Would insufficient salary affect my 2-year work visa (employer assisted)?

[rudy.chawla]

Hello,

I have been working for the last 6 months with a company on a relevant role of my study in NZ. However, my pay rate is not quite up to the standards. As the company is a small enterprise, I am waiting for a pay rise for later. My concern is whether this will be a problem when they consider my application under post-study to work (employer assisted - 2 years).

How often do they check IRD details for granting work visa? Should I be worried about the situation, considering this case being NOT a work to residence visa?

Will a cover letter help ease the case? If yes, would you suggest the contents of it?

Awaiting responses!

Thank you!

[Karen Phillips]

If I have this right you are now on a two year post-study work visa. You must therefore have submitted an INZ1113 with offer letter and contract when you applied for this visa. Has your salary changed since then? If you got your current visa on the basis of a low-paid job, the fact that it is low paid now shouldn't make any difference. However, after two years, when appying for your next work visa or residence, INZ would expect you to have a wage close to or within the "normal" bands for that occupation and definitely above the minimum wage. If there is any doubt INZ will ask to look at your IRD records for the whole period.

[swearwolves]

My interpretation is that the OP is on a post-study visa (open) right now. I also don't think the principal applicant's pay matters as far as a post-study visa (employer assisted) is concerned.

[Karen Phillips]

You could well be right about the interpretation - I read it that they were now on the two year visa- but I am inclined to agree with you. People still have to complete an INZ1113 for the employer-assisted post-study visa and the issue of pay might well be relevant - I have never had to face this specific issue with any of my clients. It would depend how far out from the normal range the pay is.

[ChrisMwn]

The question is that if he has an employment contract which says one thing, and he is being paid something else(lower), then the employer would be deemed to not be a good employer. That would cause complications with any later (SMC) residence application?

[Karen Phillips]

What Chris Mwn says is quite correct, but there would have been no need to submit an employment contract for an open post-study work visa, so this has not been a problme until now. It woul dcertainly become a problem if the employer was paying less than the amount on the contract.

[rudy.chawla]

Hi Karen,

I am on open job search visa after 18 months level 9 course in NZ.

[rudy.chawla]

Thank you all for your responses. I am about to finish my 1 year open job search and going for 2 years work permit. What I understood from the immigration website is that salary is not a criteria for this visa type.
Could you tell me how to compare my salary against the normal range.

Would they consider the fact that my partner is also employed and gets a good pay? Her employer is not keen to support her work visa though. Hence it would be partnership based work visa for her when I would extend mine.

Do you think I should give a cover letter with my application stating my responsibilities in this company ?

Thank you,

[Karen Phillips]

Sorry about delay in replying. So long as pay is above the minimum wage you should be fine.