[SteveO]

So my knowledgeable friends, how does it work, would be very grateful if you could clarify this for us please, my understanding is:

- Go to NZ with 6 months toursit visa (for UK citizen)
- Need proof of onward flight
- Get a job offer
- Submit EOI in NZ with extra points for job offer
- Gain a visa?????

Obviously some gaps in this!
What does the company need to do to offer you a job as you don't have a visa?
What is the visa you would theoretically get
What visa steps to becoming a citizen
When are you entitled to send children to school or visit doctors etc.

Many thanks!

[Jezza]

I can't help answer your questions but will be watching the responses with interest as I'm looking at doing the same myself. As I understand it you'd want your police checks already done before you leave (which are valid for 3 months IIRC) but you can get health checks done in NZ more cheaply than UK. Qualifications I would assume could be assessed from there if required. Hopefully someone here with a better idea will be able to confirm.

[sarahw]

Yep pretty much it but you'll likely be issued with a Working Visa until they issue you with PR (permanent residency) so you can start your job - you will likely need proof from your company that they have advertised the job to NZ'ers & can't find anyone suitable - could take up to 2 years to get PR issued from friends who have been through the same process.

[wilson182]

Depends on your skill area and job offer. You may be offered the Work to Residency, in which case it will take two years to get residency,or you may get straight forward residency, but you cannot start working until you have residency. You could also apply for a work permit in which case you can start work and apply for residency as soon as you are ready. On a two year work permit you will need to submit medicals, and I think you have to have them done AGAIN when you apply for residency. If your job offer is not in a skilled shortage or long term shortage area or your employer is not accredited they will want a labour survey done to ensure that the job could not have been offered to a kiwi. Your employer will have to give you a contract of employment for you to apply for your permit, this needs to have details of the job, hours, permanent, job description (the work permit section of NZIS website tells you what the contract needs to say) and you will need your quals and/or work experience proof. Once you have a work permit your partner will be entitled to an open work permit and you will get student permits for the children, until you have student permits or residency you will have to pay international school fees if you want to send them to school. You have to have had PR for five years before you can apply for citizenship.

Hope this helps a little bit, Good Luck

[KerryS]

It's a very simple process, and one which several people on here have followed.

There is info on the NZIS website about the general work category here:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/371C5E08-3AAE-4F62-A283-8430B1716E70/0/1016.pdf
and for employers here:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/DB07E93E-4413-434C-A12D-7CE7E36C1AEA/0/imm_general_wrk.pdf

Once you have your work permit, you can submit your EOI, with the additional points for a job offer.

You don't need to get police checks done before you leave the UK. It will speed up the process for residency if you already have them, but it is no problem to apply for them from within NZ, and the 40 day deadline for information still applies. They are valid for 6 months.

You may be required to submit a medical with your application - depending on how long you apply for the permit to last.

You can apply for citizenship 5 years after obtaining permanent residency in NZ.

If you want any other info about the permit process just ask - I've had several, and I've made friends move over to NZ and get them too...

[SteveO]

Many thanks for your knowledgeable replies KerryS, wilson 182 and sarahw and good to hear Jezza that your in the same boat, sorry for being a num nutz and spelling tourist wrong in the title. I'm a spelling idiot without a spellchecker to bail me out.

I will digest the answers you've given over the weekend and probably have a couple more questions. Thanks again

[Angela]

the rules have changed you now need medicals for work permits a year and above our last application was sent back to us saying we needed medicals and to send them with our application

[NannyOgg]

Hi

Myself, Hannah and Do-Be-Brief did just and it worked for us.

Search all our postings and I am sure you will see it can be effortless!

PM if you want anything else

Good luck.

Nanny x

[Jezza]

Cheers to everyone for all the replies - some very encouraging info there. It's always good to hear from people who have been through it and been successful.