Short term contracts

[kiwilud]

My occupation , mental health nurse, is not currently on the essential skills lists as far as I can see but it would appear that there are still a number of unfilled vacancies, especially in more rural locations.

While I'd love to come for the long term this doesn't seem viable. However I will be in a position to consider short term contracts from October when I will be 55 and retiring from my NHS job. Would there be much appetite amongst employers I wonder to take someone on a contract of 3-4 months, would the potential costs to the employer outweight the benefits of covering a gap for that sort of timespan. And is it possible to get a work permit for 3-4 months.

The other way round this of course is to get a standard 1-2 year work permit and then resign almost as soon as I get there but that wouldn't be the honest way to go about things.

[JandM]

Sorry for the depressing answer about to come...

I've never heard of a work permit being issued for such a short time.

A normal 1 - 2-year work visa, for instance an Essential Skills Visa, is only issued in connection with a named job for a named employer. If anyone resigns that job without having set up another one with the same skills and description, in effect they annul their visa. Nobody gets to "float" without being tied to a particular job that INZ know about.

[ChrisMwn]

Sorry for the depressing answer about to come...

I've never heard of a work permit being issued for such a short time.

A normal 1 - 2-year work visa, for instance an Essential Skills Visa, is only issued in connection with a named job for a named employer. If anyone resigns that job without having set up another one with the same skills and description, in effect they annul their visa. Nobody gets to "float" without being tied to a particular job that INZ know about.

However if you have a job offer, a visa can be issued for the duration of any contract. Most likely if it was a short term contract that would be a "Specific Purpose" visa, but equally essential skills can be issued for the length of the job offer.


In the health field there will be registration issues to be dealt with, which may require an IQA and a language test to get registration. The cost of that might outweigh the benefit of such short term employment.

There are specialist health recruiters who I am sure wolkd be glad to hear from someone with your skills and who would usually take care of the whole process including recruitment, registration and visas.

If you were to look at residence you would need to have got to the point of lodging an SMC application before your 56th birthday. A work visa can be issued at any age.

[kiwilud]

That's a more encouraging answer. I do have NZ registration from working there 20 years ago and made enquiries a couple of years ago about what is required to get a current Annual Practising Certificate. That is the easy bit.

[ChrisMwn]

That's a more encouraging answer. I do have NZ registration from working there 20 years ago and made enquiries a couple of years ago about what is required to get a current Annual Practising Certificate. That is the easy bit.

Then get in contact with a Health Recruiter, or a DHB. I'm sure there's plenty on offer.

[JandM]

Thanks, Chris. This hasn't ever shown up on the forum before.