Did you know it’s possible to work to residence in New Zealand? This means it’s not necessarily the end of the road if you didn’t qualify for permanent residence straight away!

Today we’ll introduce you to all the visa options for work to residence. If you want to find out if you’re eligible for any, we suggest booking your free initial assessment immediately.

How does ‘work to residence’ work?

There are four temporary work visa options under the work to residence programme. When granted one of these visas you’ll be able to apply for permanent residence after you’ve held the temporary visa for two years (or three years for religious workers).

Four work to residence visas for New Zealand

You have four work to residence visas to explore. This is provided you meet the basic qualifying criteria which is that you must:

• Be 55 or younger; and
• Meet New Zealand’s health and character requirements.

The visas are:

1. Work to Residence: Long Term Skills Shortage
2. Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa
3. Talent (Arts, Culture, Sports) Work Visa
4. Religious Worker Work Visa

1. Work to Residence: Long Term Skills Shortage

If you are qualified and skilled in an occupation for which New Zealand has a sustained and ongoing skills shortage, you may be eligible for a work visa under the Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Category.

These are the requirements you’ll have to meet:

• Your skills and experience appear on the Long Term Skill Shortage List.
• You’ve received a full-time job offer that:
  • Uses your skills and experience; and
  • Pays more than NZ$45,000 a year.

While visas are usually issued for up to 30 months, you’ll be allowed to apply for residence after two years (24 months) provided:

• Your job was on the Long Term Skill Shortage List when you applied for your visa; or
• Your job is on the Long Term Skill Shortage List when you apply for residence.
• You worked in that skill shortage occupation for the duration of your contract.

2. Talent (Accredited Employers) Work Visa

An accredited employer is an employer that has been pre-approved by Immigration New Zealand to employ skilled or talented foreign nationals. This makes the process simpler and smoother for both the employer and the visa applicant.

To apply for temporary residence under the Accredit Employer category, you’ll have to meet the following criteria:

• You have a full-time job offer for at least 2 years from an accredited employer.
• You must work in the specific job, for the specific accredited employers, and in the specific location detailed in the job offer that was the basis of your visa application. This applies to the duration of your visa.
• You’ll earn at least NZ$55,000 a year.

As with the Short Term Skill Shortage category you’ll get a visa valid for up to 30 months. You’ll be allowed to apply for permanent residence after two years of employment.

3. Talent (Arts, Culture, Sports) Work Visa

You’ll be eligible for this talent visa if you have an exceptional talent in a field of art, sport or culture. In order to be eligible for an application, you must:

• Have the support of a New Zealand organisation of national repute in your field of talent. Such an organization is one that is nationally recognized for its excellence in either:
  • A field of art, culture or sport.
  • Fostering exceptional talent in a field of art, culture or sport.
• Be able to demonstrate that your ability will result in positive contribution to the development of your specific field in New Zealand.

Your Talent (Arts, Culture, Sports) Work Visa will be valid for up to 30 months. After two years you’ll be able to apply for permanent residence provided that you:

• Were actively engaged in your field in New Zealand for two years.
• Did not apply for or were granted any social welfare benefits in New Zealand.

4. Religious Worker Work Visa

The Religious Worker Work Visa is a pathway to residence for people who are experience or trained in religious work. To be granted a temporary work visa:

• You must have an offer for religious work from an acceptable religious organisation. An acceptable organization is one that is:
  • Registered as a charity; and
  • Whose main purpose it is to advance religion.
• The religious organization must act as your sponsor.

The Religious Worker Work Visa is valid for up to two years. If the organisation’s work and sponsorship continues, you can apply for a second work visa. You’ll then be able to apply for permanent residence in New Zealand after three years.

To apply for permanent residence, you must:

• Have at least 5 years of religious training and/or experience.
• Continue to work for a religious organization that’s agreed to sponsor you.
• Have English language ability of at least IELTS Level 5.
• Not have applied for or been granted any social welfare benefits in New Zealand.

Family joining you?

New Zealand does not allow you to include your family in your Work to Residence application for New Zealand. However, your spouse and any dependents may apply separately based on their relationship with you. Once you apply for permanent residence, you can include these family members in your application.

