, Skywatcher!

And yes, I agree - the PAR seems the way to go as our degrees are not on the exempt list. How early do you suggest doing that? Also, it looks like, providing we submit EOI with a job offer, we'd only have to include OH's degree to have enough points for EOI (155 points). Would you recommend getting both our qualifications assessed anyhow, or just his?

It's a pleasure 5forNZ! Incidentally I'm 6 for NZ, not including pets, so have beaten you by 1!!

I would recommend getting your NZQA International Qualifications Assessment (IQA) sorted a couple of months before you intend submitting your EOI as you say that the degree is not on the exempt list. Giving yourself plenty of time will avoid the need to pay the extra for 'fast track' processing.

My degree qualifications, a BSc and an MSc, were not exempt due to award at a date before the NZI listed date for my particular University. I didn't bother with a PAR and went straight for the IQA as NZ Immigration needed this for my ITA submission. The PAR would just have been a waste of money. I unfortunately left my IQA until after I'd received my ITA. Getting the info together to submit to NZQA and the turn around time for the 'fast track' assessment took about 6 weeks in all so resulted in a delay in the final submission of my ITA with supporting evidence.

Regarding NZQA equivalence for your own qualifications this doesn't really look like it would be necessary given the points total you say you would have based on your OH's total assuming he also has a job offer. I suppose it all depends on whether you would need degree equivalence for some other purpose such as professional body registration in NZ. If so then it would be worth doing and including on your EOI as it can't do any harm to have the extra points. I included my wife on our ITA which gave us an extra 20 points.

Any idea on your timescales? It's probably worth taking a recce trip out to NZ too if you can afford it.