[pete&kaz]

Hi all
Been a while since we have posted - been busy doing up the house for sale and getting the EOI application process underway - thanks to all you good people on the forum we now feel confident to handle it without agencies - she says!

Just one big problem - help&advice appreciated if any healthcare/ex-NHS workers are reading this:

Hubby Pete is a UK ODP (Operating Department Practitioner) and we are looking at gaining PR on the SM route (without a job offer at this stage - just want to get the ball rolling) as we have a young boy of 8. Pete's quals (City & Guilds 752 - 2 years f/t study, qual back in 1984) and HPC (Health Professional Council) registration are recognized by NZATS (NZ Anaesthetic Technicians Society) - Anaesthetic Technicians being on the long term skills shortage list. He has even been offered an interview on the strength of his CV when we sent a feeler to a DHB (although we are not planning on coming across until Sept 08 when I have completed my Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis).

So far so good you might think but not so! On trying to complete the EOI we couldn't find his quals so wrote to NZQA for a pre-assessment which came back as being a level 3 and worthless in terms of points!Arghh!!:confused: :mad:

This effectively means we haven't even got enough points to submit the EOI as we had counted on Pete being a SM - after all, Anaesthetic Technicians are the long term skills shortage list! NZATs are hopefully going to advice us further but would really appreciate if anyone has been in the same boat and how they got around it. For example, do we need to fork out for a full NZQA assessment or are we likely to get more of the same?!

Thanks for reading this and hope to hear from some of you good people.

karin

[jess]

(bump)

[jambo]

What a disappointment Karin. The only hope I can offer is the thought that the NZQA must look to professional organisations for guidance about what is and what isn't an appropriate overseas qualification. If the NZ Anaesthetic Technicians Society recognises your hubby's qualifications, then you must surely have a strong case.

[stevied20]

I submitted my family's EOI as Chef with all of the relevant quals required in the UK only to be rejected, as NZQA returned a level "3". Gutted, like yourselves.
Just like youselves, the catering industry is screaming for chef, and also is a skill shortage.

After some investigations it seems they do base their (NZQA) decisions on hours of study put in, and as I trained as a part time student I did not make the grade in "hours studied".

My wife applied then as lead applicant (She is a nurse) and managed to gain membership of the "New Zealand Nursing Council" which is a passport past the NZQA section entirely.

The reason we went as me as lead applicant was due to extra points for me being slightly younger.

Could your husband gain membership to a professional body firest and then submit the EOI.

I thought of spending more money on a full NZQA assessment and probably would have if the other route had not worked.

I would suggest getting a job lined up if possible and then you will fly through, although you can't sort this out until nearer your leave date next year, which incidentily is close to ours.
My wife joined a medical agency in Christchurch (met them at a recent London expo) and they were amazing, told us what route to take and regularly email us on our progress, and have promised to help out where possible.
Their name is "Accent", try googling them!

Best wishes & good luck

Steve & Ju

[pete&kaz]

Thanks all

We have since been advised by both NZIS and NZATS to get the proff reg sorted first as this will apparently bypass NZQA, phew! Probably worth looking into for others in similar situations. So now busy getting that underway first. Nobody said this emigrating lark was going to be easy, right!?

Can anyone tell me if am I right in my understanding that you only have 3 months to get to NZ after gaining PR if you have claimed points for a job offer?

Karin

[snailandthewhale]

I think you have a year to arrive, after you get your blue stickers, regardless of how you got PR. You might be thinking of the section 18A conditions, if you come as a skilled migrant, with a job offer, you have to start work within 3 months of arriving in NZ and you have to stay in that employment ( or a similar job ) for 3 months after which time you can apply to have the conditions lifted and you are free to do as you please.

K