[Ziggy]

Hi
We have finally made the decision to move, I'm a nurse & hopefully this will be enough to get my skilled migrant visa but I would prefer a job offer before we leave we would like to settle in The Bay of Plenty. Does anyone have any experience or advice on getting a job I have contacted various agencies but they either want vast amounts of money or are just short term temporary contracts. is it avisable to try to secure a job yourself or pay an agency and take up an agency nursing job and then secure somthing more permanent when out there. we are going to Expo in Leeds in April but at 42 I'm a little nervous is it just geared up to younger people making the move or are there any other oldies like us
Thanks
Julia

[dusk]

I wouldn't worry too much about your age, there's plenty here in their 30's, 40's and on who are busy making plans!

can't help with job hunting advice, although I think there are issues with registration that you will need to look into if you haven't already, one of the medical types on here will be sure to let you know no doubt :)

last years expo had several medical staff stalls, so if you're planning on going to the Leeds expo there should be people there you can talk to about it as well

[BaggiesFans]

My husband is a Community Physciatric Nurse and he secured a job with BOPDHB using an agency - Tonix. He is dealing with Annie who seeems very good, but to be honest you can just trawl through the various DHB websites and apply through them.

[JandM]

Hello, Julia.:) Good luck with all your plans. We'll be pensioners going over. Admittedly we won't have to find jobs - but we've had that much longer to stash stuff in the loft.:(

[3littlepikes]

Hi I have just got a job as A midwife - dealing with tonix - tell you what to do and when . I guess you can apply direct but I have got a better wage going through an agency ( i believe speaking to others ) .

I applied for registration to practice first all online . they needed verification from the nmc which took a little time and police checks plus verification of official documents and 2 character references ( remember midwifery _ but prob similar ) hope this helps .

[3littlepikes]

ps tonix did not charge me and it is a perm contract - dont consider myself old but approaching 40 - you should get automatic selection re points on EOI -I should email them - they then phoned me back and have proved very helpful - we are looking at Whakatane just down the road from T auranga in Bay of Plenty

[nickydwuk]

I don't know what agencies you contacted but the nurse recruitment ones don't charge. I registered with Tonix, Geneva & Accent. By chance I got my job through Geneva earlier than I planned. But all agnecies were good - they gave you all the info and even chased up the NZNC for me. I would suggest you contact them all and see what advice they can give. If you apply directly to the DHB's I believe you may get a better relocation package but at the end of the day as long as you get the job right?

I too am 42 and my age did not go against me. But you will have to really start your nurse registration process soon. It can take up to 9 months for registration then you have to apply for an Annual Practising Certificate. Most DHB's will hold your post open if you give them an idea when you expect to be in NZ. Check out the NZNC website and request a registration pack now. At least you will have an idea of what info you need to start gathering. Just shout if you need any more help. :yes

[britzy]

Hi
I contacted the district health board directly ,they were very interested and before we knew it both my husband and I were offered jobs.We are just awaiting NZ nurse registration which is so slow ,before putting in our EOI.We have not gone through an agency or immigration consultant,just sent loads of emails to everyone and doing all our on research like alot of people on the forum.
Helen

[SNK05]

Hi Ziggy....

I've registered with Geneva Health who seem helpful enough, no fees and they call you so no overseas phonecall costs etc.

I was advised to get the registration process underway as it can take up to 6months, tho mine's taken a little longer basically just because I've had serious problems with character references actually reaching the NZ Nursing Council.

This is the website for the Nursing Council...

http://www.nursingcouncil.org.nz/

....lots of advice on what's involved in the process of applying and downloadable/printable application forms with guides etc.

As some have already mentioned, you can view employment ads on the District Health Board (DHB) sites....and apply direct.

Hope this helps

[Hippywench]

I can't see you having any difficulty finding a job. I've been to 2 Expos already and as soon as you mention you're a nurse they practically try to stuff you in a suitcase there and then!
I'm just about starting to gather stuff for my nursing registration. I've 3 referees lined up and need to decide on a 3rd.
I've already given my CV to Drake Medox International, who emailed me a handy guide to NZ. I don't know whether to go with an agency or not and as soon as I get my reg sorted I'll email my CV to Waikato DHB, see what they can offer.
Which agencies asked you for money? I'd avoid those like the plague, to be honest. I don't see the need for us to be paying money when we're in such high demand!

[benandclare]

Welcome along Ziggy and "you'll be right" on the job front.

Clare applied direct to the DHB, viewing their website, interview over the phone and Bobs your uncle :D

Very important to get your regristration application rolling though.

[snailandthewhale]

Ziggy, I applied direct to the DHB. Plenty of nurses older than you coming to work here at my hospital. Like everyone says, get started on the registration asap.

Britzy, I sent in my EOI minus the nurse registration, emailed immigration to check it was okay, it helped speed everything up.

Good Luck everyone!

K

[Ziggy]

Thanks for all the info best get started on my registration,
X

[Lupin]

NZNO registration is a lengthy process so get cracking on that ASAP- we chased ours hard through the whole process but I seem to remember it still took a month ...

