Essential Skills to Residency visa change

[Divesnowboy]

Hello ENZers,
I am working under an Essential Skills Visa that holds skills that will not hold enough points for residency.
I have therefore applied for jobs that match my experience and education to be able to get residency.
I have since have had positive responses and potential job offers are in the making.
Once and if I get a position, how difficult is it to start a new job under a residency or work to residency visa?
Does my existing Essential Skills Visa hold weight to simply transition over to a new status?
I assume that I must go through a new application.
Also, the Essential Skills Visa got me into the country, and ultimately I want to get back to my previous vocation and stay within it.
Thanks for any advice in advance.
Regards,
DSB

[JandM]

If you're changing your job, DON'T resign from the old one until you have a solid offer and contract lined up for the new one, and have been in touch with INZ about getting a new visa. Your Essential Skills visa is tied to the ONE job with that ONE employer in that ONE location, and when you resign from it, you bring an end to the visa, and therefore, to your permission to be legally in NZ, and you can't apply in the normal way for any visa from within NZ without being already legally covered by a visa. INZ are very good about juggling the necessary notice on your old job and the hoped-for start-date on the new job, which is necessary because it's illegal for you to work even one day in the old place with the new visa, or in the new place with the old visa.

[Divesnowboy]

Thanks JandM, a thorough answer as always.
I won't be giving notice to my existing vocation until a new job is confirmed.
So transitioning the visas is relatively easy?

[JandM]

Relatively straightforward. You will either be applying for a new temporary visa, or a variation of conditions on the same one, so it's just a matter of making sure you can prove that the new job meets the regulations. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...c-are-changing

[Divesnowboy]

Thanks very much JandM