[Brian]

Things are coming together for my move to Wellington, but I'm still a little uncomfortable with one thing. I won't have enough points without a job offer, so I'm planning on entering the country on a tourist visa.

It will be painfully obvious from my luggage that I'm planning on staying a rather long time, and I'm a bad liar. For those who have made the move this way - what did you tell them? Were you honest about your intentions, or did you just say you were on holiday and got waved through without being questioned further? "Yes officer, I always take my silverware, banking documents, and photo albumns with me when I go on a 2 month vacation."

Are there any other complications with entering the country this way other than having to pay VAT on your luggage?

[willsken]

Have you thought about shipping some of the stuff you won't need straight away?

[james the mechanic]

I have asked NZ Immigration numerous times about this…
Each time I have been told that providing you have a return ticket to a country that you ether have a visa to enter or visa waver and your return is within the specified time limit (6 months for UK passport holders) plus your passport should be valid for at least 3 months beyond your departure date.
You must have funds or access to funds (access to provable available credit is allegedly also acceptable) to support your self for the duration of your stay.
Contray to popular fable looking for work is allegedly an acceptable use of a tourist’s visa or ‘visa free’ as NZI refer to it.
As you have a return ticket and understand that you can’t start work prior to obtaining the relevant permit regardless of what you have in your luggage, if it is your personal property, for your personal use and not thus for resale, it would not be liable for GST (VAT) as it would in theory be leaving the country with you on the mythical return date.
All of this advice was given to me last Friday by visa office Rebecca Oliver at NZ House London, and I have previously been told very similar by other officers.
I also asked NZI’s top London man at the London Expo ‘can you legitimately travel to NZ and look for a job as a skilled migrant?’ the answer was unequivocally ‘YES’.

Best Wishes:nice1
James

[Alan]

James, what "crap" advice have they given?

[Croft]

My suspicion is you may fall foul of the bona-fida applicant criteria, ie:

E5.1 Definition of 'bona fide applicant'

See E5.1 Effective 26/07/1999

A bona fide applicant for temporary entry is a person who:

1. genuinely intends a temporary stay in New Zealand for a lawful purpose; and
2. in the opinion of a visa or immigration officer is not likely:
1. to remain in New Zealand unlawfully, or
2. to breach the conditions of any permit granted, or
3. to be unable to leave or be removed from New Zealand

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/nzis/operations_manual/7180.htm

Reading the regulations it appears much of the onus for determining whether to permit entry or not lies with the Immigration official that processes you on entry.

[james the mechanic]

:nice1 James, what "crap" advice have they given?

It’s a very long story and a whole other thread but the nub of it is that, I have asked a lot of advice/questions (Some by email some in person) along the way from NZI officials and it has recently turned out that the majority of it was, inaccurate, inappropriate or just plane crap.
Once I calm down and its eventually sorted I may post the full adjudication.
Best Wishes:nice1
James

[vixxann]

We got a reasonable grilling by immigration at Auckland airport when we arrived on 3 week reccie last year! Even though we had every intention to get on return flight home (albeit regretfully) I couldn't help but feel an inch high and that I was doing something wrong! I remember I clamped my hand over 4yr olds mouth when he asked why we'd come to NZ! she was too low under desk for guy to actually see her but I could just imagine her shouting out - we want to live here!!

We were asked about return flight info, where we were staying whilst in NZ, and purpose of visit etc I got the impression if our return tickets had been 6mths later we'd have had even more questions.

By the way - we also intend to go in on visitor visas (when we eventually sell house!)

[cathgates]

We are coming over in exactly the same way in about 12 weeks. I was originally going to book our return flight for a 5 or 6 month stay, but on reflection, I think I will reduce this to about 8 weeks. We are flying with Air NZ. They have a flexible fair ticket which costs a little more initially, but you can claim back the return part of your flight with a minimum of a temp work visa, but I think that trying to explain away a stay of 5 months as a holiday, will attract a little too much attention, so I think maybe 8 weeks would be better.:yes

Cath X

[BkyMonster]

I'll likely be going on a 6 month visitor visa (with intent to find a job and swap the visa from there)--but I plan on telling them I'll be visiting people, as I will, and that odd things in my bags are gifts, which they might be. :D

[annaerb]

My Cousin is just arriving as if coming on a holiday in May. In your passport you get 6months to stay and that can be extended to 9 months. You should be able to get a job in that time. They have now put the offer of employment upto to $55k a year.

