Dozzer
13th February 2007, 08:29 PM
Hi,
Has anyone in the UK used "The Immigration Group" ?
What was your experience...
Has anyone in the UK used "The Immigration Group" ?
What was your experience...
zardell
13th February 2007, 08:45 PM
Before I found this forum and whilst I was still a bit 'green' with the Skilled Migrant immigration process, I rang the Immigration Group for some general advice as we had been chatting to one of their reps at a Manchester Expo.
They seemed to be pretty genuine to me.
They told me that because I had filled in the on-line EOI and confirmed that I had the number of points required to be selected from the pool, what the heck did I need them for ??
Pretty sound advice if you ask me.........LOL
Julie
xx
They seemed to be pretty genuine to me.
They told me that because I had filled in the on-line EOI and confirmed that I had the number of points required to be selected from the pool, what the heck did I need them for ??
Pretty sound advice if you ask me.........LOL
Julie
xx
Kim39
13th February 2007, 08:48 PM
Dozzer save your hard earned cash and go DIY. Unsure how many folk on this forum have used companys like these, but all those guys are after is your wad of cash that you will wave in front of their little snouts. They'll promise the earth and give less in return. We spent a day at an expo a few years ago and were told catagorically by the emigration group that we stood no chance of getting to NZ with the job i have. Well isn't that a joke and a half cos i am writing this from Te Awamutu on the North Island.
Guess who were the losers:laugh :laugh
Kim
Guess who were the losers:laugh :laugh
Kim
willowshouse
13th February 2007, 08:50 PM
Just a little question...
Why would you want to use 'The Immigration Group'?
Although the immigration process can possibly be a little ponderous - these companies only use the information that you give them to process your application and they charge you a lot of money for the privilege .. save your money - go DIY!!
Dawn
Why would you want to use 'The Immigration Group'?
Although the immigration process can possibly be a little ponderous - these companies only use the information that you give them to process your application and they charge you a lot of money for the privilege .. save your money - go DIY!!
Dawn
StevieD
13th February 2007, 09:03 PM
Yeah, it is expensive enough without lining some "suits" pockets with thousands more. They only read from a script, the same script you can read online at the NZIS website. And as Nic says, they are using the information that YOU provide.
Save your money - go it alone.
Good luck.
Steve - off in 24 days, without the emigration groups help!!
Save your money - go it alone.
Good luck.
Steve - off in 24 days, without the emigration groups help!!
Dozzer
13th February 2007, 09:15 PM
Well.. my options are limited..
I don't have enough points without a job offer .. :-(
The immigration group could also help with a job offer - from my experiences so far, companies are not interested unless 1. you are already in NZ and 2. you have a work pertmit and/or residency.
rock and hard place springs to mind...
I don't have enough points without a job offer .. :-(
The immigration group could also help with a job offer - from my experiences so far, companies are not interested unless 1. you are already in NZ and 2. you have a work pertmit and/or residency.
rock and hard place springs to mind...
willowshouse
13th February 2007, 09:58 PM
Can I ask - what field are you in?
Dozzer
13th February 2007, 10:10 PM
Can I ask - what field are you in?
I've worked in IT for the last 12 years or so as a systems admin.
I've worked in IT for the last 12 years or so as a systems admin.
willowshouse
13th February 2007, 10:41 PM
Without knowing the lengths you have gone to to find a job already .. I hope I'm not speaking out of turn -
Put yourself in your prospective employer's shoes .. is is better to offer employment to someone who has employed an agency to get them a job or someone who has gone to great lengths to find themseves a job .. I would think there is not too much to choose between them. The only thing this company (TIG) have that you don't .. is the confidence to think they can get you a job. They have no magic wand to wave - all they will do is reassure any employer that the necessary paperwork will be through swiftly, and you are perfectly able to do this too.
Almost every company who advertises their vacancies will specify that they need someone who has a work permit/residency .. but if they can't find someone in that position will they refuse to consider someone who COULD have a work permit within a few weeks if they offer them a job?
Have a search through the posts on this forum - plenty of people have looked for and found employment whilst still in the UK. You have to sell yourself and your position. Eg, "You have completed your application form for PR and are waiting to submit it along with a job offer which should ensure that you have Residency status within approximately 4 weeks" Or .. "you have made numerous enquiries and would be able to secure a Work permit and take up employment within x number of weeks from receiving a job offer".
I have no fight with immigration companies but there is a tendency (in far more than just this area) for to people to think - pay them and then it's easy .. which I'm not sure is true. Your best advocate is yourself... nobody else has as much as stake, and will try as hard.
