# Considering a NZ Move



## NicolaJayne1977

Hello - hoping someone can help...

My family (Husband and 2 sons, 15 and 12) are seriously considering a move across the pond to NZ. We want a better pace of life and prospects for our children - and indeed us. lane:

I have started doing some serious research and think we could make the move based on my qualifications and experience under the Skilled Migrant Category. 

1. I am a qualified (Degree) Post 16 Teacher (PCET) and have worked with learners 16+ for 8 years at Sixth Form level, teaching and advising/coaching learners. I have a split role in school teaching and administration. (So think I could apply perhaps under Skilled Occupations Codes for education 249111, 134499 or 223311 (or possibly even 241311)


2. I have A level 4 Business and Professional Administration qualification, plus many other office quals (AAT at level 2) and over 10 years experience of managing an office environment, planning etc. - including secretarial and PA role. (Perhaps under Skilled Occupation Codes 512111, 511112 OR 521211)

Question A: Do you think either of these alone would be enough to make the move?


3. We are from South Wales - All my qualifications have been achieved in English as have my husbands.

Question B: Would my application be significantly improved with IELTS - I have read that myself and my husband need to undertake this and possibly my son if we do not make the move before he is 16?


4. My husband is 43 - he has some minor things that I assume would still show up on a police record for fighting (I think there are 2 or 3 - all under the age of 21).

Question C: Would his past juvenile deliquesce affect our application?

Question D: Would an Enhanced DBS be a suitable form of Police Checking?


5. Chest Xrays and General medical Certificates....

Question E: I need this for all members? 

Question F: Can I get a general bill of health from my GP or does it need to be more in-depth? 


My husband works in the manufacturing industry, (rubber printing rollers) and is a Quality Controller - his job isn't listed.

Question G: If my application was successful should we wait until we arrive for him to find employment?


Sorry I know I'm asking for a lot to be answered, I do not want to waste NZ immigration time or my own if its a fruitless dream. We really do not mind where we end up in NZ, it all looks so beautiful and I would if I'm honest go where ever the demand for my skills was/is. But I'm beginning to wonder if I should have studied for primary teaching as these roles seem to be widely advertised!

If we do this its all or nothing, we would literally sell up and leave rainy Wales behind forever.....

Finally - I have read that we should consider shipping over much of our belongings (except wood items?). Any experience of this UK Expats? Even electrical items (surely not?)- should we be thinking replace all, or are there some we could transfer? Sorry getting ahead - we may not even be able to get there. I want to be armed with all the information in order to make the right decisions. THIS IS HUGE!!

I have started the EOI form, made a note that we can take to IELTS at Cardiff University and am trying to find out about suitable physicians etc.

Any advice, tips, ways to get my score up, answering the queries above or in finding a job is greatly received. Thank you kindly


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## escapedtonz

Hi and welcome to the forum, 

A. Very difficult to say. Skilled Migrant Category is all about the points. You need to research which combination of qualifications and skills/experience will award you the most points on the EOI.

B. No. Meeting the basic level of English is a mandatory requirement and IELTS is the main method to prove to immigration that you do meet it, however since you are from the UK and have lived there all of your life, been taught in English and have English speaking family etc it is unlikely that you'll need to provide evidence that you, partner and dependents meet the English language requirement.
You may need to take IELTS anyway as part of the professional registration for your occupation so research all about teacher registration as assuming you need that it'll be mandatory that you are at least seeking registration when you apply for the visa.

C. Maybe. If they were petty offences and he didn't do time for them it is likely that they won't matter to immigration but it's all at the discretion of the case officer. He must declare all the information of all offences that come up on his police report.

D. No or at least I wouldn't expect so. There is a formal process for obtaining police reports in the UK. Costs around £40 and takes probably 10 days until the report comes through. All done online.

E. Yes.

F. Nope has to be a full on immigration medical carried out by an immigration approved panel doctor. They.give you a thorough going over, discuss all your medical history, take blood, x-rays etc. In the UK you can't just see your GP. There is a list of approved panel doctors on the INZ website for each country. Make sure you pick one that uses the e-medical system. This is where they send all the info to immigration electronically.

G. You dont have to wait. He can apply whenever but bear in mind, if he does land a job is the employer gonna wait for the visa to come through before he starts? Resident visas via SMC can take at least a year when there is no job offer included as they have no priority.

If you do end up coming over just bring everything. Wood items, electrical items etc.
So long as wood items are manufactured they'll be clean and free from pests. Even if something is a bit dubious it can still come through but may need radiation treatment which will just cost you more. We brought a few wicker items and even a driftwood mirror. All electrical items will work. It's just the plug top that's different so use adapters in the early stages and change them slowly.


