How to extend work visa ?

[babrah90]

Hi

My partner is currently working as a security officer on his graduate job search visa.How can he extend his work visa ? Does he need to ask his employer ?
His contract finishes next year,along with his visa.

So if they give him more work ,will he be able to extend his work visa? He came to NZ on a student visa and has his level 7 business management diploma from a college.

Also what are the requirements to extend a work visa after your job search visa expires? He's really keen to stay here and work

Thank you

[My New Zealand]

Hello Babrah90,

Work visa will be extended if a person is employed for any additional time.

As you have mentioned, the present visa expires upon expiry of employment contract. Only an extended employment contract or finding another in time could be the solution.

So you need to be aware of the below:

* Is there any likelihood of the contract term being extended? You should really need to ask the employer on this.

* What are the other opportunities to look through for employment.

Hope this helps.

[JandM]

Hi

My partner is currently working as a security officer on his graduate job search visa.How can he extend his work visa ? Does he need to ask his employer ?
His contract finishes next year,along with his visa.

So if they give him more work ,will he be able to extend his work visa? He came to NZ on a student visa and has his level 7 business management diploma from a college.

Also what are the requirements to extend a work visa after your job search visa expires? He's really keen to stay here and work

Thank you

Being a security officer doesn't sound like a skilled job. He will not be able to get a further work visa unless he gets a skilled job in line with his qualifications. The graduate job search visa is an open visa, meaning he can take any job, skilled or not, but the intention of it is to let the graduate support themself while looking around for something skilled.

Work visas, or Residence under SMC, are like a swap that INZ will make - they give the right to live and work in NZ, and the person with skilled qualifications brings their skill to be employed, for the benefit of the NZ economy. When somebody has studied a skill in NZ, INZ knows they are the sort of person it is worth keeping, so they give the JSV to give them time to sort themself out, but it's only temporary. After that visa expires, they are on the same basis as other workers, and have to qualify for a temporary work visa, or residence, as stated on the INZ website. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/