Contact us if you have questions

Read something you need clarification on? Want to discuss the requirements in more detail? Then feel free to contact us via either phone +27 (0) 21 424 2460 / +27 (0) 11 234 4275 or email. If you choose to email us, an advisor will endeavor to contact you within 24 hours to address your questions.

The New Zealand Government has set themselves a goal for the start of 2019 – to recruit 400 teachers from overseas to fill shortages in schools.

Why has the Government set themselves this goal?

New Zealand is struggling with severe teacher shortages, hence the goal set for 2019.

These shortages, as reported in the New Zealand Herald, are due to ‘a slump in domestic teacher trainees, exacerbated in Auckland by high housing costs which are driving many teachers out of the city.’

School principals are welcoming the initiative, but some will keep a keen eye on developments, as not everyone is confident that recruiting from overseas will be enough to fill all the gaps.

Teachers required across the board

The Government wants to recruit both primary and secondary school teachers, as teachers are in desperate need at all levels. The focus is not only on attracting overseas-trained teachers, but also on bringing New Zealand teachers home.

Eligible teachers may receive an Overseas Relocation Grant

New Zealand has established an Overseas Relocation Grant (ORG) that supports teachers with the costs of relocating to New Zealand. Nearly 200 teachers have already been approved for an ORG.

How does the ORG work?

The ORG was established to assist teachers who commence teaching in New Zealand from 13 December 2017 to 30 June 2019.

The New Zealand government approves a maximum of 100 grants per financial year. This means 100 grants for the period 13 December 2017 to 30 June 2018, and a further 100 grants from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.

The ORG will:

• Reimburse actual and reasonable expenses up to a minimum of NZ$7,000 for each New Zealand-trained teacher and up to a maximum of NZ$5,000 for each overseas-trained teacher.
• Be non-taxable. This has been confirmed by Inland Revenue.

Who are eligible?

To be eligible for the Overseas Relocation Grant, you’ll have to meet the following criteria:

• Be registered and certified by the Education Council of New Zealand.
• Be employed in a full-time position that is either permanent or fixed term (of at least 12 months).
• Has never received an ORG or has received an ORG only once in a 5-year period.
• Did not teach in New Zealand between 13 December 2016 and 12 December 2017.
• Commenced employment on or after 13 December 2017, and up to 30 June 2019.
• Is employed to teach in a state or state-integrated school.

Payment criteria

To receive payment, you must do the following:

• Apply for the grant within three months of commencing employment. The school must provide evidence of this. The Government will consider applications received after three months on a case-by-case basis.
• Provide proof of expenditure of all actual and reasonable relocation costs. The specific amount of the grant will be based on this evidence.

Once all the requirement is met, 50% of the grant will be deposited into the nominated account after 10 weeks of teaching. The final 50% is deposited after 30 weeks of teaching.

Read more about the grant here.

Take the first step

If you are a teacher and you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity, the first step is finding out if you qualify for emigration to New Zealand.

You can take this first step right here by booking an initial assessment with us. This initial assessment will reveal if you’re eligible for New Zealand and which visa you may qualify for.

Our initial assessment is also free of charge and non-obligatory. Book it now.

The new school year is almost upon us, and only 100 grants are issued per financial year, so don’t wait until it’s too late.

It’s almost guaranteed that you’ve come across the phrase ‘New Zealand skills shortage list’ in your emigration research.

But what is it? And what role does it play in your emigration? These are the types of questions we’d like to answer for you today.

What is the New Zealand skill shortage list?

The first thing you should know is that there are three skill shortage lists, not just one:

• Long Term Skills Shortage List (LTSSL)
• Immediate Skills Shortage List (ISSL)
• Canterbury Skills Shortage List (CSSL)

Each of these lists is based on occupations experiencing a shortage of skilled workers in New Zealand.

What role does the skill shortage lists play in my emigration?

We’ll let Immigration New Zealand explain: “If you’re offered a job that’s on one of the lists, and you’ve got the qualifications and experience to match, getting a work or residence visa may be easier.”

The 3 skills shortage lists

As explained, there are three skills shortage lists. Each list offers the opportunity to qualify for a certain visa or visas.

1. Long Term Skills Shortage List (LTSSL)

The Long Term Skills Shortage List identifies occupations where there is a sustained and on-going shortage of highly skilled workers throughout New Zealand as well as the world.

