[Juniper]

hello, just taking a gander at the last pool selection, seems to be in keeping with the stricter rules as of last December...

for the first week in March, the following EOIs were selected:

* All those at or above 140 points = 386 EOIs
* All those with a job or job offer claiming total points between 100 and 135 points = 94 EOIs
* All those claiming 15 points for work experience in an area of absolute skill shortage and claiming total points between 125 and 135 points = 99 EOIs
* Total selection = 579 EOIs

Soooo, seems like if you do not have a job offer, you have to have either 140+ points, or at least 125 including 15 pts for skills shortage experience??? ouchie.

here's what the NZIS site says about bonus point allocations for work experience in an area of absolute skills shortage:

2 to 5 years: 10
6 years or more: 15


In other words, that translates to, "if your EOI is less than 140 and you have no job offer, you better have 6 years work experience in one of those listed skills" right? YIKES!

UNLESS maybe they mean total points for the work experience, not just bonus points, then maybe you can get by with 2 years of experience. This is the confusing part for me!

I think we will still qualify as long as "programmer" is still on the shortage list, but I think it will disqualify lots and lots of people!

So, do you think they mean you need 6 years skills shortage work experience, or can you get by with 2?

[Chutney]

This seems to be the dilemma I'm facing. Not got the EOI in yet (until we get a passport - and hence a passport number - for our 8 month old daughter we can't submit), but we're on 120 points with no job offer. Not sure whether or not it's a waste of time submitting unless we can swing something with job offers.

The one thing in our favour is I've got 10+ years experience in an absolute skills shortage area, although I did hear a nasty rumour that experience only counts if it's in the same field as qualifications. Hope not, otherwise I'm going to have to go a bit overboard about the computing modules in my Statistics BSc...

[Ria]

Hi Chutney & Juniper,

As others may have said, when NZIS change the rules everything goes up in the air for about 6 months (unless you're a brain surgeon) and everyone thinks it's hopeless if you're Joe Average (like we were). We were just about to submit under the one before last system, when they changed the rules. We had 105 points and the selection point was 195! We too felt despondent.

But 7 months later the passmark was 100 and stayed there for yonks (well about a year) and we got selected and the rest as they say is history. We got our stamps in Nov 05 and leave nearer the end of this year.

I know that there's talk of NZ's job situation weakening, but I think if you've got a skill and/or a degree and can prove that expertise, give it 6 months and I bet the points will have come down to a more realistic level.

Like you, we would have had to have a job offer to qualify at 195 and that seemed a catch 22 from so far away.

But we did it - so don't lose heart and just keep an eye on those points - and be ready to rock & roll when they come down to your level.

All the best

Ria

[Debbie]

I don't know if this will help or just confuse you more, BUT
under the old system I claimed points 4yr as a qualified social worker , (on the skills list) but was also allowed to claim the 2.5 yrs work experience I have unqualified in social care giving me max points. This was allowed because the social care experience is relevant to the area of skills shortage. (I wouldn't have been able to claim for my short spell in sales).
I have the social work qualifications but claimed the 50 points for an unrelated degree.
Good luckto you all going through the new system. Debbie

[Juniper]

I don't know if this will help or just confuse you more, BUT
under the old system I claimed points 4yr as a qualified social worker , (on the skills list) but was also allowed to claim the 2.5 yrs work experience I have unqualified in social care giving me max points. This was allowed because the social care experience is relevant to the area of skills shortage. (I wouldn't have been able to claim for my short spell in sales).


ok, so you had experience in two related fields that both applied to the skills shortage list, so you got to claim "6 years or more"?

[Juniper]

don't lose heart and just keep an eye on those points - and be ready to rock & roll when they come down to your level.


i guess you're right, the rules could change in a heartbeat. actually that is part of the new rules right, they tweak things every six months?

"If enough places are available, other EOIs may be selected on the basis of specific criteria which the Minister of Immigration will set every six months."

so, i guess at the moment, the "specific criteria" is EOIs between 125-135 with 15 pts of work experience from the skills shortage list...

[janeb]

My partner is a joiner and this is on the long term skill shortage list, so happy days we thought and claimed the bonus points for his work experience....Our case officer would not recognise his qualification to the level on LTSS as one form said Level 3, another said Level 4, (we spoke to the NZIS who confirmed that Level 3 was the requirement....) Not by our case officer's reckoning, so she accepted that he was skilled and qualified so gave us 50 points, but would not allow the bonus points for work experience in the skills shortage field as his qualification was not to the right level !!!!

Oh and then our CO stated that we must have a full assesment done on his qualifications (even though it is on the approved list ?????) or our ITA would be declined, joy oh joy more stress and lots more money....

So it could be that unless your qualification matches exactly that on the list, your work experience may be dismissed.....or if the wind blows in the other direction you could be lucky !

Good luck!

:cheers

[Questor]

Reading the threads about the NZQA makes me REALLY happy that we both have a degree from an institution on the list - I don't know how you guys who need the NZQA verification do it, I really don't!

[zardell]

Our case officer would not recognise his qualification to the level on LTSS as one form said Level 3, another said Level 4,


Hope you dont mind me asking, but what do you mean by 'one form said level 3, another said level 4' ?

Are you referring to his City and Guilds qualifications or some other qualification?

Julie

xx

[Juniper]

Reading the threads about the NZQA makes me REALLY happy that we both have a degree from an institution on the list - I don't know how you guys who need the NZQA verification do it, I really don't!

there's an institutions list?? great, better go dig that one up :P

[tigerlily]

In America, I think that if the college is accredited by something like the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (or any of the other accrediting bodies of like status) then you are fine.

[Juniper]

oh okay, it just lists certain groups that give a college accreditation....in other words it is a "real" university or something... i was expecting some massive list of each school! checked my uni and it is accredited with one of the groups on the USA list, good good...

here's the pdf for the curious:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/EDE93E50-160B-4732-8713-2181A340F91F/0/Appendices.pdf

it's in appendix 5.

[janeb]

HI Julie

Yes sorry it was City & Guilds, the approved lists states level 3, but the LTSS is for Level 4 !!!

:cheers
Jane
x