Looks like there's plenty of work for nurses over in the BoP :)

http://www.bopdhb.govt.nz/careers/SearchVacancy.aspx

[britzy]

Thanks snailandthewhale,I did think about submitting our EOI but OH was reluctant to without registration saying you would get more points with this plus job offers extra.
Helen

[snailandthewhale]

I still had the points for being a registered nurse, just told the case officer that the registration was delayed and they got on with processing the rest of the ITA. I got the job before I even sent off the nurse registration forms.
K

[BaggiesFans]

Its good to know they can process the ITA without the registration coming through. Our ITA has to be in 29th March and the 3 months on the medical are up by the 15th March. My husband has a job offer to start end of May nad everything else on the ITA is sorted and hopefully the house sale is going through so we were starting to panic that the registration is going to hold us up. We are now emailing the Nursing Council every day to check on progress - I believe its in the final stages of processing - they say it shouldn't be long now but can't give me a timescale. (Word of warning - they don't start the process until they receive all the documents they need, but they don't tell you they haven't received all the documents! When my husband got a job offer I politely enquired on progress to be told they hadn't received various docs - including a reference that they later found in their office!)

[nickydwuk]

My ITA has a pink form at the front which expressly stipulates that you must submit your NZNC registration with the ITA. It may not be needed for the EOI but defintely for the ITA.

[Red Devil]

NZNO registration is a lengthy process so get cracking on that ASAP- we chased ours hard through the whole process but I seem to remember it still took a month ...

That's good... my wife has been advised that NZNC have a huge backlog and are turning registrations round in 3 to 4 months :eek:

Can definitely recommend Tonix... my wife is also in regular contact with Annie and she's extremely helpful. We're calling into their offices in Devonport (Auckland) at the start of our 3 week 'recce' trip in April, just to go through various matters and put a face to all the emails that have been going back and forth :)

Good luck with everything :nice1

[snailandthewhale]

Of course, immigration need to see your nurse registration, but, if people's medicals and police checks are in danger of expiring whilst waiting on the registration, then it's perfectly acceptable to send the ITA without it, and send the nurse registration in later.

[britzy]

I contacted NZ immigration via phone and they said I needed my NZ nurse registration to validate my qualification and job offer for my EOI .Hope this helps clarify things.

[snailandthewhale]

Sorry about my typo! I sent the ITA minus the nurse registration! not the EOI! and obviously they accepted it, as I'm here.
All this time and I still get confused!
Sorry again and good luck with NZNC, folks!
K

[printman]

This has been a very useful thread. Thanks for all the information. One thing that would be helpful is to see what the difference, if any, is for nurses coming over from the US. Is the process any slower or faster than with UK applications or is it just an agency wide phenomenon for all countries' applications. We have already submitted our EOI without job offers and have yet to start the nursing registration so we can't wait to hear how panicked we may or may not be. Thanks to all!

[Jane&Dom]

Hello all
I'm almost 50, and will be doing a return to nursing course here in the UK this september, hoping to back on the register by next february. My husband and I want to then emigrate to NZ with me as principal applicant. My nursing qualification is RGN plain & simple, no diploma or degree. I do have 16 years experience, but left in 1999. Can anyone tell me whether I'd be wasting my time applying, either because of my age or my qualification? Any info/advice gratefully received!

[Hippywench]

Hello all
I'm almost 50, and will be doing a return to nursing course here in the UK this september, hoping to back on the register by next february. My husband and I want to then emigrate to NZ with me as principal applicant. My nursing qualification is RGN plain & simple, no diploma or degree. I do have 16 years experience, but left in 1999. Can anyone tell me whether I'd be wasting my time applying, either because of my age or my qualification? Any info/advice gratefully received!

I can't say for certain, I was worried about only having a diploma and not a degree. A colleague of mine retired to NZ sponsored by her son, who had previously left the UK. I know she mentioned having to chase her original nursing school which she had left nearly 30 years before but I couldn't say for certain that she hadn't converted to a diploma or degree at some point. Plus, she left the UK a couple of years ago so the rules may have changed. I hope someone else will be able to give you a definite answer!
As for your age, you have to be under 56 so you have time.

[Jane&Dom]

Thanks for this - I'll copy my message to a new thread in the hope more people will see it who can advise. Good luck with your own NZ plans!

[BaggiesFans]

Snail&Whale this is interesting - NZ Immigration specifically told me not to submit the ITA without the nursing registration as it might be sent back as incomplete. We are in the situation where our medicals expire 15th March. NZIS have told us to ask for an extension on the ITA and to get the doctors to extend the medicals if they agree to it ( see my seperate thread on taht).

[snailandthewhale]

How odd! I emailed my case officer and she said to just write on the accompanying letter that it's to follow. This was Oct 2006 so either they have changed policy or it depends on how helpful / unhelpful your CO decides to be.
I've checked and I still have her email to me and would be happy to PM it to you if you get into a fight with NZIS. (Although I really hope you don't!)
I had my employer hurry up the NZNC, it may be worth asking yours to do this for you.
Regards
K