[Papias]

I am from Chile and am planning to move to NZ with OH and baby.
I requested registration with the Midwifery Council of New Zealand and after sending everything they needed and passing the IELTS they accepted my application.

BUT......with two special requisites!!! Sitting the National Midwifery exam newly graduates take before registration and doing a competence assessment in NZ for 5 weeks prior to complete registration….bummer…Not what I expected and it so complicates everything.:wah

Now I can’t apply for residence with a job offer (170 points) and am left with only 110 to submitting EOI, not sure if it will be selected…..:uhoh

I still have the job offer, pending complete professional registration but they can’t issue my contract until I complete the competence assessment….

I think I will have to go to NZ with a student visa…..do the assessment, then apply for a work permit and then the residency…..

If I am already in NZ and working, will residency take longer?

Should I take the risk of applying for residency anyway with 110 points?

When I claim work experience:
Number of years work experience in any on of New Zealand’s
Areas of absolute skills shortage?
Do I put the same years I have experience in my country (where it says experience anywhere)? The job profile and functions are identical.

Any insights are welcome!!

[JandM]

Oh, that's annoying, and complicates things more than you wanted, but it's a step in the right direction, not a 'no'.

I think I will have to go to NZ with a student visa…..do the assessment, then apply for a work permit and then the residency…..That sounds as if it makes sense.

If I am already in NZ and working, will residency take longer?Hard to say - it will depend on the relative queues at the NZ immigration office you WOULD have been applying through from home, and the one in NZ. There's nothing about the setup that would make it take longer of itself.

Should I take the risk of applying for residency anyway with 110 points?Yes, I would. Applications can be selected with as low as 100 points. It MIGHT happen while you're working through the formalities. As soon as you have something more to add to your application, you can notify them, whatever point your application has got to.

When I claim work experience:
Number of years work experience in any on of New Zealand’s
Areas of absolute skills shortage?
Do I put the same years I have experience in my country (where it says experience anywhere)? Yes, because your experience in nursing/midwifery IS in an area of absolute skills shortage, regardless of what country you were in at the time.

All the best. Do let us know how you get on.:)

[Papias]

I have an update on my situation.

Every thing is more clear now.

I will have a phone interview during the next few days with a potential employer and they will offer me a work contract from September 1 with registration of the Midwifery Council pending.

So, I will be able to ask for a one or two year work permit, here in Chile, so I can arrive in NZ to complete Competence Assessment and be completely registrated by Mid August.

I´m thinking of doing the EOI at the end of March (165 points with job offer)...and after receiving ITA send all my documents by mid August. I plan on flying on June 20th to do the 5 week competence assessment.

Is a one or two year work permit best? wich one gives medical coverage? What will the status of my husband and 2 year old son be? (I am the main applicant).....

Any help is welcome

[JandM]

If you have a work visa for a minimum of TWO years, you have rights to medical care on the same basis as any NZ resident, either a national or someone with permanent residency.

Your husband will be granted a work visa on the back of yours - so, whatever length yours is for, his will have the same, and when you gain PR, he will also be granted PR. And your son will have benefits to match yours, too, i.e. being able to be educated as a domestic, not overseas, pupil.

[Papias]

I was just reading in the immigration site that as main applicant for residency I must prove english proficiency, that is no problem, I did the IELTS and got 8.0. But, it also says that my husband (dependant on me) has to prove english proficiency by a IELTS score or by paying a IELTS course. Where are these courses actually held? where can I find more information?

[JandM]

Here's what came up in answer to 'IELTS in NZ'. It should give you some ideas as to where to begin, either once in New Zealand or over the internet. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=IELTS+in+NZ&aq=f&oq= And here are the results for 'IELTS in Chile'. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=IELTS+in+Chile&aq=f&oq=