[harebrainedscheme]

Hello All,
I am new to the forum and need to start by saying Thank You! This site is extremely informative and helpful.
My girlfriend and I are planning on making the move from SF within a year and a half. She is finishing her Masters and will be teaching college while working as a dietician at Stanford. As far as her qualifications and skills, I think she will have no problem acquiring the needed points for PR.
I on the other hand, do not have as definable a skill. I am self employed as a salesperson for orthopedic goods in the area. I am a little confused as to how approach Residency in NZ. I read on one fo their documents that 'Sales and Service' is not considered one of the skills that gets you many points. On the other hand, I saw that 'Professional' was. I am confused. I also read that sales representatives are one of the most common emigrates. So what do they apply under?

We are both young, educated, and talented. I don't think residency should be THAT hard, but I do want to try to get all my ducks in a row. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Dustin

[kanatakiwi]

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry I dont have the answer to your questions, but for sure there will be someone on here who does!

[barryp]

If you can demonstrate a bona fide partnership, only one of you needs to contribute points. So long as the other is in reasonable health and is not a violent habitual criminal, s/he gets in 'free' of points. (I'm assuming you're considering the Skilled Migrant category.)

Check the NZIS website and this forum for hints on documenting your partnership. And start collecting documentation NOW - you'll be fine in a year.

Good luck!

[Trigirl]

provided you and your girlfriend can show your are partners and have lived together for a year then as barry says you can just apply in her name.

you will otherwise find it tough to get in under skilled migrant category by yourself as "salesperson" is not classed as a skilled job so you wont get points for work experience or a job offer, plus you can only get the basic 50-55 points for your quals and no bonus points.

[harebrainedscheme]

Thanks for the info. We'll start compiling info so it shows our partnership. Just out of curiousity, how do so many salespeople emigrate? In my current situation, I technically am a small business owner, a manager, and a salesperson. If I had to apply solo, could I slant my position at all?

Also, if I had to apply solo, I was considering getting the working holiday visa(which seems a lot easier to get) then get and maintain a job for at least 3 months so I get the bonus points during application for PM. Does that sound right?

[veronica]

If you wanted to come out on your skills having had a small business of your own it may be possible to come out on the Long Term Business Visa. this gives you three years to set up and get the business running then you can apply for Permanent Residency. But its a far simpler measure to come out on your girlfriends visa as a partner if she has the points and you can prove relationship.

[Trigirl]

Also, if I had to apply solo, I was considering getting the working holiday visa(which seems a lot easier to get) then get and maintain a job for at least 3 months so I get the bonus pointsonly if the job was something other than sales. you don't get bonus points for a sales job as it doesn't count as skilled.

on your other question i have no idea about how many sales people there are coming over and how they do it - i've only ever come across one on here and he struggled for the same reason.

[aggelon]

And yet I can't find a salesperson to employ for love or money