I wish you the very best of luck with your search.
Dawn
Put yourself in your prospective employer's shoes .. is is better to offer employment to someone who has employed an agency to get them a job or someone who has gone to great lengths to find themseves a job .. I would think there is not too much to choose between them. The only thing this company (TIG) have that you don't .. is the confidence to think they can get you a job. They have no magic wand to wave - all they will do is reassure any employer that the necessary paperwork will be through swiftly, and you are perfectly able to do this too.
Almost every company who advertises their vacancies will specify that they need someone who has a work permit/residency .. but if they can't find someone in that position will they refuse to consider someone who COULD have a work permit within a few weeks if they offer them a job?
Have a search through the posts on this forum - plenty of people have looked for and found employment whilst still in the UK. You have to sell yourself and your position. Eg, "You have completed your application form for PR and are waiting to submit it along with a job offer which should ensure that you have Residency status within approximately 4 weeks" Or .. "you have made numerous enquiries and would be able to secure a Work permit and take up employment within x number of weeks from receiving a job offer".
I have no fight with immigration companies but there is a tendency (in far more than just this area) for to people to think - pay them and then it's easy .. which I'm not sure is true. Your best advocate is yourself... nobody else has as much as stake, and will try as hard.
I wish you the very best of luck with your search.
Dawn
jo-and-jeff
13th February 2007, 10:51 PM
The immigration group could also help with a job offer - from my experiences so far, companies are not interested unless 1. you are already in NZ and 2. you have a work pertmit and/or residency.
An immigration agency cannot guarantee you a job offer; if any agency does so, I would run like hell, because they are likely not on the up-and-up.
In general, immigration agents have no more influence with employers in NZ than you do.
If you were able to get a job offer through an immigration agency, chances are about 99% that you would have been able to do so on your own. For certain jobs and skills, companies will be willing to talk to you even if you don't have PR or WTR; if they're not, they won't be willing to talk to an agency about you, either.
In IT, your chances are better than average. Can you arrange for a reccy trip? Book your flights 1-2 months ahead of time, then send out your cover letter and CV (adjusted first to NZ standards -- and this is not a trivial undertaking) to prospective companies telling them specifically what dates you will be arriving in and departing from NZ, and asking for an interview.
Be cautious about sending your CV to multiple recruiters, who will pull job postings from company sites and advertise them on job sites so that they can claim a "finder's fee" from the employer. You can't control to which companies they send your CV. You are best off hitting all the possible companies with your CV, then working with one good NZ recruiting agency if you get no response to your own submissions.
Good Luck!
Jo
An immigration agency cannot guarantee you a job offer; if any agency does so, I would run like hell, because they are likely not on the up-and-up.
In general, immigration agents have no more influence with employers in NZ than you do.
If you were able to get a job offer through an immigration agency, chances are about 99% that you would have been able to do so on your own. For certain jobs and skills, companies will be willing to talk to you even if you don't have PR or WTR; if they're not, they won't be willing to talk to an agency about you, either.
In IT, your chances are better than average. Can you arrange for a reccy trip? Book your flights 1-2 months ahead of time, then send out your cover letter and CV (adjusted first to NZ standards -- and this is not a trivial undertaking) to prospective companies telling them specifically what dates you will be arriving in and departing from NZ, and asking for an interview.
Be cautious about sending your CV to multiple recruiters, who will pull job postings from company sites and advertise them on job sites so that they can claim a "finder's fee" from the employer. You can't control to which companies they send your CV. You are best off hitting all the possible companies with your CV, then working with one good NZ recruiting agency if you get no response to your own submissions.
Good Luck!
Jo
alan999
13th February 2007, 11:19 PM
This is always coming up. You can get a job offer without any visa/ permit/ residency. With that offer you can then go forward, most likely by applying for a visa so you can start the job ASAP.
Dozzer
13th February 2007, 11:59 PM
Thanks for the replies..
Myself and the family will probably end up going over on a 6 month visitors visa and then get a work permit and submit my EOI from on shore.
Anyone else done it that way ?
Myself and the family will probably end up going over on a 6 month visitors visa and then get a work permit and submit my EOI from on shore.
Anyone else done it that way ?
alan999
14th February 2007, 12:57 AM
Thanks for the replies..
Myself and the family will probably end up going over on a 6 month visitors visa and then get a work permit and submit my EOI from on shore.
Anyone else done it that way ?
I'm beginning to think that is the best way to do it.
Myself and the family will probably end up going over on a 6 month visitors visa and then get a work permit and submit my EOI from on shore.
