Newbie Here - looking to make the move!

[Horsemad1976]

Hi All

Our first post here on the forum. Just after some general advice if thats ok? We're looking to emigrate from the UK to NZ and have done some extensive research in the normal way, re: cost of living, climate, etc and some homework regarding skills listing and visas (cost validity; etc).

Fortunately, hubbies job is on the Long Term List so this bodes well for us Now, ultimately we'd like PR be obviously there are steps we need to go through to get there!

Our visa options appear to be: Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa, Skilled Migrant Visa both of which require you to have an offer of skilled employment which is quite hard to achieve from the UK! Can't work without a visa, can't get a visa without a job offer - darn chicken & egg scenario. For the skilled migrant visa point calculation we've made assumptions that a job off is in place so have more than enough points.

Do you have any tips/advice on how to tweek your CV to make it stand out/ NZ style. Has anyone secured a job offer remotely? How did you find the process? Did you have a Skype interview?

Any advice you are able to offer would be gratefully received!!

[JandM]

Welcome.

Here's an old post which sums up the drawbacks NZ employers find to considering foreign applicants. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread...952#post359952 There aren't many people who get a job offer from afar, unless they have a rare, niche skill. A recce trip as visitors is probably the most straightforward way to meet the NZ preference for seeing an applicant in the flesh, to get the feeling of whether they would fit in or not.

[redbells]

Hello and welcome!

I'm from Singapore, before I came to NZ, I've applied for plenty of jobs, via SEEK/LinkedIn/TradeMe (In Jan 2017 - March 2017). My background was in freight forwarding/Logistics/Supply Chain. I had applied with accredited logistics company. As I wasn't physically in NZ, I did not get any response at all.

I then came to NZ on a 3 months tourist visa, landed in April 2017, for a "look-see-decide" scenario + (surfing). Applied for hundreds on jobs, I had 3-5 calls, only 1 employer decided to help me with my visa. I'm currently on Essential Skills work visa, working in a slightly different field from my background(Sales & Marketing manager)

Recruitment agencies would be able to help you out, as they handle international applicants. Hudson, Michael Page etc. They would also be able to give you tips on a NZ style CV/Resume. Few thing I've noticed is that many employers are looking for the right attitude,being able to fit in to their culture and having NZ experience.

Hope this helps!

[jawnbc]

Welcome to the forum!

When I was organising our move to NZ in 2012 my choices were Work-to-residence (WTR) or Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) visa. I had a job offer from an accredited employer and my role is also on the LTSS list. Without the job offer I arguably would have qualified for the SMC anyway--it just would have taken longer. With the job offer it took 3.5 months from when I submitted an EOI to when I had the "blue sticker" in my passport.

One consideration is the timeframe towards eventually NZ citizenship. If you come in on an SMC you can apply in around 4.7 years. If you come in on WTR you would be able to apply 4.7 years AFTER transferring from WTR to a resident visa. Usually 2 years after arrival in NZ.

I'm an academic so there are lots of jobs recruited internationally. Mine involved one skype interview; others involve candidates being brought to NZ. It's totally industry and employer specific.

Fortunately, hubbies job is on the Long Term List so this bodes well for us Now, ultimately we'd like PR be obviously there are steps we need to go through to get there!

Our visa options appear to be: Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa, Skilled Migrant Visa both of which require you to have an offer of skilled employment which is quite hard to achieve from the UK! Can't work without a visa, can't get a visa without a job offer - darn chicken & egg scenario.

[Horsemad1976]

Thanks everyone for responding. I had thought a trip over might have been the better option. We are committed to visiting family in Australia around Christmas so I guess we could slot a week in NZ before the Christmas holiday season and line up some meetings.

My husband is in IT, specifically in software testing (but at a senior management level here in the UK) running programmes and portfolio projects. I am hoping that Skype/FT meetings is an option with potential employers/recruitment agencies since it’s used quite a bit within the industry - here anyway lol

We’re happy to finance any visa ourselves (had noted the difference in timelines to citizenship) and once our UK home is sold should come with a substantial amount of equity to put down as deposit on our NZ home.

We’ve got quotes for container shipping of our belonging and cost for shipping the dog! 100% committed just missing the important bit - the job!! 😂

Not sure I’d want to sell all our belongings, make the move up root the kids and enter NZ on a visitor visa and then not be able to get a job/make the change to a working visa....

[JandM]

Not sure I’d want to sell all our belongings, make the move up root the kids and enter NZ on a visitor visa and then not be able to get a job/make the change to a working visa....

I don't thnk I've ever heard of anyone doing that. People usually do recce trip>secure job offer>apply for visa(s)>while waiting for those, deal with logistics of move (sometimes done by the partner who hasn't got the job offer).

[Horsemad1976]

Yes this does seem the most logical way of working it and certainly the path we will follow. We've got my SIL assisting us (she's in the same industry in Australia). Hoping we can schedule some face:face meetings later in the year if we haven't had any success with Skype/Face Time communications.

Is there any preparation in term of paperwork I can be doing in the meantime? We have certified copies of everything including job references for the last 18 years.

[JandM]

We've got my SIL assisting us

Be careful. Look at the NZ law about this. It applies to people overseas as well. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51538
https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24859

[Juniper]

I don't thnk I've ever heard of anyone doing that. People usually do recce trip>secure job offer>apply for visa(s)>while waiting for those, deal with logistics of move (sometimes done by the partner who hasn't got the job offer).

We're kinda sorta doing this, although not exactly. We didn't own a house, so we just stopped renting and put all our stuff in storage. Theoretically we could have the shipping company load the container without us if need be, but we're more likely going to go back for a visit and to oversee all that (in the event of visa approval, which has not been submitted yet). The US is no longer our homebase exactly, we don't actually have one at the moment.

We're doing a year of homeschool (mostly, the kids can do up to 3 months of school here) and my hubby is working for his own US-based company remotely, which is something that was on our bucket list anyway. After doing the US tour, then Mexico, and then wearing out our welcome at all the family houses (hehe, they can't complain so much about missing us), we got a 6 month visa to tour NZ. The concept was to do 2 months in 3 different places we might want to settle, but logistically we were only able to do 2 long stays (Nelson, and currently New Plymouth) because finding reasonable housing for short term rentals is difficult.

Since my husband has been very busy with his remote work, he hasn't been doing the kind of CV-spam that might be wisest in casting a wide net, but he still has two companies quite interested in him. One was from using a coworking space and networking with the people there, the other was from a previous business relationship.

[Horsemad1976]

She’s not helping us with migration! Just got potential job opportunities and a bit of networking!

Be careful. Look at the NZ law about this. It applies to people overseas as well. https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51538
https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24859