[peebles16]

Hi All
Yet another query - just try to prepare for all eventualities. If you submit ITA and are still awaiting approval can you go down the work permit route at the same time? If so how does that work with passports? Am thinking if we haven't completed process by our November date do we have other options and could we go on WP and complete ITA process from NZ?? Anyone done this, am I being paranoid about timescales??:confused:

[katiejay]

Hi Peebles.
Spooky - same as us! We're applying for residency, but as we have no job offer, we're unlikely to get it for our November target date. We've decided to go anyway. We can't get a work permit without a job offer (although we can apply for one at the same time as a residency app.) so there's this chicken and egg thing. However, since we are so 100% committed to settling in NZ come what may, we (husband, two young boys and me) are going out as visitors for 6 months, so we don't need a visa.
We are in constant contact with various recruitment agents and have spoken to several employers, so we are hoping (really hoping!) to get a job offer soon after we arrive, and we can then apply for work visas out there.
Apparently, it's currently taking about 2 weeks to get work visas at the moment.
Running parallel to this is our residency application. This is taking ages at the moment, but apparently will gather momentum if we have a job offer.
So all in all, we should have no trouble getting residency once we're out there, as long as we can get jobs.
We've applied for our police checks which will come through soon, and we've got all the job references ready.
We'll do the medicals out there, and all the rest of the paperwork.
It feels like a bit of a gamble, but as I say, we're committed, come what may.
I hope that is of some help(?).
Katie x

[speckythecky]

It does depend on job offers, you need one for your work permit, but if you have one then your ITA will be dealt with quicker.

When I took our ITA to london I took completed work visa / student visa applications as well and left all with them. our ITA was approved within a week so they didn't even look at the work visa application.

It doesn't hurt to fill in both (except for your writing hand)

[peebles16]

Thanks speckythecky - your signature always keeps me going thinking we can manage in the timescale!