New way around my visa issue..(hopefully!)

[Canadabound1]

Hi all,
I am 26 married with child. EOI sitting in pool since Feb - not too optimistic about it being pulled out. So I looked into study (too expensive) so my current plan is to get 1 year working holiday visa (after my EOI is out of pool).. go over, stay with family (unfortunately not direct brother / parent etc. so not able to sponsor me but handy contact and good company) and get a good job offer..convert WHV to work permit, allowing sponsorship of my own family and for them to come over on the back of my work permit. Resubmit EOI with higher points (hopefully passing the 140 mark at this point with job offer).... this seems like a good plan except the part of being away from my darlings for a bit..but in the longterm it'll be worth it...so any opinions..any pitfalls I haven't thought of? Always good to hear the advice of others

From those in New Z: hows the job market? I'll go to Auckland if the job options are better there as a starting point until visa issues are overcome and visit other parts of the country if we decide to at later date (we'll cross that bridge much later!). General consensus on the current job market?

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by Canadabound1

Hi all,
I am 26 married with child. EOI sitting in pool since Feb - not too optimistic about it being pulled out. So I looked into study (too expensive) so my current plan is to get 1 year working holiday visa (after my EOI is out of pool).. go over, stay with family (unfortunately not direct brother / parent etc. so not able to sponsor me but handy contact and good company) and get a good job offer..convert WHV to work permit, allowing sponsorship of my own family and for them to come over on the back of my work permit. Resubmit EOI with higher points (hopefully passing the 140 mark at this point with job offer).... this seems like a good plan except the part of being away from my darlings for a bit..but in the longterm it'll be worth it...so any opinions..any pitfalls I haven't thought of? Always good to hear the advice of others

From those in New Z: hows the job market? I'll go to Auckland if the job options are better there as a starting point until visa issues are overcome and visit other parts of the country if we decide to at later date (we'll cross that bridge much later!). General consensus on the current job market?

Hi Canadabound. that sounds like a plan to me! Look at the June EOI intake figures - EOI 2 June 2010 - with a job offer, even without 140 points you stand a chance.

[Canadabound1]

Update on my 'brainwave' - it's a no no per page 8 of the work / visa permit guide on the NZ immigration website:

Partners of holders of work visas or
work permits
If you are the partner of a person holding a work
visa or permit allowing a stay in New Zealand of
more than six months, you may be eligible for an
open work visa/permit for the same period as
your partner. You do not need to provide an offer
of employment.
If your partner obtained their work visa/permit
under certain immigration policies, you are not
eligible for an open work visa or permit under this
special category. The policies are:
• October 2000 Transitional Policy
• Crew of Chartered Foreign Fishing Vessels
Policy
• Working Holiday Schemes
• Pacific Quotas Residual Places Work Permit
Policy
• Horticulture and Viticulture Industries
Seasonal Work Permit Policy-2006 Pilot
• Recognised Seasonal Employer Work Policy.
However, you may be eligible for a work visa/
permit under Essential Skills Work Policy.

Just incase anyone plans jumping on this bandwagon; thank God I hadn't put in for the WHV yet!(and hubby isn't eligible under Essential skills work policy)-onto Plan B me thinks!

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by Canadabound1

Update on my 'brainwave' - it's a no no per page 8 of the work / visa permit guide on the NZ immigration website:

Partners of holders of work visas or
work permits
If you are the partner of a person holding a work
visa or permit allowing a stay in New Zealand of
more than six months, you may be eligible for an
open work visa/permit for the same period as
your partner. You do not need to provide an offer
of employment.
If your partner obtained their work visa/permit
under certain immigration policies, you are not
eligible for an open work visa or permit under this
special category. The policies are:
• October 2000 Transitional Policy
• Crew of Chartered Foreign Fishing Vessels
Policy
• Working Holiday Schemes
• Pacific Quotas Residual Places Work Permit
Policy
• Horticulture and Viticulture Industries
Seasonal Work Permit Policy-2006 Pilot
• Recognised Seasonal Employer Work Policy.
However, you may be eligible for a work visa/
permit under Essential Skills Work Policy.

