# Disheartened :(



## UK2NZ2012

Hi, this is my first thread on this forum and I'm wondering if you could help.
I am a UK police officer and I was hoping to transfer to NZ police but I've now read that I need NZ residency. 
My husband has carpentry qualifications but hasn't really done carpentry for a few years as he is now police staff. 
We saw an Immigration Advisor yesterday and were told I have 95 points and husband has 100 points. He obviously wasn't aware of the residency needed for the police and said I could be accepted in the police and that would help with residency. Now I know that's not the case I feel really disheartened as my husband and I really want to live in NZ.
I find this all so confusing and as we own our house and have 2 dogs we don't want to sell up and ship the dogs over and then find we have to leave NZ!
I would really appreciate any advice you could give me.
Thanks, Nic.


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## G-Mo

You need to be an NZ citizen or permanent resident to be a police officer. It's the same for most countries I am aware of. Here's a quote from the NZ police intake site:



> To be eligible for employment with NZ Police you must obtain NZ Citizenship or Permanent Residency first. For more information about immigration, visit Immigration New Zealand.
> 
> You will also need to complete our selection process here in New Zealand. If you are successful, you will then be considered (amongst other applicants) for available positions in your chosen district, and training at the Royal NZ Police College. Contact NZ Police to register interest via [email protected]
> 
> ---
> 
> If you want to join NZ Police, you must first have New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency in New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand will help you with the immigration process. NZ Police are not able to directly assist with the immigration process.
> 
> After you have gained permanent residency, contact your nearest recruitment officer/selection specialist. You will undergo the same assessment procedures as New Zealand citizens. As a part of your background clearance process, clearances will have to be undertaken for all countries you have lived in (outside of New Zealand).
> 
> The basic five months’ training at the Royal NZ Police College is very intensive and includes study of legal, social and cultural issues. You will also undergo a rigorous physical training programme.


Who can be a Cop? | New Zealand Police

Would seem to me your best option would be to apply for residence, work a non-police job, then apply for permanent residence and then apply for the NZ police. Unless they decide to do an international intake, I don't see any other option.


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## topcat83

It might be worth contacting NZ Police and posing the question to them - the quote on G-Mo's post looks like it's for new recruits, and as you have experience it may be that there are other options.
Nothing lost... And sometimes agents don't know all the answers


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## G-Mo

topcat83 said:


> the quote on G-Mo's post looks like it's for new recruits


It's not. You have to be a PR or citizen.

(Cousin is a police officer in Auckland.)


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## UK2NZ2012

Thanks for your replies. I need to have a re-think about what to do! I was hoping they would accept transferees!! 
Thanks


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## G-Mo

UK2NZ2012 said:


> Thanks for your replies. I need to have a re-think about what to do! I was hoping they would accept transferees!!
> Thanks


I know here in Canada (where you also have to be a PR or citizen) they occasionally do an overseas hiring drives for difficult to staff locations where they arrange the PR for you even though the position is not on the essential shortages list. New Zealand did the same thing in 2005 I believe, you needed to have min 3 years experience. They were looking to fill around 80 positions and had something like 10,000 applications. It's possible they could do it again, I guess you'd just have to keep your eyes and ears open.


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## toadsurfer

Australia do the same thing and seemingly more often than NZ. Have heard South Australia recruit most often for uk plods. 
If they recruited again you could always go to oz for a few yrs to get PR there and then move to NZ.


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## Scones

As in many other countries NZ is reducing the size of its Police Force. I can't cut and paste
URL's but you can check it out on NZ Yahoo.


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## UK2NZ2012

Thank you very much for your replies. Think I might look into a different career path...!!


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## Song_Si

G-Mo said:


> .... New Zealand did the same thing in 2005 I believe, you needed to have min 3 years experience. They were looking to fill around 80 positions and had something like 10,000 applications. It's possible they could do it again, I guess you'd just have to keep your eyes and ears open.


as I recall this UK recruitment drive was not, in the long-term, considered a success; too many of the 98 successful candidates resigned within the first two years, mainly to return to UK or to take up police roles in Australia. Perhaps what had been promised, and what was reality, were well apart - they had to undergo NZ basic training and then start at lower ranks than they had been in UK.


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