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## NicolaJayne1977

Thank you so much for such an extensive reply! Really appreciated. I will carry out more research and hopefully fulfil my dreams in 2017. Hope you don't mind me posting so many questions


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## NicolaJayne1977

Hello (again) I'm just wondering if I would be better off travelling to NZ to do some 'fact finding' and to really explore if I could get employment, perhaps visit some agencies etc? I could then apply via the work visa category and apply for residency later? Does anyone have any advice regarding this? Have you found it more successful? Pitfalls? Etc


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## escapedtonz

NicolaJayne1977 said:


> Thank you so much for such an extensive reply! Really appreciated. I will carry out more research and hopefully fulfil my dreams in 2017. Hope you don't mind me posting so many questions


Nope. 
The whole intention of the forum is to help people who have questions about the total process and although we don't offer any approved immigration advice, what we can do is give you the benefit of our own experiences.


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## escapedtonz

NicolaJayne1977 said:


> Hello (again) I'm just wondering if I would be better off travelling to NZ to do some 'fact finding' and to really explore if I could get employment, perhaps visit some agencies etc? I could then apply via the work visa category and apply for residency later? Does anyone have any advice regarding this? Have you found it more successful? Pitfalls? Etc


If you have the time and money to do it then yes you will be better off visiting first, but be aware that the normal itinerary of a visitor wouldn't be looking for a job. There's a fine line between coming on holiday and blatantly using the visitor visa to find work and not actually coming to be a visitor which could be seen as a breach of your travel visa conditions. If you are young enough you could go for a working holiday visa instead of the visitor visa as this does allow you to travel, seek work and actually work temporarily for up to 12 months. It just doesn't allow you to search for or accept a permanent role.

Many people do use the visitor visa in order to find work but you must either be very open about it to immigration and have all your business meetings / interviews etc pre-arranged......I think they allow this so long as you declare your intentions or make sure that you don't carry any evidence of your true intentions. The Immigration service knows this goes on and turn a blind eye to it but the immigration officers on the ground don't and stick to the rules like glue and many have come unstuck.

Putting yourself in front of employers will definitely help the cause. It shows your commitment to your plans. Employers will still be cautious as you don't actually have the right to work (if on a visitor visa) but if you educate them in the rules of a temporary work visa (I. E. You need a job offer to get a visa) then they may be keen. Going this route is far easier and less time consuming than the resident visa route. These can be approved in a matter of weeks not many months as immigration are only considering you living there for a mater of 1 to 5 years depending on the type of temporary work visa applied for.
It is always better to get a job offer and subsequent visa for at least 2 years as that status gives you more benefits when living here with health care etc.
Make sure you research the temporary work visa conditions and the criteria that you, the employer and the job must meet.
Once you are here working you can then apply for Resident visa to also include the job offer.


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## sk804

escapedtonz said:


> If you have the time and money to do it then yes you will be better off visiting first, but be aware that the normal itinerary of a visitor wouldn't be looking for a job. There's a fine line between coming on holiday and blatantly using the visitor visa to find work and not actually coming to be a visitor which could be seen as a breach of your travel visa conditions. If you are young enough you could go for a working holiday visa instead of the visitor visa as this does allow you to travel, seek work and actually work temporarily for up to 12 months. It just doesn't allow you to search for or accept a permanent role.
> 
> Many people do use the visitor visa in order to find work but you must either be very open about it to immigration and have all your business meetings / interviews etc pre-arranged......I think they allow this so long as you declare your intentions or make sure that you don't carry any evidence of your true intentions. The Immigration service knows this goes on and turn a blind eye to it but the immigration officers on the ground don't and stick to the rules like glue and many have come unstuck.
> 
> Putting yourself in front of employers will definitely help the cause. It shows your commitment to your plans. Employers will still be cautious as you don't actually have the right to work (if on a visitor visa) but if you educate them in the rules of a temporary work visa (I. E. You need a job offer to get a visa) then they may be keen. Going this route is far easier and less time consuming than the resident visa route. These can be approved in a matter of weeks not many months as immigration are only considering you living there for a mater of 1 to 5 years depending on the type of temporary work visa applied for.
> It is always better to get a job offer and subsequent visa for at least 2 years as that status gives you more benefits when living here with health care etc.
> Make sure you research the temporary work visa conditions and the criteria that you, the employer and the job must meet.
> Once you are here working you can then apply for Resident visa to also include the job offer.


Hi escapedtonz, 

That's a very helpful information.  

A small query, 

1- you said young enough, in your experience what age people SHOULD consider to try for work visa exercise? (considering the fact coming from different country / cultures and weather facts )

2- in your experience, which job category are/will be in demand ?


Thanks in advance. 
-Sk

Sent from my SM-N900 using Tapatalk


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## JenniferTateThompson

I definitely found an "exploratory" trip helpful. I knew I wanted to make the move, but I wasn't sure exactly which city, so I came over for a couple of weeks and visited a couple of my top choices. I also met with recruiters in my field to get some face to face indications of my odds at getting employment upon arrival for good. This was all in 2008, so things may be stricter now, but no one in Immigration or at the airport asked me any questions about why I was there or who I might be meeting with. I ended up coming on a work visa later and after working for a while started the process of applying for permanent residence. I found recruiters to be very willing to meet and even to have some discussions via email prior to. As for your immigration questions, I would try asking an immigration specialist if you can't figure out the best avenue on your own. Even a consultation for a few hours might advance your knowledge exponentially. Good Luck!


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