They have sold their house/cars/furniture in the hope of living in NZ permanently. Work permits I believe some people have received in 3 weeks.

I'll let you know how they go.

If I can find out anything for you from NZ let me know.

[IanW99]

1. genuinely intends a temporary stay in New Zealand for a lawful purpose

My suspicion is you may fall foul of the bona-fida applicant criteria, ie:



http://www.immigration.govt.nz/nzis/operations_manual/7180.htm

Reading the regulations it appears much of the onus for determining whether to permit entry or not lies with the Immigration official that processes you on entry.

They are actually more interested that you will leave if you don't find work and are of course not for illegal purposes.

In NZ they have a show called borderline which is basically the immigration/customs in NZ, on the last program a visitor came in and was interviewed and told them that he was in NZ looking for work and had sufficient funds etc and was allowed to stay without any problems at all, so would agree with what immigration have said that it is actually ok.

Ian

[Brian]

Thanks all! I guess I will just keep my mouth shut, and if pressed let them know that I hope to find a job but will leave if I don't. That's exactly what I plan to do.

I don't have enough stuff to justify a full container, and shipping small quantities is rather expensive. The plan was to use the baggage allowance to its fullest.

[vixxann]

They have now put the offer of employment upto to $55k a year.



can anyone give further explanation on this please?
:)

[veronica]

re the entry into NZ, I wouldn't stress to much as long as you can show funds for whatever the length of your stay is. Please don't lose sight of the fact that the NZ govt wants immigrants, and that they expect people to come over looking for jobs etc. There are vast numbers of people from all over the world who come here for extended 3 to 6 months holiday...we know we see loads at the backpackers of all ages and lots travelling with kids too.
if you have personal papers in your bag re work etc...so, just tell them you are here for a recce.
It might be an idea for anyone travelling to scan and copy the most important documents and either travel with them on an external hard drive if you dont have a lap top or post them to yourself on hotmail..blog or something you can print from. Not so much a way of getting them through immigration without question but as a safeguard in case the originals go missing.

[marshanite]

Uh oh, have just spent months telling my 4 yr old twins that we are moving to New Zealand. Now I have to spend the next month explaining the art of deception?! And they are real chatterboxes too - oh no :exit . This advice from the agency who found hubby the job to enter on a tourist visa is proving problematic in several areas.

Fi & 2 opinionated 4 yr old girls.

[JandM]

Coming back from a holiday in France when my children were small, the UK customs asked, 'No animals?' As we answered 'no', my son, then aged 3, interrupted to say that we had - we had his rabbit. Fortunately, his TOY, STUFFED rabbit wasn't buried too deep in the camping gear in the back, because the man insisted on seeing it!:roll

[shakyle2906]

Uh oh, have just spent months telling my 4 yr old twins that we are moving to New Zealand. Now I have to spend the next month explaining the art of deception?! And they are real chatterboxes too - oh no :exit . This advice from the agency who found hubby the job to enter on a tourist visa is proving problematic in several areas.

Fi & 2 opinionated 4 yr old girls.


Good luck Fi with keeping them quiet!!
We were in same position and were dreading telling the immediate family, ie inlaws. My dad in law was back and forth hospital, more in thatn out and it was never the best time to tell them, and we only had a 6 week time plan to get things sorted!

Whilst he was in hospital, our house went up for sale/rent, our boxes were packed and shipped over and we started selling our furniture - try telling a child to keep their mouth shut! Luckily my little one didnt say too much until one day whilst sitting there with his Nanna, he said 'oh Nanna, we are going on a plane to the other side of the world, mammy and daddy are packing our house up' which she quickly dismissed! Sister in law had been there at the time, and text us to say be on alert, but mother in law never said a word.

Until, a week or so later when we HAD to tell them,then the s**t hit the fan bigtime, pardon the phrase!

Sharon

Wish you all the luck in the world!!

xx