KelvinAng
24th June 2008, 10:10 PM
Last year, 29 July 2007, I submitted my EOI online with 115 points and no job offer. A few days later on 1 August, it was selected. On 12 November an email came from my EOI officer (Bangkok branch) bringing the good news that my EOI has a "Decision Successful" status, and four days later the ITA documents arrived in my Inbox. I was thrilled.
Off I went to gather my qualifications and courier them to NZQA on 10 December. Applied for the Singapore police certificate on 21 December, received it two weeks later on 4 January 2008. Knowing that NZQA would take approximately three months to process my qualification, based on the experience of others on this forum, I waited till 13 February to do my medicals. Got the full report by 18th, but still no sign of the NZQA report.
It finally arrived on 6th March 2008 but it was not good news. My Bachelor of Science (Computer Science with Business) degree from the Open University, UK, is graded as a Level 6 instead of the expected Level 7. NZQA reasoned that I do not have enough Level 3 and above computer science module credits for it to be awarded a Level 7, being a non-Honours degree and the fact that I did a Business minor. I was gutted! Being an IT professional I require a Level 7 grading in order to receive points for work experience, and without these points in work experience I have only 90 (30 for age under 30 years old, 50 for a Level 6 qualification, and 10 for general work experience). The application was on its way to being dropped. It wouldn't even be returned to the EOI pool.
A search on this forum found that Jane (Lara Croft) has exactly the same problem with NZQA and her Computer Science degree from the Open Uni, and after exchanging a few messages with her she encouraged me and suggest I give it a try by coming to New Zealand to look for a job. It was really an ultimatum... I packed up, quit my job and left Singapore within two weeks, on 16 March.
Two weeks after arriving New Zealand (first Auckland, then Christchurch), I received two job offers in Christchurch - my city of choice in New Zealand - and accepted one of them. Posted my ITA sometime mid-April. While my residency was being considered, I applied for a work permit so that I can start work with the company. Based on the experience of others on this forum I've assumed that with a job now in the list of long term shortage list, applying for my residency would be a walk in the park. Dropped off my application and started to arrange for my belongings to be shipped over. Got my New Zealand driving license (both car and motorcycle) and bought a scooter, heater, stereo... and was looking out for a good deal on a nice motorbike and a car. You know... big boy's toys.
Then came the bad news. It appears that my contract of 6 months was deem insufficient to be considered "sustainable employment". My application would be declined unless I can get another contract or job.
But as luck would have it, a few days before I receive that letter from Immigration, my company offered me permanent employment. I was told it was a rare move on the part of the company because (1) my contract of 6 months has just begun, and (2) permanent contract in an IT role is a rare offer in New Zealand. I happily updated Immigration with my new contract, and this time kept my fingers crossed.
The next letter that came from soul destroying. In a nutshell, my Case Officer acknowledged that my job is a permanent role in the list of long-term skills shortages, and is located outside of Auckland (hence supposedly qualifies for additional bonus points), but because I do not have a Level 7 certificate OR 5 years of prior working experience in a related field (based on the recent changes to Immigration selection criteria), I cannot claim *any* points at all with regards to this employment!
I wrote back, requesting for double confirmation as I firmly believed I would qualify based on the experience of others here, and was met with a stern reply saying that the points calculation is correct. As it stood I had only 90 points, and unless I can provide a Level 7 certification, or show evidence of 5 years of related work experience, I will be unable to meet the requirements and my application will "most likely be unsuccessful".
I was only able to prove 4 years and 9 months of IT-related work, as one of the companies where I worked for almost two years had a change in management and the new management ignored my three requests over the past 6 months for a testimonial, and that I was unable to prove my employment with them - no pay slips, no bank statements, not even tax returns as my pay back then was below taxation requirement.
At this point in time I was extremely tired with going to-and-fro with my Case Officer in the last two months. She wasn't particularly responsive to emails and when she does respond it was always a canned reply. By this time I basically accepted the idea that I will not be granted residency and was debating with myself whether I should head back to Singapore upon the expiry of my work permit, or to renew it when the time comes. Or to consider other options like Work to Residence permit, or perhaps to try for residency again after a year since by then I would have the experience required, and to treat this experience as a very expensive lesson. I've been here for 3 months now and I do miss my family however, I miss Singapore's food, and the winter here isn't helping. If I decide to return to Singapore, I better start to sell off my toys on Trade Me. And my recently-imported computer that cost a few hundy just to ship it. A lot of conflicting, confusing thoughts are going through my head.
I now hold in my cold little hands, a letter from my Case Officer saying my application is approved in principle. Just arrived. I read it three times. It also says I have 155 points and that I should be making my payment for Migrant Levy before December.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but I'm very, very glad that the one-year roller coaster ride has finally come to an end.
