The Accredited Employer Work Visa is officially known as the Talent (Accredit Employer) Work Visa.

This visa enables you to work in New Zealand for an accredited employer who offers you work and is valid for up to 30 months.

What does ‘accredited employer’ mean?

An ‘accredited employer’ is a New Zealand employer who:

• Needs skilled or talented workers from overseas; and
• Has been pre-approved by Immigration New Zealand to hire foreigners.

It’s a win-win situation

Once accredited, the employer doesn’t have to provide supporting information for each and every visa application. This simplifies the process of employing a foreigner significantly.

You also benefit, because the employer actively seeks migrants. Not only that, the employer also understands the intricacies and timelines of immigration. You’ll have much less convincing to do.

Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa requirements

The first step to working for an accredited employer is having the skills and qualifications the company needs. Then you’ll also have to meet the requirements for this visa, as set out by Immigration New Zealand.

The main requirements are that you:

• Must be the 55 or younger.
• Have a job offer from an accredited employer, which has to be for:
  • Full-time work; and
  • More than 2 years; and
  • You must earn at least NZD79,560 a year (before tax).
• Work in the specific occupation and for the specific accredited employer detailed in the job offer that was the basis of your work visa application.
• Must have full provisional registration, if it’s needed to work in your occupation in New Zealand.

Is there an accredited employers list?

Yes, there is an accredited employers list for New Zealand. It can be found on Immigration New Zealand’s website. You can either search by industry sector or simply scroll through the list to find an employer.

What if my employer loses their accredited status?

If your employer loses their accredited status after you’ve received your work visa, you can either:

• Work for another accredited employer; or
• Apply for a variation of conditions. If approved, this would allow you to work for a company that is not an accredited employer. The main criteria here is that you’d have to earn at least NZD55,000 a year before tax.

Do I qualify for permanent residence on the Accredited Employer Work Visa?

If you held an Accredited Employer Work visa or had an active application for an Accredited Employer Work visa on or before 7 October 2019, you are eligible to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

Unfortunately, the legislation was changed in 2019 so that the Accredited Employer Work Visa is no longer a pathway to residence. This change took effect on 7 October 2019.

Need advice on the Accredit Employer Work Visa?

If you’d like us to advise you on the Accredited Employer Work Visa, you’re welcome to book a consultation call. Our advisors can also tell you more about the emigration process and how we can help you with any visa applications.

Do you dream of working as an electrician in New Zealand? Are you qualified and experienced? Are you fluent in English?

Then your dream could become reality.

There is currently a shortage of electricians in New Zealand and New Zealand Immigration is recruiting candidates who tick all the immigration boxes from abroad.

Keep on reading to find out more about:

• How ANZSCO defines an electrician for New Zealand
• Electricians’ place on the Long Term Skill Shortage List and what it means.
• The visas available to electricians.
• How to assess your immigration eligibility.
• What you can expect from working as an electrician in New Zealand.

The ANZSCO definition of an electrician

Let’s start by saying that ANZSCO stands for the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. This list has Electrician (General) as ANZSCO level 3 and defines it as someone who:

Installs, tests, connects, commissions, maintains and modifies electrical equipment, wiring and control systems. Registration or licensing is required.

Electricians on the Long Term Skill Shortage List

Electricians (General) appear on New Zealand’s Long Term Skills Shortage List (LTSSL). This means, as already mentioned, it’s an occupation where there is a sustained and on-going shortage of highly skilled workers throughout New Zealand.

This means should you get a job as an electrician, and you meet all the immigration requirements, you are eligible to live and work in New Zealand.

Visas available to electricians

Let’s assume you do have a job offer and you meet the work, qualification, age, health and character requirements. This qualifies you for a Work to Residence visa. This is a temporary visa, valid for 30 months.

That’s the first step in the process.

Should you live and work in New Zealand on your Work to Residence visa for at least 24 months, and continue to meet the requirements (including having a job with a base salary of at least NZ$45 000), you’ll be able to apply for residence status.

Qualifying under the Skilled Migrant category

Here’s something we’re willing to bet will interest you: if you have enough points, and meet the requirements, you may be eligible to apply for a Resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category.

