[Tentun]

Hi everyone

this is a bit of a funny one and I hope someone can maybe shed some light on the issue for me. I'm also struggling to find the right way to explain the situation so please bear with me.

We have got our ITA based on the fact that I am a Secondary school Teacher which is of course on the skills shortage list but . . lately I've been thinking that I am desparate to get out of teaching because it was never really something I wanted to do so I've been looking at getting a job in New Zealand with my original area of study (which also happens to be on the skills shortage list). So does anyone know or can anyone tell me of their experiences of this:

What if I want to change my application to apply as an Engineer and not a Teacher. My points would be slightly different (ie less) because I have less experience of the former so I would go down from 125 to 115 points so would this affect whether or not I can actually get my application accepted or not?

I mean, on our selection date we were selected because our points were 125 points or above and we had 10 points of experience in an absolute skills shortage area (teaching) whereas now we will have less than the 125 points so will they throw me out and put me back in the pool or will they send me right back to the beginning to start all over again with a new EOI or will they just reject me??

Now I know you're probably all just thinking - why don't you just stay with Teaching until you arrive in NZ, teach for a while and then look for something else but I just would prefer not to if I have the choice because there are a lot of good Engineering jobs coming up that I would prefer to apply for and I may get a job or I may not but the bottom line is that I would prefer to focus on getting that type of job rather than a Teaching one.

I would be grateful for any type of help you can offer.

[Silverwing86]

Hi Tentun,

As far as I know, if you manage to get PR without a Job Offer, you're under no obligation whatsoever to take up a job in the field you put in the EOI/ITA. Once you have PR, I think you can work in whatever field you choose and are able to find a job in.

Were you to get PR based on a Job Offer however, then it might be different. I believe you would have to remain in that job for a certain period of time (3 or 6 months ?) before you could do something else.

I think it would also be different if you get a Work to Residence visa, but I'm not 100% sure about this so hopefully someone else can help with that. The question is whether you have to gain employment in the field you mentioned in EOI/ITA or whether any job would suffice to then go on to get PR.

So in your situation, having 125 points without a Job Offer and points in the Skilled Shortage area, I would suggest going for PR and then decide when you come over here in which field you would like to work. That way you get here quicker, but leave all your options open.

Hope this helps a bit and best of luck with the decision...

Silver

PS :uhoh Sorry, forgot to mention that I have no idea what INZ would do with your application if you were to change the ITA as opposed to what you put in the EOI. Hopefully someone else can help you with that...

[CjChris]

If you change your information and your points go down, you will likely be thrown back into the pool or flat out rejected (which is worse than getting thrown back in the pool IMO). They tend to accept the applications with points closest to (and over) 140, so the chances that yours would have been drawn at 115 were less than the chances of it getting drawn with 125.

Changing that now is a huge risk to take.

{Alternately, if you have not already gotten your NZQA full assessment and teacher's council registration, you are running the risk of not getting these completed before your Invitation To Apply is due (in 4 months). Just something to get on fast if you haven't already.}

It is taking some people many months to get NZQA and teachers council registration completed, and these documents are required before NZIS will accept your ITA (otherwise, you are flat out rejected). I'm not saying it's impossible to get these done in four months because some on here have; there are so many variables, though, and the stress is a nightmare.

If you have teachers council and NZQA underway or completed, I would do as the others suggest and complete the ITA as a teacher. You will NOT have to teach in NZ unless part of your points were from job offer or you get a job offer now to speed up the process--and then you would only have to teach for 3 months.

Otherwise, if you don't have a job offer and don't ever teach again, NZIS will never need to know this unless you tell them during the interview later (which I would not do!!). You can then get your PR as a teacher, but arrive in NZ and eat bonbons for months on end while reading magazines, or you could work in the local book store, or you could be a professional wrestler, :D or you could be an engineer and make lots more money with less stress than a teacher!!!!! (I'm assuming...--I'm a teacher so I imagine that the only other job harder/more stressful than mine is brain surgeon and air tower controller!! :p )

Anyway, stick to your current EOI status for the safer bet. After that, you have whatever choice your heart desires.

I, too, have toyed with the idea of not teaching secondary again...I've been teaching for 11+ years and I'm so tired of the red tape and 60 hour work weeks. I'm ready for something more out of life than lesson plans and term paper grading....ugh.

Good luck to you! Let us know what you decide to do!

[Tentun]

Yes, I see your point! Better to go for the Teacher route - it is simpler after all. Does anyone know if you are rejected if you can then put in another EOI at a later stage? Really don't want to risk being declined if it means I can NEVER apply again - very risky indeed.
Thanks for your comments guys, will chew on it for a bit.

[zardell]

You were sent your ITA on the merits of your EOI.

Wouldn't change it now if I were you...........

Julie

xx