Immigration options for remote IT worker

[quarterstance]

My wife and I are very keen about a move to NZ after a recent two month trip there. I work in IT and naturally have researched my chances of coming in through the skilled migrant category. However when calculating our points it seems we will probably get around 120-135 because I do not have an IT degree (but I do have over 10 years experience). Looking at the selection history this past year it looks slim we will get an ITA with less than 140 points and no job offer.

Although it looks a but difficult to get a job in NZ in the field I work in - especially in Dunedin where we would like to move - it should be no problem for me to get full time contract work with an overseas company. One I am specifically targeting is in Australia.

So what my chances if I wanted to do contract work in NZ for this Australian company (they don't have an office in NZ but do some work serving NZ customers)? Could I see if the company would hire me through a recruiter in NZ who holds the contract? Would that be enough to come in on a work visa instead of the skilled migrant category?

Thanks
Rick

[quarterstance]

.. but what I would like to know specifically is if i had a job lined up with a foreign company who registered their business in NZ like mentioned in this thread:

http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36139

would this count for points on my SMC EOI?

[JandM]

I suspect the reason there aren't any replies is that people didn't know what to say.

My GUESS is that, to qualify, the employing company would have to have a NZ operation, registered in NZ, and that an agency/recruiter wouldn't do.

[quarterstance]

Thanks JandM. I do realize it is a bit of an edge case as the whole reason for SMC is to add skilled workers to benefit new zealand job market where there is short supply. Just thought someone else might have been in the same boat as me. I guess I can contact INZ directly to find out for sure.