Submit EOI in London or wait to be in NZ

[sarahgreen]

Hi All

I am new to this forum.
I have a One year work visa (through an exchange programme) and will be starting work in Ashuburton Canterbury on 18th Nov. My partner is coming with me but just for a holiday at this stage.
We will depart UK on 6th November.

Should I complete our EOI now and try to work it that we can send our docs to the London Branch (if this is feasible)
Or should i just wait to be in NZ to submit.

I have calculated I will have 155 points which include a job offer, a level 7 qualification (PARQ assesment - now applying for the full NZQA), working outside of Auckland, Age.

Just not sure how to start the process and worried if we have an EOI in the system my husband might get hassels when we arrive and he wishes to get a tourist visa?

Any help would be appreciated - trying to avoid him having to come home after 6 months!!

Sarah

[Karen Phillips]

Hi. First of all, EOIs are all submitted electronically to NZ, so it doesn't matter where you are. Once you have a new address in NZ, you can just tell INZ that you have moved. There won't be any documents at this stage. Just make sure there is someone at your UK address who could forward anything that arrived while you are in transit. However, most of the information comes by email. You can then lodge your documents at the nearest branch in NZ. Your husband should have no problem entering the country as a visitor to be with you so long as he doesn't work until either his residence is through or he gets a work visa (assuming he has a UK passport). I am not sure of the exact category of work visa that you have from what you have said, but you could always apply for your husband to have a one year temporary Partnership-based work visa. This would cost you £135.00 (+£24 VAC fee and £6.30 courier fee) and means he could work in NZ on arrival. The SMC process can be quite slow. Hope this helps. Karen

[JandM]

Re: the partner-sponsored temporary work visas, see http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...milystream.htm

[sarahgreen]

Hi. First of all, EOIs are all submitted electronically to NZ, so it doesn't matter where you are. Once you have a new address in NZ, you can just tell INZ that you have moved. There won't be any documents at this stage. Just make sure there is someone at your UK address who could forward anything that arrived while you are in transit. However, most of the information comes by email. You can then lodge your documents at the nearest branch in NZ. Your husband should have no problem entering the country as a visitor to be with you so long as he doesn't work until either his residence is through or he gets a work visa (assuming he has a UK passport). I am not sure of the exact category of work visa that you have from what you have said, but you could always apply for your husband to have a one year temporary Partnership-based work visa. This would cost you £135.00 (+£24 VAC fee and £6.30 courier fee) and means he could work in NZ on arrival. The SMC process can be quite slow. Hope this helps. Karen

Thank you so much for that! , i am on a 1 year visa that was organised through Bunac but isnt one of the standard working holiday visas as i am 34 (and already had one of those) i think it is an IEP exchange visa so not certain if i can sponsor Dave for a partners visa but will certainly look in to it

Thank you !!

Tickets booked today :-)

[JandM]

No, sorry, you can't sponsor a partner on the BUNAC IEP visa - it counts as a WHV.

[sarahgreen]

no, sorry, you can't sponsor a partner on the bunac iep visa - it counts as a whv.

darn :-)

[JandM]

You could always apply for a temporary work visa yourself (although you have the right to work on the BUNAC IEP). http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra.../requirements/ Since the job is skilled enough to qualify you for putting in your EOI, I imagine you wouldn't have any trouble getting the work visa. And that would qualify you to sponsor your husband. Then he'd be good to work while you both wait for the Residence under SMC to come through.

[Karen Phillips]

I like JandM's idea!

[JandM]

If you decide to do that, you can put both temporary work visa applications in together, with a covering letter, and they'll be processed as one case, with the CO supplying things you won't know to begin with, like your visa number, as they become available.

[sarahgreen]

If you decide to do that, you can put both temporary work visa applications in together, with a covering letter, and they'll be processed as one case, with the CO supplying things you won't know to begin with, like your visa number, as they become available.

Could I do this from NZ ? My lovely husband decided last week he'd better renew his passport! So with it due back in 2 weeks and flying on 6th nov I'm not sure there's time :-) thank you for the advice ! We opted out of paying £1000's for an immi advisor so are going it alone hoping to work it all out x