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Thread: Essential Skills - Residence - Job Disestablishment

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    11

    Default Essential Skills - Residence - Job Disestablishment

    So I have one for you that may be a bit interesting to look at (and hopefully someone may have some helpful thoughts on the matter).
    I moved here in April 2016 on WHV. In July I started as a temp at an accredited employer and by August they had hired me for the permanent FT role. They were very encouraging and even offered to pay half of my visa expenses (and they did reimburse half my expenses).

    I lodged my SMC on 2 Feb, on 2 June I was informed that it was assigned to a case officer. Within days I had sent her everything that she requested additionally (IRD summary of earnings, that kind of thing). By now I was on an Essential Skills Visa - it was approved for a year (which brought me until 28 Feb 2018), but of course is employer and role specific.

    Then I found out they were proposing a restructure to my department which would include the disestablishment of my role. On the 23 June my employer gave me notice - my role ended as of 24 July. I have been very actively trying to find a new job offer but it's a bit tricky. I did notify immigration when I found out my job was ending. They gave me until 7th Aug to find a new job offer for them to assess on. Having such a limited time to search for a role, coupled with my visa situation ("just give me a job offer and I can submit and get an essential skills visa to work for you - it's all good!" isn't alleviating employers' concerns, apparently. Particularly as I am often not getting to the interview point, as I imagine my visa situation makes them not even consider me. During the application process for just about every role I've found they will ask if I am a resident, citizen, or if I have an active work visa. My answer is concerning to them, I think, and it has not proven successful in gaining me new employ.

    I am also a little unsure of my legality currently. My essential skills document appears to say that the visa expires in Feb 2018 and I can only work at my former job. I would imagine that means until Feb 2018 I can live here and keep trying to find work to vary the conditions or submit a new visa app. If I can find something suitable before 7th Aug to add to my residence app then presumably all is sorted - I can update my res app and submit a variation or new essential skills app for it. Am I interpreting that correctly? Immigration was notified of my disestablishment and the date of it, so I'm certainly not hiding anything. Neither do I want anything to diminish my chances of success, however.

    I do wish immigration could have given me more time to find a replacement job offer. A few weeks isn't a lot of time, and particularly when I don't have what employers consider a "guaranteed" right to work for them. I need the job offer, then I can apply for that right to work for them. It's a hindrance that may require more time to get past.

    Background: I have a BA in English. Most of my experience is in office administration, personal assistance, customer service and sales, and some marketing/communications. My disestablished role was administration, which I had lodged under the Secretary ANZSCO.

    I am considering alternative options - visitor visa??? Student visa? I'm not sure what direction to try.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    I am very sorry to hear of the difficult situation you are in. I'm sorry, also, that I don't have good news or an easy answer to tell you about.

    You need to look at this page https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-will-happen, and to talk to INZ about what can be done.

    In theory, your previous visa ended when your job did, so no, you cannot rely on the remaining time till its expiry date to regularize your situation. It is up to INZ what they are willing to do for you in the meantime, but it is likely that, if you don't find another job quite soon, they will tell you that you need to leave the country.

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