Hello, everyone
This is my first post and I want to say that I am very happy I found this forum. There are tons of helpful information and a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Kudos
Me and my girlfriend are considering coming to NZ to work and stay for a while. We want to explore NZ and decide whether we want to stay permanently at some later point after we have spent some time there.
We are from and currently live in Bulgaria. I work as a senior web developer in a large international company and have 3.5+ years of experience. I have a Bachelor, Masters and PhD in Telecommunications from the Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria.
Our goal is to get a visa that will allow us to stay at least 1 year and come to NZ at most beginning of 2021, because we are both ~30years old and it's kind of high time to have a long term life plan
After researching on the official INZ website and this forum we think the most appropriate combination for us would be a Work to Residence (LTSSL) Visa for me and a Partner of a Worker Working Visa for her. It seems like the simplest/quickest option. As I understand WTR is easier than other visas, because there's no need for point collection, etc. The only hard part is getting a job offer, which is not for underestimating, but I hope my profession makes it easier. And once I get an offer it seems like nothing else should impede my visa application.
1. Do you think the WTR LTSSL visa would indeed be quicker, than other options, e.g. SMC? (Does the current situation affect differently the different visa types)
2. Are there options other than SMC that would suit our goal?
3. Are there any pitfalls to coming to NZ with a WTR LTSSL visa?
4. Is there a possibility for my GF to not get a Working visa, given I get mine and other criteria are met (health, character, etc.)?
Thanks to everyone who puts their time and effort into this great place