Anyone else done it that way ?
I'm beginning to think that is the best way to do it.
Caroline and Dave
14th February 2007, 02:00 AM
Hi Dozzer,
In your circumstances I agree with what everyone else is saying.With the help of advice from this forum you can do it yourself. We are in the minority here as we have used the emmigration group and as you have asked if anyone has used them I will tell you about it.
I will first start by saying we are not coming over on a usual visa. We are coming over on an investment visa. Because of this and the fact that we work virtually 24/7 we did not have a lot of spare time to arrange our visa.We still had to arrange our medicals and police reports. Our experience with this company has been excellent. If we had not been going on an investment visa we would have done it ourselves with the forums help but as hardly anyone on this forum has come over on an investment visa we feel we done the right thing to use an agent.Now with our experience of an investment visa we can advise people who are thinking along the same route.
One such example was I confused people on the forum when I asked about having to have police checks in NZ as well as UK. It turns out that people on an Investment visa have to have two police checks. One in UK and one in NZ
The one in NZ is a very thorough investigation lasting nearly 2 months. We are still awaiting the results of this but we have no worries there.
An interesting conversation I had with a lady from the NZIS who rang us in error as she forgot we had an agent but she still spent nearly half an hour discussing things ranging from official business,the weather to how good the leisure activities are. One thing she did say was she respected the emmigration group very highly and we had made a good choice there.
We are more than happy with their service but you can do it alone. At the end of the day it is your decision which way you go,but do bear in mind it is a lot of money and all of the info they give you can be obtained for free on here.
We wish you and anyone else all the success in your future life.
Kindest regards
Dave and Caroline
In your circumstances I agree with what everyone else is saying.With the help of advice from this forum you can do it yourself. We are in the minority here as we have used the emmigration group and as you have asked if anyone has used them I will tell you about it.
I will first start by saying we are not coming over on a usual visa. We are coming over on an investment visa. Because of this and the fact that we work virtually 24/7 we did not have a lot of spare time to arrange our visa.We still had to arrange our medicals and police reports. Our experience with this company has been excellent. If we had not been going on an investment visa we would have done it ourselves with the forums help but as hardly anyone on this forum has come over on an investment visa we feel we done the right thing to use an agent.Now with our experience of an investment visa we can advise people who are thinking along the same route.
One such example was I confused people on the forum when I asked about having to have police checks in NZ as well as UK. It turns out that people on an Investment visa have to have two police checks. One in UK and one in NZ
The one in NZ is a very thorough investigation lasting nearly 2 months. We are still awaiting the results of this but we have no worries there.
An interesting conversation I had with a lady from the NZIS who rang us in error as she forgot we had an agent but she still spent nearly half an hour discussing things ranging from official business,the weather to how good the leisure activities are. One thing she did say was she respected the emmigration group very highly and we had made a good choice there.
We are more than happy with their service but you can do it alone. At the end of the day it is your decision which way you go,but do bear in mind it is a lot of money and all of the info they give you can be obtained for free on here.
We wish you and anyone else all the success in your future life.
Kindest regards
Dave and Caroline
StevieD
14th February 2007, 02:48 AM
Can't say any more than already been said = how are they going to get you a job??? Try seek.co.nz and look at the jobs on there.
Good luck
Good luck
Pieterj
14th February 2007, 03:21 AM
Hi Dozzer,
I cant give any comments about "TIG" as i haven't used them. But I can say they am currently making use of a agency to assist me> I use them purely because I do not have the time to do everything myself, apart from going for the medical these guys did everything for me, including birth certificates, police clearance EOI and they will be doing my work visa application so that I can start working before my PR is approved.
What is also nice about them is that they have an office in South Africa and New Zealand which helps when things need to be done on that side, I'm not sure if TIG has offices on both sides as well.
In the end I just took how long everything would have taken me to do, taken what I believe my time was worth and it seemed like a good deal.
Good luck in whichever way you choose
Pieter&Elmarie
I cant give any comments about "TIG" as i haven't used them. But I can say they am currently making use of a agency to assist me> I use them purely because I do not have the time to do everything myself, apart from going for the medical these guys did everything for me, including birth certificates, police clearance EOI and they will be doing my work visa application so that I can start working before my PR is approved.
What is also nice about them is that they have an office in South Africa and New Zealand which helps when things need to be done on that side, I'm not sure if TIG has offices on both sides as well.
In the end I just took how long everything would have taken me to do, taken what I believe my time was worth and it seemed like a good deal.
