# Visitor to work?



## ozmigration (Sep 24, 2010)

Hi,

I wanted to know if its possible to be in NZ on visitor visa (India Passport)and if u find job, can u transfer visitor visa to work visa.

does your family visa also get transfer to work visa who with you in visitor visa

anyone having idea about this.

Thanks


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

HI,
If you are in NZ on a visitor visa, searching for work is a very grey area. 
The limitations of this visa do not stipulate that a person can seek work, meet with potential employers, attend interviews etc etc.
However on the flip side of the coin it also doesn't stipulate that you can't.

Many people do use this method in order to show employers how committed you are to migrate here.
Immigration know's it goes on and they tend to turn a blind eye, however Immigration at the border (airport/port) take a very dim view of this and are fairly strict with people coming in on visitor visas who show all the signs of coming here to find work and little sign of any arrangements to be a visitor.

If you did come to NZ in this way and were lucky enough to get through Immigration checks at the border then no, you cannot "transfer" to a work visa.
If you did find a suitable job offered by an accredited employer and you wanted to stay in NZ and work in that job, you would have to apply to Immigration for a Temporary Work Visa whilst in the country on your visitors visa.
Take note though that you must ALWAYS have a valid visa to be in NZ. Having a visa application pending does not give you the right to remain in NZ, so what I'm saying is.......If you are here on a visitors visa and you subsequently get a job offer and apply for a Temporary Working Visa, that Temporary Working Visa must be granted before your visitor visa expires as you then become illegal and liable for deportation, so make sure you consider the correct length of visitor visa.

As a visitor from India you are not from a visa-waiver country so you must apply for a visitor visa for each person visiting. Your partner and dependent children can all go on one application.
Generally you can visit for 9 months but you must be able to prove you have sufficient funds to cover your intended period of stay - for all persons and you must also prove you have the funds to purchase tickets out of the country at the end of your intended stay for all persons.

If you are granted a Temporary Work Visa your partner can also apply for a similar visa via the family stream. So long as your Temporary Work Visa is for over 6 months in duration your partner should be granted the same Temporary visa for the same period as yours. Since she will be granted this via the partnership route via the family stream she does not need a job offer to secure this visa as it is based solely on the fact that you have already secured a Temporary Work Visa.

Your children will need their own seperate visas, whether that be a conditional visitors visa or a study visa to allow them to go to school/college.

Regards,


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## ozmigration (Sep 24, 2010)

Thanks a ton for your reply.

I have been interviewed by an employer and they want to meet me in person before placing an offer.

That leaves me with option of traveling to NZ on visitor visa, everything looks set and i am assuming i will have offer after meeting them.

Thats the reason i wanted to know, as it doesn't make sense to come back to india after i get job offer. as u said i can apply for temporary work visa, i am little relieved.

Is it possible for NZ govt to deny visa if i have job offer from accredited employer, just cause i am on visitor visa.

Thanks and regards






escapedtonz said:


> HI,
> If you are in NZ on a visitor visa, searching for work is a very grey area.
> The limitations of this visa do not stipulate that a person can seek work, meet with potential employers, attend interviews etc etc.
> However on the flip side of the coin it also doesn't stipulate that you can't.
> ...


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

ozmigration said:


> Thanks a ton for your reply. I have been interviewed by an employer and they want to meet me in person before placing an offer. That leaves me with option of traveling to NZ on visitor visa, everything looks set and i am assuming i will have offer after meeting them. Thats the reason i wanted to know, as it doesn't make sense to come back to india after i get job offer. as u said i can apply for temporary work visa, i am little relieved. Is it possible for NZ govt to deny visa if i have job offer from accredited employer, just cause i am on visitor visa. Thanks and regards


I wouldn't think immigration would deny a temporary work visa if you have an offer of a job from an accredited employer even if your here on a visitor visa although I can't guarantee.
If you don't break any of the visitor visa conditions then there's not much they can do. It would be an extremely harsh decision if they did and one which they would have to justify since I'm sure you would appeal.

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2013)

My understanding is that for a visitors visa you must show INZ that you are a genuine visitor. If they suspect you are here for a job interview that could prove a problem so I wouldn't travel with letters of job offers etc. Also, is your potential job offer on the skills shortage list? There are different requirements for job offers depending on what visa you will ultimately apply for and you may need your potential employer to assist in how it words the job offer.

** not intended to be immigration advice**


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

gbimmigration said:


> My understanding is that for a visitors visa you must show INZ that you are a genuine visitor. If they suspect you are here for a job interview that could prove a problem so I wouldn't travel with letters of job offers etc. Also, is your potential job offer on the skills shortage list? There are different requirements for job offers depending on what visa you will ultimately apply for and you may need your potential employer to assist in how it words the job offer.
> 
> ** not intended to be immigration advice**


Agreed - I'd put your cv, etc on dropbox or similar so you can get to it anywhere in the world.


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## ozmigration (Sep 24, 2010)

Thanks a ton for your replies and help.

My job offer in skill short list and company said they can immediate raise work visa but only after interviewing me in person.

Can u clarify what happens if my family travels along on work visa and i m granted temporary work visa, will family also get some kind of visa so they can stay back with me till i get work permit.

Advice pls


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

ozmigration said:


> Thanks a ton for your replies and help. My job offer in skill short list and company said they can immediate raise work visa but only after interviewing me in person. Can u clarify what happens if my family travels along on work visa and i m granted temporary work visa, will family also get some kind of visa so they can stay back with me till i get work permit. Advice pls


Hi,

See my original reply. I supplied information at the bottom of the post relating to visas for the rest of your family.

I'm assuming you will all be coming along together on visitor visas and in your time here you will undertake an interview with the potential employer ?

Assuming you get the job, the employer can assist you and work with Immigration to fast track a Temporary Work Visa for you.
This is all you need to allow you to live and work in NZ. You don't need a separate work permit. The Temporary Work Visa is your permit to work.
Assuming all is ok with your potential employer, the job title and role content and there are no issues with you personally (medical and police checks), Immigration should issue you a Temporary Work Visa for the period that your employer offers as a contract.
E.G. If the employer offered an 18 month contract, Immigration would award you an 18 month Temporary Work Visa.

When you have secured this visa you must then seek more permanent visas for the rest of your family.
First of all you should apply for a Partnership Temporary Work Visa for your wife via the Family Stream. Essentially this visa will be identical to yours in length and is awarded on the basis that you have a Temporary Work Visa due to a job offer.
The difference with your wife's visa is that she does not have to have a job offer or work at all.

Your children are obviously different as they are too young to work so cannot hold a work visa. You must seek other visas for them, which as I said could be an extended conditional visitor visa or a study visa.
You would need to speak to Immigration about this or seek the advice of an authorized immigration consultant.

Regards,

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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