Yes, there is a chance that you could apply for New Zealand residency straight away.

The Skilled Migrant Category allows you to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely and access most publicly funded services, such as healthcare, education and New Zealand Superannuation.

Finding out if you qualify

Finding your occupation on the Long Term Skills Shortage List is only the first step in any emigration journey.

As you can see from what we’ve said above, you also still have to meet a long list of requirements, ranging from health to qualifications requirements.

But how do you find out if you stand a chance of working as an electrician in New Zealand?

We’ll tell you… By doing a comprehensive immigration assessment, performed by a licensed immigration adviser.

Intergate Emigration can help you

Our immigration advisers are all licensed to conduct immigration assessments and registered with the New Zealand Immigration Advisor Authority. Apart from assessing your eligibility, our team also guide and support you throughout your visa application.

What you can expect from working as an electrician in New Zealand

The most important thing you should know is this – you cannot work in New Zealand without a visa!

You’ll also need to be registered and licensed with New Zealand’s Electrical Registration Board. The Board wants proof of your experience before an application for registration is accepted and requirements for full registration is shared. Don’t worry though – our advisers can talk you through this process.

Here’s what else we can tell you about working in New Zealand as an electrician:

Salary

Qualified electricians earn between NZ$23 and NZ$32 per hour. This hourly rate is influenced by a couple of factors, such as:

• The city you’re working in.
• Your experience.
• Your skills.
• The job’s responsibilities and duties.

Duties

You can expect to perform similar job functions in New Zealand as back home. New Zealand electricians are also responsible for duties such as installing electrical wiring, repairing electrical equipment and conducting safety tests.

Working conditions

Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Electricians in New Zealand work regular business hours, but may also work weekends and be on call.

Depending on your job, you can expect to work in building sites, existing buildings, power stations or substations. You might also need to travel to local work sites.

Have you booked your consultation call yet?

Take the first step in your immigration journey by booking a consultation call with our licensed advisor. You’ll discover your visa options and learn how the application process works.

Ready? Book your consultation call right away.

You’ll be forgiven for being extra nervous for your New Zealand job interview. This is after all your dream come true! You’re so close to living in New Zealand, you can almost taste it.

There’s no need to be so nervous though! All you have to do is be well prepared.

That’s why we’re going to give you tips for all three types of interviews – online, via the phone, and in person. Let’s dive into it.

1. Online interviews – Skype, Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams

• Don’t make excuses. If you express reluctance to do an online interview, for whatever reason, you’ve already failed the first interview question. Don’t have a good connection? Do the interview from a friend’s house. Don’t have a laptop? Borrow one. Do whatever it takes to make this interview happen.
• Dress up. You’ll make a huge mistake if you treat an online interview as an informal affair. It’s still a formal job interview, so look neat and presentable.
• Set up ahead of time. Download, install and test the appropriate platform well before your interview is scheduled. Set up your camera so that your face is nicely framed, test your microphone and check the lighting.
• Prepare the room. This is not a call to a friend! The interviewer does not want to see your bed, an overflowing washing basket or scattered toys. Sit at a desk or table with a clean background behind you. Make it either a wall or hang a sheet in white or cream behind you.
• Eliminate distractions. Turn off your cell phone, lock the door to the room you’re using, tell family or housemates to not bother you, log out of Facebook, Twitter and any other apps that send notifications.
• Make eye contact. Look straight into your computer camera when speaking, while glancing intermittently at the monitor to mimic a face-to-face conversation.
• Positive body language. You already know to make eye contact. Now also lean forward a bit from time to time and nod in the right places. This will show your interviewer that you are listening to what’s being said.
• Handle technical glitches with grace. If something goes wrong, remain calm and friendly while you troubleshoot. Don’t be afraid to ask to hang up the call and try again if you think that’s necessary.
• Disconnect at the end of the call. A silly tip, perhaps, but you don’t want the interviewer to hear anything that you let slip that’s not meant for their ears!

2. Phone interviews

During a phone interview, keep in mind that the interviewer cannot see your face. It’s all in your voice.

This is why it’s vital to stay in the moment during this interview. Don’t get distracted and don’t let your mind wander.