Just incase anyone plans jumping on this bandwagon; thank God I hadn't put in for the WHV yet!(and hubby isn't eligible under Essential skills work policy)-onto Plan B me thinks!

Not sure whether it is a no-no - it just means your hubby will need to get his own working holiday permit somehow, doesn't it? (live off your earnings for a while? That's what my other half does )

[Canadabound1]

Originally Posted by topcat83

Not sure whether it is a no-no - it just means your hubby will need to get his own working holiday permit somehow, doesn't it? (live off your earnings for a while? That's what my other half does )

You're right Topcat, I forgot my plan was to get him on back of a work permit (hopefully a W2R one if we're lucky), so it involves changing the 1yr WHV to a different type of permit once I get a joboffer. He has decided to come over at same time as me rather than me go ahead-he can stay upto 3months as visitor but I really need to get documents sorted within this time frame..only thing that worries me is flying into country with me on 1year WHV and him coming as visitor with our small one..surely immigration will question whether they intend to really leave after the 3mths are up..do you know ..if you're legally in country at 'time of work permit application' and the 3mths passes due to any delay in immigration processing times are you still ok as you got docs into the office within the time frame? I'm hoping this will allow me to work as I have the WHV which is being changed to other visa type at the time..at least 1 income coming in for the first while anyway..
I'd love to hear your thoughts all

[piperchic]

Hi Canadabound1,

You asked about the job market - what industry do you work in? So that I can try and help you out with ideas.

Careerjet, trademe, and seek are all good websites for job hunting!

What city would you look at moving to?

[Newdawn55]

Dont give up just yet. I sat in the pool for 5.5 months out of the 6 month limit and still got selected, just hang in there a bit longer, you never know! Good luck.

[Canadabound1]

Originally Posted by Newdawn55

Dont give up just yet. I sat in the pool for 5.5 months out of the 6 month limit and still got selected, just hang in there a bit longer, you never know! Good luck.

Hi Newdawn, thanks for your reply.
I work in financial services, insurance. Hubbie in construction: it looks like we will be in New Plymouth at start staying with family so fingers crossed family will give us a hand too. We are having medicals and police certs sorted and flying early sept with hope of job offer..plan is hopefully gain temp work permits fairly quickly as we are entering as visitors but with bulk of paperwork done in order to gain permit quickly as we can stay upto 3mths as visitors. View my post from the other day (security issue with immigration)- logged in and my EOI was 'selected' only to realise it was someone else's EOI appearing under my login!! I emailed immigration to notify them or the 'hiccup' on their system! Since then my EOI is up again still marked 'submitted'!

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by Canadabound1

Hi Newdawn, thanks for your reply.
I work in financial services, insurance. Hubbie in construction: it looks like we will be in New Plymouth at start staying with family so fingers crossed family will give us a hand too. We are having medicals and police certs sorted and flying early sept with hope of job offer..plan is hopefully gain temp work permits fairly quickly as we are entering as visitors but with bulk of paperwork done in order to gain permit quickly as we can stay upto 3mths as visitors. View my post from the other day (security issue with immigration)- logged in and my EOI was 'selected' only to realise it was someone else's EOI appearing under my login!! I emailed immigration to notify them or the 'hiccup' on their system! Since then my EOI is up again still marked 'submitted'!

Canadabound - it will be Auckland you're after for a job. Lots of insurance companies there - try Home : IAG New Zealand (2 of NZ's biggest brands - State & NZI - I worked for them up til 30th June this year, and I can recommend them as employers. Wasn't the career prospects there for me personally but in other departments there are opportunities). also Tower Insurance, AMI, The AA, Lumley, Vero, Southern Cross, AMP, QBE. It may be on one of their call centres to start with - but once on board you can keep your eyes open for better!

[Canadabound1]

Piperchic, Topcat, Newdawn~ thank you all for your replies and advice, it's much appreciated. That's great about the insurance tips Topcat - I'm going to recommence with the job applications tonight now (left it for a while as I was always emailing but didn't know the date I'd be out!At least now we've flight booked so I can be more definite with potential employers). Much appreciated lads, keep up the good work!