:cheers to this wonderful community, especially to Jane who is very encouraging and generous in sharing her own experience with me in PMs.
:raebanana:raebanana:raebanana
Off I went to gather my qualifications and courier them to NZQA on 10 December. Applied for the Singapore police certificate on 21 December, received it two weeks later on 4 January 2008. Knowing that NZQA would take approximately three months to process my qualification, based on the experience of others on this forum, I waited till 13 February to do my medicals. Got the full report by 18th, but still no sign of the NZQA report.
It finally arrived on 6th March 2008 but it was not good news. My Bachelor of Science (Computer Science with Business) degree from the Open University, UK, is graded as a Level 6 instead of the expected Level 7. NZQA reasoned that I do not have enough Level 3 and above computer science module credits for it to be awarded a Level 7, being a non-Honours degree and the fact that I did a Business minor. I was gutted! Being an IT professional I require a Level 7 grading in order to receive points for work experience, and without these points in work experience I have only 90 (30 for age under 30 years old, 50 for a Level 6 qualification, and 10 for general work experience). The application was on its way to being dropped. It wouldn't even be returned to the EOI pool.
A search on this forum found that Jane (Lara Croft) has exactly the same problem with NZQA and her Computer Science degree from the Open Uni, and after exchanging a few messages with her she encouraged me and suggest I give it a try by coming to New Zealand to look for a job. It was really an ultimatum... I packed up, quit my job and left Singapore within two weeks, on 16 March.
Two weeks after arriving New Zealand (first Auckland, then Christchurch), I received two job offers in Christchurch - my city of choice in New Zealand - and accepted one of them. Posted my ITA sometime mid-April. While my residency was being considered, I applied for a work permit so that I can start work with the company. Based on the experience of others on this forum I've assumed that with a job now in the list of long term shortage list, applying for my residency would be a walk in the park. Dropped off my application and started to arrange for my belongings to be shipped over. Got my New Zealand driving license (both car and motorcycle) and bought a scooter, heater, stereo... and was looking out for a good deal on a nice motorbike and a car. You know... big boy's toys.
Then came the bad news. It appears that my contract of 6 months was deem insufficient to be considered "sustainable employment". My application would be declined unless I can get another contract or job.
But as luck would have it, a few days before I receive that letter from Immigration, my company offered me permanent employment. I was told it was a rare move on the part of the company because (1) my contract of 6 months has just begun, and (2) permanent contract in an IT role is a rare offer in New Zealand. I happily updated Immigration with my new contract, and this time kept my fingers crossed.
The next letter that came from soul destroying. In a nutshell, my Case Officer acknowledged that my job is a permanent role in the list of long-term skills shortages, and is located outside of Auckland (hence supposedly qualifies for additional bonus points), but because I do not have a Level 7 certificate OR 5 years of prior working experience in a related field (based on the recent changes to Immigration selection criteria), I cannot claim *any* points at all with regards to this employment!
I wrote back, requesting for double confirmation as I firmly believed I would qualify based on the experience of others here, and was met with a stern reply saying that the points calculation is correct. As it stood I had only 90 points, and unless I can provide a Level 7 certification, or show evidence of 5 years of related work experience, I will be unable to meet the requirements and my application will "most likely be unsuccessful".
I was only able to prove 4 years and 9 months of IT-related work, as one of the companies where I worked for almost two years had a change in management and the new management ignored my three requests over the past 6 months for a testimonial, and that I was unable to prove my employment with them - no pay slips, no bank statements, not even tax returns as my pay back then was below taxation requirement.
At this point in time I was extremely tired with going to-and-fro with my Case Officer in the last two months. She wasn't particularly responsive to emails and when she does respond it was always a canned reply. By this time I basically accepted the idea that I will not be granted residency and was debating with myself whether I should head back to Singapore upon the expiry of my work permit, or to renew it when the time comes. Or to consider other options like Work to Residence permit, or perhaps to try for residency again after a year since by then I would have the experience required, and to treat this experience as a very expensive lesson. I've been here for 3 months now and I do miss my family however, I miss Singapore's food, and the winter here isn't helping. If I decide to return to Singapore, I better start to sell off my toys on Trade Me. And my recently-imported computer that cost a few hundy just to ship it. A lot of conflicting, confusing thoughts are going through my head.
I now hold in my cold little hands, a letter from my Case Officer saying my application is approved in principle. Just arrived. I read it three times. It also says I have 155 points and that I should be making my payment for Migrant Levy before December.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but I'm very, very glad that the one-year roller coaster ride has finally come to an end.
:cheers to this wonderful community, especially to Jane who is very encouraging and generous in sharing her own experience with me in PMs.
:raebanana:raebanana:raebanana