Keep on listening – really listening – and keep your voice upbeat. You’ll come across as engaged with the conversation and that’s exactly what the interviewer wants.

3. In-person interviews

• Arrive in New Zealand at least two days before your interview. Jet lag is guaranteed to trip you up during the interview! The extra day is also useful for last-minute prepping.
• Make lists. It’s the best way to see to it that you pack everything you need. Passports, interview outfit pieces, documents – it all goes on the list!
• Pack more than one interview outfit. More pieces give you more choice on the day. Plus, should the unthinkable happen – toothpaste on a cuff or a tear you didn’t notice back home – you still have something to wear.
• Take documents in double. Print your CV but also have a backup on a memory stick. If you have a portfolio and you’re taking the hard copy, also have it online or on your laptop. This way, you’ll always have something to show should prints get lost or damaged during your travels.

Final tips for your New Zealand job interview

You have to as flexible as possible for online or telephonic interviews. There’s a very good chance that the interview happens at an odd time thanks to time differences.

Finally, be online or at your phone at least 15 minutes before your interview. The same goes for the in-person interview. It doesn’t matter what form the interview takes – being late is never an option!

The benefits of the Skilled Migrant visa for New Zealand is one of the areas our advisers touch on most when speaking to clients.

It’s not that our clients don’t know that this visa offers applicants certain benefits, it’s just they don’t know the exact benefits.

We’re not surprised! It’s very easy for the average person to get lost in the immigration jargon and reams of information found on the internet.

That’s why we wanted to make it simpler for our future clients, like you perhaps, to understand the unique benefits of the Skilled Migrant visa.

First we’ll explain:

• What is a resident visa?

And then we’ll look at what comes next:

• The permanent resident visa.

The Skilled Migrant visa is a resident visa

New Zealand’s resident visas allows you to stay in the country permanently. This means:

• You are free to live, work and study in New Zealand.
• You have more or less the same rights and privileges as a New Zealand citizen:
  • Access to New Zealand’s health care and education systems.
  • Buy the same houses as New Zealanders.
  • Voting rights after you’ve been in the country for at least 12 months.

Here’s another benefit resident visas offer – you can include your partner and dependent children, aged 24 and under, in your residence application.

There is one small limitation

We have to explain the resident’s visa Expiry Date Travel to you and you’ll understand why when we move on to the permanent resident visa.

When you get your resident visa, you’ll see three dates:

• Start Date
• First Entry Before
• Expiry Date Travel

The Start Date is the date your visa was issued on. You, and your family, must enter New Zealand at least once before the First Entry Before date. If you are in New Zealand when your visa is issued, this date won’t apply.

The Expiry Date Travel is when your travel conditions expire. To travel in and out of New Zealand as a resident after this date, the conditions must be renewed.

Here’s the big benefit once you have a permanent residence visa

The permanent residence visa gives you the same benefits, rights and privileges as the resident visa, with one exception:

Your visa does not have travel conditions.

You’ll never again have to worry about checking expiry dates. Your travels will be stress free from the moment you have that permanent resident visa in your passport.

When can you apply for permanent residence?

You can apply for a New Zealand Permanent Residence visa after two years as a New Zealand resident. As with all visas, you’ll have to meet a number requirements during the application process.

Do you want to find out if you can are eligible for New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant visa?

To be eligible for these benefits, you’ll have to be eligible to apply for a Skilled Migrant visa. How do you find out? By doing a comprehensive immigration assessment.

You can book an assessment with us today still and one of our consultants will be in touch within 24 hours to get the ball rolling.

Who knows, you might be able to call yourself a New Zealand resident soon. But you have to take that first step – a comprehensive assessment.

PLEASE NOTE: THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS WORK VISA WAS REPLACED BY THE ACCREDITED EMPLOYER WORK VISA IN 2022.

Interested in applying for an Essential Skills work visa? Do you want to set yourself up for success from the start?

Then you have to do two things:

1. Get an assessment done to see if you are eligible for an Essential Skills visa.
2. If you are, enter the process prepared.

As for the assessment, you can book it right here and one of our advisers will contact you.

