[MB]

Follow me here, please, 'cos this has nagged at me for a while.
:?

How many people here - with or without job offers - examined the fairly lengthy list of job titles in the EOI section 'Skilled Employment' (SM 7.10) to determine whether their own particular job/career counts as skilled in NZIS's definition?

If that sounds a dumb question, I'm just curious as to who on the forum:
a.) has interpreted that list as relevant only to those with NZ jobs or offers,
or
b.) takes the list as more or less the "last word" on what world jobs/careers the NZIS is willing to accept to their shores right now.

What I'm getting at is that the Skilled Employment section of the EOI is the one that, at least in the main, deals specifically with folks who'll be claiming points based on jobs they have or have been offered in NZ.

So I'm wondering whether the lengthy list of job titles is also NZIS's bash at what they will consider skilled employment in those applying without current NZ jobs or job offers.

Example. Let's suppose you're a helicopter pilot in Canada who's not got a NZ job or job offer. Your career isn't on POL or Future Growth list, but it is on the lengthy list in SM 7.10. So do you feel encouraged to apply anyway just based on your quals. and experience as a pilot?
Or let's suppose you're in Scotland, no job or offer in NZ, but your own career isn't on the lengthy 'skilled' list... yet you're convinced it is actually skilled and you could prove it given half a chance. Do you still apply?

Quick appendix: I'm aware that there is an idea that the long list is actually just a fairly full set of examples, and that case officers have discretion. Even so, I'm interested in others' takes on this.

Thoughts?

Cheers,
Matt.

[sarahw]

Hi Matt,

I'm afraid I can't answer all your questions - I can only give you our experience.

My partner, Ian, is a Buildings Surveyor in Construction. Which appeared on no list from NZIS.

When he submitted his C.V. to NZ agencies they didn't say anything about the fact his job wasn't on any list, but when he went for interviews and got his job offer the job offer was for a Senior Quantity Surveyor and not a Buildings Surveyor. Evidently Quantity Surveyors are different in NZ from Quantity Surveyors in UK.

So, my suggestion is to check & double check that they don't call your profession something else. As we found, Ian's job was not only on the skilled list, but was on the regional shortages list and because he got a job in an accredited company it all went through very quickly...

Good luck :hopeso

[MB]

Thanks, Sarah, for your tip. Actually, my wife's (our principal aplicant's) career is one of the Group 3 Associate Professionals careers that is clearly on the NZIS list.

My post was not as clear as it could have been. It's just that when we were thinking of applying we noticed her career was on that list, as well as being Future Growth, and those facts by themselves motivated us to think we had a chance. Fine.
But in a sense that list is in the section that is speaking directly to people pitching up with NZ job offers they're claiming points for. So it got me thinking whether the list was intended only to convey NZIS's idea of Skilled Employment for those applicants shouting that they've got a new NZ job offer letter in their hand.... or whether it's also NZIS's idea of all skilled occupations that they'll be prepared to accept into NZ these days.

Anyway, your point about other names for careers is really valuable and will surely benefit folks reading this forum who might be hesitating about whether to apply.

Cheers,
Matt.

[sarahw]

I think so long as your points are over 100 and you have relevant qualifications and experience you're OK to get in without a job... We needed the job offer in order to qualify for enough points to get in...

[Timbo]

MB. I think that as soon as the new rules are implemented come 13th of this month, it probably will not matter very much if your occupation is on any list or not. Whether or not your job is classed as skilled will become a bit of a grey area, and it will (I believe) fall into the hands of the applicant to convince NZIS that they have something to offer. This is only my personal take on the situation.

[MB]

Sarah: thanks.
Timbo: yes. Interesting, though, isn't it, the list in SM 7.10? After all many applciants, if their own line of work isn't on POL, FGA or Skills Shortage lists, would surely look at that list to see if their occupation is on there? Even if they're not yet claiming Skilled Employment in NZ.
Put another way, it takes an admirably dynamic applicant just to pitch up to NZIS and say "I do worthehile work, with experience and quals. Take a look at me", without seeing if they're on any list first. 'Cos we've all (???) been brought up with the conventional wisdom that countries such as NZ, UK, USA, Oz, etc., tend to be looking for certain skills at any given time.

Yes, the December ehnhancements are fascinating. And by the way, for folks alread selected:
much as I'm reassured by NZIS's point that once Selected you don't need to fret about having any extra points added to your EOI after Dec. 13th, I'm also assuming that case officers will be so well versed in the Enhancements that they will apply any Enhancement-based policy benefits to your case after that date. E.g., the relaxation of PR-interview requirements for those whose skill is in an FGA (that's a policy change, remember, not something that in itself you can claim extra points for...although you can soon claim points for having the skill in an FGA w/out job offer).

Matt.