1 year Essential Skills Visa while waiting for residency decision

[nkarliko]

Hi all :-)

we have lodged our SMC application on 10/10/2018 (I am main applicant + my partner is a secondary applicant) and received the letter that our application will be allocated within the next 3 months. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening with the current backlog. Our current work visa will expire on 23/02/2019 and we will most likely not receive the decision about our SMC application by then. So we have decided to apply for a work visa + partnership visa now to avoid the situation of issuing interim visa that will not allow me and my partner to work whilst waiting for the decision of the visa (we are both changing the type of visa - me from partnership to work and vice versa).

I have a few questions and would be very grateful for your advice and experience with this.

1. Do we need to provide all the docs, we have already provided with our SMC appplication, again - including passport photos and copies of passports, employment agreement etc., proofs of partnership and even Employer Supplementary Form?
Or is it enough just to write a cover letter stating that all the docs have been provided with the SMC application no. xxxxxxxx, no need to prove there are no NZer's to do the job (as per the special allowance in Essential Skills instructions for those on Essential Skills visa awaiting a decision on their SMC application) and we can supply only INZ 1015 (Essential Skills) and 1198 (Partnership) forms? If yes, is it enough to submit only copies (not certified copies)?

2. Is this the correct form to supply - INZ 1015 (Essential Skills) for me as a main applicant? Is there any special field in the form to tick to let them know that the employer does not have to prove there are no NZer's to do the job?

3. Is this any faster to get the approval of this 1 year visa than usual Essential Skills Visa without SMC lodged? I do not quite understand why would they want to check on the same application twice

4. Does it matter if we lodge these 2 applications online or as the paper application?

Thank you all for sharing your experience and knowledge regarding this matter

[JandM]

1. I think, a combination of the two approaches. Your two applications will almost certainly not be being assessed by the same CO, or even in the same office, or branch, so you need to make life as easy as possible for the CO who will be processing your work visa applications. In theory, yes, your evidence is *somewhere* with INZ, and probably on record on the computer system, but compare the hassle of having to track it down, with having copies to look at right there and then on his/her own desktop (real or virtual). And yes, do a cover letter explaining your situation fully, and that originals/certified copies are with your application submitted to x branch on x date, quoting any reference numbers.

2. Yes, that's the correct form. In the Work Visa Guide (INZ 1016), it says this.

We do not need to be satisfied there are no
New Zealanders available if you already hold
a temporary work visa, and have a valid Skilled
Migrant Category (SMC) invitation to apply or
an SMC application currently under assessment.

So you need to mention in your covering letter that you have a temporary work visa, and that you have submitted your ITA for SMC.

3. I don't think you can rely on having any priority, and NO visa application slips through on the grounds of being similar to another one - they're all individually checked. So to help things go quickly, make sure you provide very full and clear evidence.

4. INZ consistently state that online application is easier for them, and/but both ways are subject to the same regulations.

[nkarliko]

Thank you JandM for your response, it is been very helpful