Want to tell NZIS how you're dealing with SMC?

simon larkin · Testing The Water Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Posts: 1

1 The big question is how do skilled workers get a job?

www.immigration.govt.nz/Migrate/ says...
“New Zealand wants to grant residence to people who have skills, experience and relevant job offers to fill employment opportunities that we have identified are necessary for our growth as a nation. We also want the people we invite into New Zealand to settle here, feeling they are welcomed and are able to make a positive contribution.”

to enter the country with the intention of working you need a work visa

to get a work visa you need a job offer

to get a job you need a work visa

The way most people seem to get around this is either pay an immigration consultant to find them a job from overseas or to go to New Zealand on a ‘visitors’ visa and look for work, technically this appears to be illegal as demonstrated by the following quote from the NZIS website’s ‘quick questions’

”I wish to work in New Zealand. Can I apply for a visitor visa, and on arrival apply for a work permit? If you wish to work in NZ, you must apply for a work visa before arrival. Visitor policy requires you have the genuine intention of visiting NZ. If you have the intention to work in NZ, you must apply for the appropriate work visa overseas. Failure to do so may result in you being refused entry at the border.”

There needs to be a clear cut way for people to find work.

2 Work to residence?

Form ‘EOI Guide.pdf’ from www.immigration.govt.nz states on page 30
“Principal applicants under the Skilled Migrant Category who do not meet the requirements to be granted residence, but who are assessed as having potential to settle successfully in New Zealand, can be issued a permit to work in New Zealand for up to two years. The purpose of the Work Permit is to enable applicants to establish themselves in ongoing skilled employment in New Zealand. Work visas and/or permits issued and/or granted under this policy will allow work for any employer in New Zealand. At the end of the two-year period, if you have become established in full-time employment, residence can be granted.”

This is the only reason I ‘registered my interest’ without a job offer. The suggestion is that if you score enough points to ‘register your interest’ you stand a good chance of being offered a work visa which would be perfect! A phone call to the UK helpline, charged at £1 per minute, was the only way to ask if this was available. The response was ‘we have never come across this option’. If this system is in place it is well hidden and very unclear as to who will be selected. If not then the documentation should be clarified before more people waste money.

3 Communication

Migration is a major life change, there is a lack of communication from NZIS. Even when you have ‘registered your interest’ there are no contact details. The only option in the UK is the info line charging £1/minute. Surely if people are expected to pay serious money they have a right to ask a few questions in return.

4 Recommendations

Variable score for permanent residency (160-190?)
If you have an offer of employment and score above a set number, you are guaranteed to get in.

Variable score for temporary work visa (110-160?)
If you don’t have a job offer but score above a set number you will be offered a temporary work visa.

These two things would make everything much clearer for applcicants and employers, everyone would know where they stood, employers would be confident when offering jobs to people with work permits, and applicants would be able to tot up their points and know what they would be eligible for. The NZIS would still be able to control numbers by adjusting both pass marks.

Jamie Smith · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 12:30 am Post subject:

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I'll collate it and feed it on to Minsiter's replacement and various other people within NZIS.

Some good ideas, and thanks for often providing the exact source of questionable info, esp about online info re visitor permit (although this mainly applies to people from countries without visa free arrangements).

Some clear issues:

Communication.
Employer education.
NZIS application of process.
Self defeating logic (communication)
Misaligned expectations on both parts.

As an aside, the latest issue that helped forced a resignation will roll intoi into the Ombudsman's report into NZIS treatment of info in another case, to be released this week.

I think it will implicate some within NZIS who subscribe to a culture of withholding info rather than following defined processes.

NZIS staff may get frustrated with people manipulating the system, I would, but that doesn't allow NZIS to become adversarial and manipulative themselves.

Thanks again.