[hongkongstuey]

Does anyone know why HK isn't considered a comparable labour market? - thus meaning all work experience gained in the territory gets ignored without any consideration.

Didn't read the small print when submitting my EOI and am facing loosing about 35 points because nearly all my experience (geotechnical engineering) is HK based - throwing me to the bottom of the pile.

I find it somewhat suprising that HK doesn't count yet Singapore, Japan and even South Korea are considered ok!

E-mailed NZIS a couple of weeks ago asking for the reasoning for this but no response so far.

Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and how they got around it Trying to still claim the points as I work for a multi-national company and one of the sub-clauses indicates experience gained in this capacity could still be used.

cheers

Stu

[Marie P]

Love your name :nice1

Welcome to the forum :clap

Marie x

[zardell]

Trying to still claim the points as I work for a multi-national company and one of the sub-clauses indicates experience gained in this capacity could still be used.

cheers

Stu



Hi Stu and WELCOME to the forum.

I'm sorry I can't help you with your question, but I just wanted to make a point in relation to your quote above.

When you get selected from the EOI Pool and are subsequently sent your ITA, make sure that the above quote is in fact correct and that you are entitled to the points that you have claimed for.

The reason that I say that is because your ITA is basically your EOI in paper form and it is asking you to now prove (by the use of documentary evidence) the said points that you originally claimed in your EOI.

HTH and good luck on your NZ journey.

Julie

xx

[hongkongstuey]

Julie

NZIS spotted the HK thing and rejected my EOI as loosing the points for work experience dropped me to 95 points in total.

In the letter they sent me it said "Work experience undertaken in a country not listed at (a) above will be assessed as being in a comparable labour market only if it was undertaken for a multinational commercial entity (including a wholly or majority owned subsidiary of such an entity that bears the same core name as the parent company) domiciled in one of the countries listed in (a) above." so I've questioned whether my last couple of years can count as they're for the Hong Kong Office of a UK company, which although seperately listed on the London Stock Exchange is a wholly owned subsidiary of the parnet UK firm, which seems to fit the above criteria.

I guess what i'll need to do now is track down the relevant paper work to prove this fact (could be tricky without letting my current employer know that I'm thinking of jacking and heading down to NZ :o )

[hongkongstuey]

Finally got a response from NZIS on why HK doesn't count, which was a very useful "it's a policy matter and we can''t go into any detail"

Time to rock the boat a bit at this end i think and write to the HK Legislative Council asking if they know why - hopefuly the insult to everyone working in HK will spur them to follow up on the matter...

[hongkongstuey]

A quick update in case anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation in the future.

NZIS have now accepted the work experience gained with international companies, although I now unfortunately loose 15 points on my EOI score as 4-years were spent with a HK Company (doing almost exactly the same as I do for the international companies) and I can't find a way of wangling this work in too.

Ultimate result: From the joy of having been initially selected from the pool, to horror of out right rejection a couple of weeks later for the reasons stated in earlier posts, it seems I'm now back in the pool, all be it with a lower score than the cut-off from when my EOI was intially selected (now 5 points below the original cut-off).

Here's hoping standards drop and I can sneak in once again.

Advice for anyone in similar situations - keep plugging away at it and don't immediately trust / settle for what NZIS tell you (especially if it's dealt with by their Beijing outfit - who took quite a while to comprehend and action even very simple information)

[backtonz]

Does anyone know why HK isn't considered a comparable labour market? - thus meaning all work experience gained in the territory gets ignored without any consideration.

Because, what takes 10 days to do in NZ can be done in a day in HK. Getting in super efficient people will destroy the "stress free" lifestyle. I think Malaysia and Philipines are considered comparable to NZ - what do you think about that in HK? :D

[hongkongstuey]

hey, i'm more than willing to slack off if they'll take me...

[backtonz]

hey, i'm more than willing to slack off if they'll take me...
:D Just kidding. I lived in HK for many years before going to NZ looking for a more relaxed way of life. It was pretty tough at the beginning, since I couldn't believe that things could be so slow. But then, it is exactly that lack of pace and competitiveness that makes NZ so much more liveable in HK.

My 2 cents - Don't look for rationale and reasoning in the lunacy of bureaucrats. Just find a way to give them what they need.

[Oregonkiwi]

If geotechnical engineering is "an area of absolute skills shortage", which I think it is - Professional Engineer, Geotechnical is on the Long Term Skill Shortage List - then from July 24, you can claim points for work experience gained in ANY labor market:


The Minister of Immigration has today announced changes to the definition of recognised work experience under the Skilled Migrant Category. These changes take effect from 24 July 2006.
The new definition allows points to be awarded for work experience in an area of absolute skills shortage, gained in any labour market. Previously, only work experience gained in a comparable labour market was recognised, unless applicants had skilled employment, or an offer of skilled employment, in New Zealand.

Applicants who already have skilled employment, an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand, or whose work experience is in a labour market comparable to New Zealand will not be affected by this change.

Applicants who do not have skilled employment or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand, but who do have work experience in an area of absolute skills shortage gained in a non-comparable labour market, can claim points for work experience on their Expression of Interest from 24 July.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/news/recworkexp.htm

[hongkongstuey]

Cheers for the note Oregonkiwi - for some reason i didn't get a thread update message so have only just spotted your post (guess my junk mail filter might be over reacting...)

It is indeed good news. However, NZIS have now found something else to try and deny me on - it seems they are intent on me having a Washington Accord accredited degree (I studied Engineering Geology not Civil Engineering) regardless of the fact that I'm a Chartered Engineer (CEng), Member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (MHKIE) and a Registered Professional Engineer, Geotechnical Discipline (RPE(G)) - all of which qualify me for Chartered Professional Engineer status with the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)...

And I thought HK was one of the most unreasoning bureaucratic places on earth...