Family moving to New Zealand - Job offer

[TonyoJ]

Hello all,

I am French, married with South African Citizen for almost a decade, we have a 3 years old daughter with dual nationality.

We have some family in Auckland, and because my wife already came to New Zealand on a tourist visa in 2013, while I was in the Netherlands, I decided mid-April 2018 to visit the family and the country.

In the meantime, my wife, while in South Africa, got a job offer to work in Auckland. Starting date: ASAP. I then extended my stay in NZ as my family is coming soon.
My wife is coming in July with my daughter on a tourist visa from South Africa. Once in New Zealand, she will start the process for her working visa with the company.

I have been looking around on the immigration website of NZ, however, while reading the forum, I got a bit confused with some of the threads, and would like to have them clarified if possible.

She has a job offer, the company is going to support her for the visa, even though they are not an accredited company and they could not find a suitable local candidate for more than 2 months.

Can you confirm that she has to apply for an Essential Skill Working Visa for this type of job? Does she have to fill an EOI? Is it possible to apply for my daughter and my visa at the same time? Or should we wait for my wife to get her visa, and then start our application? From my understanding we must apply separately.

Her hourly rates will be higher than 35$/h, can she expect to have a 5 years visa? Can we also expect to have the same length of visa for my daughter and mine?

Thank you for your support!

Tonyo

[ChrisMwn]

EOI's relate to a residecne application, not an essential Skills work visa.

Applications for family application s can be lodged online and linked to the essential skills application. Visas should be issued for the same period of time as the main applicant.
There would need to be separate applications for your wife, a work visa application based on partnership for you and a visitor visa application for your daughter ( up to 2 years duration ) until she turns 5 and is eligible for a student visa.

[TonyoJ]

Thank you ChrisMwn,

My wife has a job offer with permanent position, can she select the period of time she wants on her visa?

For my daughter, can she goes to Kinder garden while on a visitor visa? I also have a job waiting for me when I get the work permit.

[ChrisMwn]

yes your daughther can enrol in a kindergaten.

INZ will use their discretion in how long the visa is granted for.

[TonyoJ]

Thank you!

[Juniper]

Would there be any problem with his wife coming to NZ on a visitor's visa while she has a job offer? I thought this was considered to look like an "overstayer" risk (in case the work visa didn't end up going through, and the family had already settled in while on visitor's visas).

Also I thought children could only go to school for 3 months while on a visitor's visa? And only at certain schools that accept fee-paying international students? (That's what my girls are doing now.) Although at that point she would qualify for a student visa, I should think...

[ChrisMwn]

Would there be any problem with his wife coming to NZ on a visitor's visa while she has a job offer? I thought this was considered to look like an "overstayer" risk (in case the work visa didn't end up going through, and the family had already settled in while on visitor's visas).

Also I thought children could only go to school for 3 months while on a visitor's visa? And only at certain schools that accept fee-paying international students? (That's what my girls are doing now.) Although at that point she would qualify for a student visa, I should think...

"Look see, decide" is a lawful purpose.
Student visas to study as "domestic students" can be granted once there is a work visa holder with an appropriate visa. Student visas aren't granted to children under the age of 5.

[TonyoJ]

Would there be any problem with his wife coming to NZ on a visitor's visa while she has a job offer? I thought this was considered to look like an "overstayer" risk (in case the work visa didn't end up going through, and the family had already settled in while on visitor's visas).

Also I thought children could only go to school for 3 months while on a visitor's visa? And only at certain schools that accept fee-paying international students? (That's what my girls are doing now.) Although at that point she would qualify for a student visa, I should think...

We are fortunate enough to stay by friends, if her work visa application does not end well, we all go back to where we come from! We have the return tickets already!
I guess, the 3 months study allowed are some sort of buffer for the time to get the kids with a student visa?!?

[Juniper]

I guess, the 3 months study allowed are some sort of buffer for the time to get the kids with a student visa?!?

I suppose it could be used that way, if they're already in the country and over 5 years old, while waiting for a student visa to process. It does cost money to attend as a visitor though, the schools I've used so far have cost in the range of $200-250 per week, per student. One school had a $500 administrative fee. But since your daughter is still young, I'm sure you'll sort out a student visa before her 5th birthday!

[JandM]

It can also be used if a family is having a long visit - seeing the world, maybe, or making a visit to catch up with friends and family - but want the children to have some academic input to keep their brains ticking over, and also some socialization with children of their own age.