Weighing up my options to get to New Zealand

[ekini]

Hi all, I’m new on this forum!

My name is Evgeny, I’m a Russian citizen living in Russia, but I really want to live in New Zealand. I graduated from an university in 2008 as a Automation engineer, but I made a career change in 2011 to system administration. I’ve been using Linux and FreeBSD operating systems since I got a computer, I believe it was in 2002.
I’ve got a fiancee, however, we aren’t married yet.

Here are my options as I see them. Please, feel free to correct me.

1) Option one: SMC

I do qualify for SMC but I don’t have enough points to be selected.

Age: 28 30 points
Qualification: according to http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/41487.htm it’s recognized. My university is in the list (Omsk State Technical University), I graduated in 2008,
so, level 8 in New Zealand terms. 50 points
Work experience:
a) 2 years half time while studying. It was 20 hours per week, it means 2*0.75 = 1,5 years
b) 5 years since 2009.
So, 20 points.

I think I can claim some points for work experience in an identified future growth area, identified cluster or area of absolute skills shortage, but I won’t get 135 points to be selected.
I definitely need a job offer, which is really hard to get being outside of New Zealand.

2) Option two: Temporary work visa

My work experience is in LTSSL as shown here: Systems Administrator (262113).

I think I can meet the requirements directly (Bachelor degree (Level 7) specialising in Information Technology (Computer Science, Information Systems or other Information Technology) or indirectly with work experience (Bachelor degree (Level 7) specialising in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Technology AND a minimum of three years' relevant post-qualification work experience).

I assume that the only thing that will be required from a potential employer is INZ 1113 form without any labour testing. Am I right here?

In order to use this option I need a job offer too.

3) Job hunting on visitor visa, if success, then #2.

This is the main option I am considering. I’m thinking about trying to arrange some interviews with help of recruiting agencies and go to New Zealand on visitor visa.
If I don’t get any job offer, then, well, it will be nice experience anyway and I possibly will try to do it again later.

The main concern is how to get there and what should I write as a “purpose of visit”. I don’t think I can write “tourism” or “sightseeing” because I haven’t travelled much (I’ve only been to Germany last year). I am afraid of being accused of intention of staying illegally.

So I want to be clear and say that I am going to attend interviews, proving it with letters from recruiting agencies. Is it a good idea?
I will have the following:
1) Official letter from a company I am working in which states that I’m on 1-month holiday
2) Proof of funds
3) Letters from recruiting agencies.
4) Proof of booked accommodation.

How do you think? I would be grateful for any advice.

[Karen Phillips]

Hi. You seem to have done an excellent job of getting to grips with the rules of this game! You are right about almost everything. The only thing that might complicate the issue is that work experience usually only qualifies for points if it happened after the qualification has been obtained. You can only get points for the qualification if it is deemed relevant to the job by INZ. If it is not deemed relevant then you would be qualified in virtue of your 5 years' experience - or maybe not until you have 5 years in your new field. You could get a visitor visa and be honest about your reasons for wanting to travel to NZ. It would be really important to be able to sure your "bona fide" intentions - a return ticket purchased and evidence of a job to return to in Russia or perhaps accommodation or a family home. It isn't always easy for Russians, but it isn't impossible. In order to have a better idea of if you are going to qualify for the Systems Administrator Skill I would need to see your cv. You need to have made 5 posts before you can send Private Messages.

[ekini]

Hi, Karen and all people who are helping me here!

I have checked my diploma, and, it seems, it most likely won't be accepted as an IT major. It's an engineering diploma. Here is the spreadsheet: http://goo.gl/NfKHYH

I can't get enough points for SMC, so I think I should go and try to get a working visa. One thing is not clear for me, though. Do I have to have 3 years of experience in IT field in order to get working visa? The requirements on the official page http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra.../requirements/ are not strict at all. Where's the catch?

My resume is here, if someone's interested: http://goo.gl/G2Z8BJ