To ensure that you have completed all the requirements for your visa application, keep the checklist below handy:

1. Secure a job offer

The Essential Skills work visa allows New Zealand employers to hire foreign workers. As such, you must have a job offer in order to be eligible for the Essential Skills work visa.

What must this job offer look like?

• A written, full-time job offer.
• Your remuneration is in line with your occupation’s ANZSCO level.

What do you need?

• Your occupation must be on the essential skills list and you must have skills and/or qualifications that’s necessary to perform the role.

All is not lost if your occupation isn’t on the essential skills list. You may still be able to apply under the Essential Skills category, it might just take a bit more work by the employer during the application.

2. Submit an Employer Supplementary Form

The New Zealand employer must complete and submit an Employer Supplementary Form. This form provides proof of the fact that attempts were made to recruit New Zealand citizens and residents.

The form asks for:

• Reasons why the particular job specifications are necessary for the role.
• Details of any New Zealand applicants who were considered for the role and who were not suitable or available.
• Reasons why New Zealand applicants could not be readily trained for the job.

3. Prove that you have the required skill level for the job that’s offered to you

This is not as easy as listing your skills on your CV. It is in fact a formal process that evaluates your qualifications, training and experience against what’s asked for by ANZSCO (the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations).

4. Obtain professional or trade registrations

You must get professional or trade registrations for certain occupations in order to take up your role in New Zealand. This means if you don’t have the registrations, you won’t be able to work.

That’s it – the four essential things to have for an Essentials Skills work visa

Your checklist items are essential, definitely, but the not the only requirements for an Essential Skills visa. You’ll still need to meet general requirements too, such as health and character requirements. It’s only when you meet all the criteria that you stand the best chance of getting your work visa.

Are you studying in New Zealand or do you want to study in New Zealand? Then you might find the Post Study visa for New Zealand very interesting.

This visa enables international students, who have qualified in New Zealand, to gain work experience in a job related to their studies.

Depending on what you study, you may be able to work in New Zealand for up to three years. You could even gain residency.

It’s a two-step process

The Post Study Work visa is a two-step process that involves applying for a:

1. Post Study Work visa (Open); and then a
2. Post Study Work visa (Employer Assisted).

1. Post Study Work visa (Open)

The Open visa allows you find a job, but you must do so within 12 months. While you’re job hunting you’re allowed to work in any job to support yourself.

The main conditions are:

• You have an acceptable qualification.
• You must have sufficient funds available to support yourself.

Please note:

• You can only apply for this visa once, unless you complete a second higher qualification that is either a New Zealand bachelor’s degree or post-graduate qualification. You would need to spend at least 30 weeks in New Zealand studying for this qualification.
• You can’t include a partner or dependent children in your visa application. However, partners and children can apply for visas based on their relationship to you.

2. Post Study Work visa (Employer Assisted)

Once you’ve secured a job, you apply for the Employer Assisted Post Study Work visa.

This visa allows you to stay in New Zealand and work for two years. This becomes three years if work experience is required as part of your professional registration.

The exciting thing about the Employer Assisted visa is that it could lead to permanent residency down the line.

The main conditions are:

• The job you take must be in a field related to your qualification.
• The job must be a full-time position.

Please note:

• This visa relates to a specific job with a specific employer.
• You can be granted this visa more than once, but you’ll need to complete another acceptable qualification each time you apply.
• You can’t include a partner or dependent children in your visa application. However, partners and children can apply for visas based on their relationship to you.

Recapping the Post Study Work visa for New Zealand

The Post Study Work visa is a two-step process that allows you to gain work experience in New Zealand after your studies.

You must have studied in New Zealand towards an acceptable qualification and the job you take must be relevant to the qualification you achieved.

The first step in the process is applying for a Post Study Work visa (Open) and the second step, once you’ve secured a position, is applying for a Post Study Work visa (Employer Assisted).

Find out if you qualify

Intergate does not have a list of qualifications which are considered ‘acceptable’, but universities in New Zealand and the New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) are able to advise on ‘acceptable’ courses.

Once you’ve established that the course you’d like to study is recognised, you can contact us to assess you for the Post Study Work visa for New Zealand.