# Working holiday immigration plan



## jabalv (Dec 4, 2013)

Hello,

I would like to ask few questions and highly appreciate feedback from my current plan of immigration to New Zealand 


Plan:
1) "Get working holiday visa", In next few days I will apply for Working holiday visa, so far I started it just to check if there are available visa limit for my country. I assume it can take about 1 month ore more? But I don`t see a lot of issues if process itself - right? Why working holiday visa? Because of requirements, chance to explore New Zealand and this increase chance to find permanent job by staying in NZ.:fingerscrossed:

2) Travel to New Zealand (Auckland) with funds ~6K NZD, have to find place to stay, host family or some backup plan hostels for few days also make contacts using couchsurfing for few day stay at arrival. Maybe someone can suggest something here?

3) At this step I`m planing to do core things like opening bank account, tax number - but this can be problem, if no permanent place to stay ?, get New Zealand phone number (some prepaid, so companies can contact with me), exploring...

4) Search for job in field "Information technologies", "System administrator, DB administrator", contact to prepared companies, newspapers, working agencies, maybe find some people who can help with advice of work or contacts. Currently I have 5 years of work experience in this field, bachelor degree, IT certificates, quite wide technology knowledge.:fingerscrossed:

5) Start preparation to apply for Skilled migrant visa, so I can stay for longer period of time. This steps goes togeather with step 4th, as for longer working period I need skilled migrant visa - I think my occupation applies on that.

6) Search or take temporary student type of works, this step also in paralel with steps 4th and 5th




Q: And I would like to ask someone who is already there about market situation in IT field. I know that "Programmers" are required everywhere, but how about system administrators, system engineers, system support engineers in New Zealand? I checked online job boards - but that is place which shouldn`t be trusted.

Q: Any other tips would be appriciate or maybe contact information, the most worried I`m about acomondation at the moment and channels to search.



Best regards,
Janis


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

Hi there - Welcome to the forum. 

And it looks like you have a plan! Nothing is ever definite, but what you have planned gives you a good fighting chance.

On the IT front - like most other places in the world, there is usually a shortage of good IT guys. So with 'systems & DB administrator' on your CV (unless it's on some very peculiar platform, or very specialist) you should find there are jobs in Auckland. Look in Wellington, Christchurch, and (for smaller markets) Hamilton & Tauranga too (I'm currently in Hamilton, but there seem to be only a handful of IT employers. Nice little city, though).

Accommodation - I have a friend who 'couch surfs'. Hmmm - it doesn't sound very safe to me. But she seems to have survived it :fingerscrossed:
I'd be looking at student style accommodation - especially over summer, when the Uni is closed. Try searching for 'auckland student accommodation' - there seem to be a few places that are advertising it.


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