# Immigrating to Wellington with little to no experience



## jay2415 (Aug 16, 2015)

Hey all, I'm from the USA and have taken up interest in moving to NZ, particularly Wellington. I am currently studying a certificate in carpentry and will be done in June 2016. I might have around six months of experience, if I'm lucky, by that time. What are my options to move immediately after school? I checked the skilled migrant visa (assuming I'd already be working or have had a job offer on a WHV), and it said I'd have 130 points and may not be worthwhile getting an EOI. Can I get a working holiday visa and look for permanent employment, and if so will they be willing to hire me over NZ residents? If all that checks out would I be able to get a permanent visa, or a temporary visa until I could apply for a skilled perm visa? 

I do know I (think) I could get an essential skills visa for the Christchurch area, but was more looking into Wellington for the moment. Thanks for your help.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

jay2415 said:


> Hey all, I'm from the USA and have taken up interest in moving to NZ, particularly Wellington. I am currently studying a certificate in carpentry and will be done in June 2016. I might have around six months of experience, if I'm lucky, by that time. What are my options to move immediately after school? I checked the skilled migrant visa (assuming I'd already be working or have had a job offer on a WHV), and it said I'd have 130 points and may not be worthwhile getting an EOI. Can I get a working holiday visa and look for permanent employment, and if so will they be willing to hire me over NZ residents? If all that checks out would I be able to get a permanent visa, or a temporary visa until I could apply for a skilled perm visa?
> 
> I do know I (think) I could get an essential skills visa for the Christchurch area, but was more looking into Wellington for the moment. Thanks for your help.


If you're legitimately looking to do this, I would highly suggest you start with a move to Christchurch first, for several reasons: first and foremost is you are most likely to find gainful employment here while still overseas--generally it is almost impossible to do so while in the US. Yes, it's possible to come here as a visitor to work, but you'll get the side-eye from immigration, and, frankly, employers here do not often offer employment to someone who doesn't have a Visa--because they have no guarantee that you'll actually ever get one. They'd essentially be offering a job to someone who can't start work, and then placing it on hold while your Visa applications is reviewed and approved/disapproved. You'd be taking a moderate to high risk in coming here just hoping for employment like that.
You'd more likely be hired in Chch fairly easily, just because the need is so great right now. It's more likely your just-fresh experience might not count against you; but anywhere in NZ is going to look toward kiwi experience over a newby foreigner. You could gain the all-important kiwi experience as part of the Chch rebuild for 6 months or a year, and then start looking for employment in Welly as you desire. Anyway, just my thoughts. 
You'll also need to look into what is require for lateral licensing over here, and make sure you have that when you start looking. 

Cheers


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## jay2415 (Aug 16, 2015)

Kimbella said:


> If you're legitimately looking to do this, I would highly suggest you start with a move to Christchurch first, for several reasons: first and foremost is you are most likely to find gainful employment here while still overseas--generally it is almost impossible to do so while in the US. Yes, it's possible to come here as a visitor to work, but you'll get the side-eye from immigration, and, frankly, employers here do not often offer employment to someone who doesn't have a Visa--because they have no guarantee that you'll actually ever get one. They'd essentially be offering a job to someone who can't start work, and then placing it on hold while your Visa applications is reviewed and approved/disapproved. You'd be taking a moderate to high risk in coming here just hoping for employment like that.
> You'd more likely be hired in Chch fairly easily, just because the need is so great right now. It's more likely your just-fresh experience might not count against you; but anywhere in NZ is going to look toward kiwi experience over a newby foreigner. You could gain the all-important kiwi experience as part of the Chch rebuild for 6 months or a year, and then start looking for employment in Welly as you desire. Anyway, just my thoughts.
> You'll also need to look into what is require for lateral licensing over here, and make sure you have that when you start looking.
> 
> Cheers


Hey - I'd be getting a working holiday visa before entering NZ to look for work in Wel/Chch, I was just wondering how easy it'd be to get a permanent job on that visa before getting a different, longer term visa. Considering my experience and all, and how the points system works, I wasn't sure how I'd fare in getting a skilled visa after my job offer. 

Thanks!


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

jay2415 said:


> Hey - I'd be getting a working holiday visa before entering NZ to look for work in Wel/Chch, I was just wondering how easy it'd be to get a permanent job on that visa before getting a different, longer term visa. Considering my experience and all, and how the points system works, I wasn't sure how I'd fare in getting a skilled visa after my job offer.
> 
> Thanks!


You cannot accept a permanent job on a WHV. That would be in breach of your visa conditions.
The rules surrounding the length of time you can work for an employer all depend on the country of origin for the WHV.

Once in NZ, an employer could offer you a permanent position and you could use that permanent job offer to apply for a temporary work visa - eg an essential skills visa or a work to residence visa or even a more permanent visa like a resident visa via the Skilled Migrant points system assuming in each case that you met the criteria and the requirements.

The position would have to be skilled,the employer may have to be accredited by Immigration NZ to offer work to someone from overseas and there may be certain rules surrounding a minimum acceptable salary etc but these "conditions" all depend on the visa you would be applying for.

Best bet would be to come here on a WHV and have a scout round. Do some work here and there and get a feel for life in NZ and if you feel you'd like to stay then have a look at your options work wise and then approach immigration.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

jay2415 said:


> Hey - I'd be getting a working holiday visa before entering NZ to look for work in Wel/Chch, I was just wondering how easy it'd be to get a permanent job on that visa before getting a different, longer term visa. Considering my experience and all, and how the points system works, I wasn't sure how I'd fare in getting a skilled visa after my job offer.
> 
> Thanks!


Sorry for my oversight, I saw the "holiday visa" but skipped the "working" part of it. E2NZ is technically correct, but immigration officers do have latitude about how sticky they want to be with how you went about securing a job, etc. I'm still of the opinion that you have a higher chance of scoring a longer visa than a working one by looking at Chch for your start off base, only because their skills shortage is in multiple categories, and significant enough that immigration has a page solely dedicated to immigration here. Of which there is the following important blurb: 
"Suitable applicants who meet the requirements of these occupations listed and who have a valid job offer in Christchurch may be granted a temporary work visa without a labour market test needing to be conducted with Work and Income New Zealand (subject to meeting all other requirements)." That's a fairly big deal in the labour market. Here is a link to that INZ page directly, which also has links within it for the govt Canterbury (job) Opportunity page. 

Work opportunities in Christchurch

I don't have any reason to persuade you, other than a working knowledge of how difficult landing on your feet in Wellington can be. I have very good friends who moved there first, and spent 18 months trying to gain traction economically and socially. It's expensive, cold and wet, very windy, and because there's not a job boom like there is in Canterbury, they had trouble securing "decent" work, and the work they did secure was nearly slave-like conditions because the employer knew their work visas depended on them having a job. In Chch, a majority of the projects are through govt sponsored programs, so there is more oversight in terms of you being jacked around by an unscrupulous employer. It does happen, just not as easily--most companies don't want their govt windfall, I mean, contract, to end because of bad behavior. 

Anyway, as noted above, a working holiday visa can get your foot in the door, and however it turns out for you, best of luck!


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