# A little guidance to start with



## Davida0904 (Nov 16, 2020)

I need a little guidance. I am married with 2 children (16 & 19). I have just turned 50. I have been a civil servant for over 30 years (tax inspector) and also I work at a professional football club as an academy coach (paid employment). I do not have a degree and built a career in the civil service. For my football coaching I am highly qualified through recognised UEFA qualifications. 
As a family we are looking at any potential opportunity to move to New Zealand. What recommendations can you give to help start the process? At this stage we aren’t worried about the location in NZ.
Should I be looking for employment at this stage to help with the EOI, if so as a coach or taxation?
Any general advice is appreciated, including if I would be wasting my time as I would unlikely achieve enough points in the EOI.
Thanks in advance.


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Hi,
First off you need a skilled permanent job offer that meets certain conditions pertaining to the Skilled Migrant Resident Visa scheme. You need to look at how both occupations are listed within NZ and more specifically how they are viewed by Immigration as you will only be of interest if you are gaining employment that is classed as skilled. You require a minimum of 160 points on the EOI to be guaranteed selection. Submitting with anything less is a waste of time and money as the EOI will never get selected. Even if you have 160 points or more on the EOI, without a skilled job offer, INZ would not approve the visa - nowadays you must have the minimum points AND either (1) a skilled permanent job offer in NZ. (2) qualifying skilled work experience in NZ, or (3) Bachelor degree/Masters degree/Phd study experience in NZ in a skilled occupation area. 
Without one of these three the best you are going to be offered is a 12 month job search visa for the principal applicant only which would allow you only to come to NZ to find a skilled job offer which would then allow you to get the SMRV for you and the rest of the family.
Other than this option, there's a possibility of employment in a specific region because of an Immediate Skill Shortage so you could check that out. The other option (still requires a job offer) is going for a temporary class of work visa and assuming the job meets certain minimum salary and other conditions it would allow your partner/dependents to gain visa's via the family stream.
You have 5 years left for SMRV as max age is 55 at time of EOI submission. There is no age limit on Temporary class visas but always remember the clock is ticking for a permanent class of visa as if you were here on a temporary class of visa and you turned 56 you wouldn't be able to go for SMRV. You'd have to think of another way - maybe Entrepeneur Visa or something like that by opening your own business ?

Also bear in mind that SMRV is delayed re-opening for another 6 months and there is a huge backlog of applications going back to the end of 2019 at the moment so I believe. NZ borders are currently shut to all persons other that citizens, permanent residents and residents with valid travel conditions. Small numbers of others are being allowed in via the appeal process where they can demonstrate that they are essential workers and are in desperate need to be here. There are no visitors or international students allowed in. Unknown when anything will change and all because of Covid19.
In my opinion it's gonna be a long time. The government has been talking of opening international bubbles up with some states in Australia and maybe some of the Pacific Islands as an interim measure and this was hoped to be before the end of 2020 but we are still nowhere near as those places are all still having cases. We had 9 new cases today - all in managed isolation and people from 8 different countries returning to NZ for Christmas.


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