Good luck in whichever way you choose
Pieter&Elmarie
Dozzer
14th February 2007, 04:15 AM
Ok.. we've been thinking about going it alone.. and from the feedback here it's most probably the route we are going to take.
The wife works in McDonalds, she's been there for nearly 8 years. I've just had a reply from McDonalds HQ in NZ and they say she could transfer store with a minimum of fuss...
So that's the plan.. once she gets a work permit it'll be 110% easier!
We'll end up going (2 x adults and 2 kids (10&3)) as a visitor, which being from the UK, entitles a stay for 6 months If I'm correct..
Ample time to apply for EOI I think... (famous last words!?)
The wife works in McDonalds, she's been there for nearly 8 years. I've just had a reply from McDonalds HQ in NZ and they say she could transfer store with a minimum of fuss...
So that's the plan.. once she gets a work permit it'll be 110% easier!
We'll end up going (2 x adults and 2 kids (10&3)) as a visitor, which being from the UK, entitles a stay for 6 months If I'm correct..
Ample time to apply for EOI I think... (famous last words!?)
zardell
14th February 2007, 06:43 AM
Ok.. we've been thinking about going it alone.. and from the feedback here it's most probably the route we are going to take.
The wife works in McDonalds, she's been there for nearly 8 years. I've just had a reply from McDonalds HQ in NZ and they say she could transfer store with a minimum of fuss...
So that's the plan.. once she gets a work permit it'll be 110% easier!
We'll end up going (2 x adults and 2 kids (10&3)) as a visitor, which being from the UK, entitles a stay for 6 months If I'm correct..
Ample time to apply for EOI I think... (famous last words!?)
Just wanted to wish you all the best and good luck with your future plans.
Julie
xx
The wife works in McDonalds, she's been there for nearly 8 years. I've just had a reply from McDonalds HQ in NZ and they say she could transfer store with a minimum of fuss...
So that's the plan.. once she gets a work permit it'll be 110% easier!
We'll end up going (2 x adults and 2 kids (10&3)) as a visitor, which being from the UK, entitles a stay for 6 months If I'm correct..
Ample time to apply for EOI I think... (famous last words!?)
Just wanted to wish you all the best and good luck with your future plans.
Julie
xx
Dozzer
14th February 2007, 06:54 AM
Thanks for that.. let's hope I don't need too much luck...
Got to sell the house yet.. lol
Got to sell the house yet.. lol
Mal
14th February 2007, 07:02 AM
I am a sysadmin and got a job offer in Christchurch from the UK without a permit or residency. Company understood the situation and were really helpfull filling out the paperwork etc. They were just gratefull to find someone experienced to fill the position.
Mal
Mal
Moorf
14th February 2007, 07:25 AM
My hubby is in IT (s/w dev) and he also secured work in Chch when on a visitors visa which then allowed us to get our work visas... you can do it! :nice1
Dozzer
14th February 2007, 07:29 AM
you can do it! :nice1
My thoughts exactly!
My thoughts exactly!
alan999
14th February 2007, 07:43 AM
My thoughts exactly!
Also I found they like you to "do a day". The question often arose, I think they want to see if you can fit in. I did and it got me offers.
Also I found they like you to "do a day". The question often arose, I think they want to see if you can fit in. I did and it got me offers.
Dozzer
14th February 2007, 07:49 AM
Also I found they like you to "do a day". The question often arose, I think they want to see if you can fit in. I did and it got me offers.
Sounds like a good idea.. I'd be up for that!
Sounds like a good idea.. I'd be up for that!
marcia
14th February 2007, 09:58 AM
Good luck and a word of warning when using agencies - some of them want to take a big chunk of your salary over the following few years if they secure a position for you so be very careful before signing anything.:uhoh
We didn't have enough points without a job offer, went to the expo got talking to prospective employers, came on our reccy trip, Kev had an interview and got a job offer but we waiting quite a while for the paperwork and we were planning to go down the 'come on a visitors visa and take it from there route' even with 3 kids in tow. But the paperwork did come eventually - the kiwi's laid back attidtude i think!!
If you want to make it happen badly enough you will find a way!
All the best!
We didn't have enough points without a job offer, went to the expo got talking to prospective employers, came on our reccy trip, Kev had an interview and got a job offer but we waiting quite a while for the paperwork and we were planning to go down the 'come on a visitors visa and take it from there route' even with 3 kids in tow. But the paperwork did come eventually - the kiwi's laid back attidtude i think!!
If you want to make it happen badly enough you will find a way!
All the best!
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