Long Term Skill Shortage List work visa:

If you get a job in an occupation on the LTSSL and meet the list requirements, you are eligible for a work to Residence visa under the Long Term Skills Shortage List work visa. This visa is a pathway to residency which means you’ll be eligible for residency after two years. This is provided you:

• Meet the standard requirements; and
• You’re earning a base salary of at least NZ$45,000.

2. Immediate Skills Shortage List (ISSL)

The Immediate Skills Shortage List (ISSL) includes occupations where skilled workers are needed in New Zealand immediately. This is because there are no New Zealand citizens or residents to fill the position.

Essential Skills work visa:

If you get a full-time job in an occupation on the ISSL and meet the list requirements, you’ll be eligible for an Essential Skills work visa. This visa enables you to work in New Zealand temporarily.

You may not necessarily be able to apply for residency.

3. Canterbury Skills Shortage List (CSSL)

The Canterbury Skills Shortage List contains occupations in critical shortage in the Canterbury area. These shortages are due to the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The CSSL draws on the Immediate and Long Term Skills Shortage Lists relevant to the Canterbury rebuild.

Essential Skills work visa:

If you get a job in Canterbury and your skills appear on the CSSL, you’ll be eligible for an Essential Skills work visa. If the occupation is also on the LTSSL, you may also be eligible for New Zealand residency.

How does Immigration New Zealand decide on the occupations on these lists?

New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) reviews the ISSL and LTSSL on an annual basis. During this review, the MBIE decide if any occupations should be:

• Added or removed from a list; or
• Moved to another list.

The Canterbury Skill Shortage List is reviewed three times a year, as changes in skill shortages happen more regularly in this region.

One other list to know

Immigration New Zealand also publishes a List of Skilled Occupations. While there are no shortages of skilled workers in these occupations, New Zealand has identified these occupations as desirable.

Skilled Migrant Category:

If your occupation is defined as ‘skilled’, you may be eligible for a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant Category. This is a points-based visa that considers factors such as:

• Age;
• Work experience;
• Qualifications; and
• An offer of employment.

You must also meet certain remuneration thresholds to be classified as a Skilled Migrant. You need to be either:

• ANZSCO level 1 – 3 and paid NZ$24.29 or more per hour; or
• ANZSCO level 4 – 5 and paid NZ$36.44 or more per hour.

What if your occupation is not a skills shortage list?

It is not necessarily the end of the road if your occupation does not appear on a New Zealand skilled shortage list. You may still be eligible for one of New Zealand’s visas.

The best way to find out which visa you may be eligible for is by means of an immigration assessment. An immigration assessment will reveal any migration pathways open to you.

Our initial assessment is free and non-obligatory. You can book it online, right now.

Once you’ve booked your assessment, one of our advisers will be in touch to complete the assessment and discuss the best way forward.

Want to see more articles like this one? Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter and you’ll get immigration information and news once a month: http://bit.ly/2nUIrSr

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is a route to residency for eligible candidates. The key? Securing a job at an approved employer.

What is the Accredited Employer Work Visa?

The Accredited Employer Work Visa is officially known as the Talent (Accredit Employers) Work Visa. It’s a route to residency and valid for up to 30 months. You’ll be eligible to apply for residence after working in New Zealand for an accredited employer for two years.

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, of course, you’ll have to meet the requirements for this visa, as set out by Immigration New Zealand.

The main requirements are that you:

• Must be under the age of 55.
• 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 NZD55,000 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.

Need advice on the Accredit Employer Work Visa?

If you’d like us to advise on you on the Accredited Employer Work Visa, you’re welcome to email us or call us on +27 (0) 21 202 8200. Our advisers can also tell you more about the emigration process and how we can help you with any visa applications.

Want to see more articles like this one? Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter and you’ll get immigration information and news once a month: http://bit.ly/2nUIrSr

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.

Booking an assessment with one of them is as simple as submitting your details here.

Let us also mention that the initial assessment is free of charge. This assessment will reveal if you stand a chance of qualify for a visa and highlight the best way forward.

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 assessment yet?

Our pre-assessment will get the ball rolling by highlighting any visa options open to you, at no cost.

That’s right – your pre-assessment is free of charge. It’s obligation free too. You don’t have to continue using our services if you don’t want to.

What do you have to lose? Book your assessment right away.

There are six New Zealand work visas that allow foreigners to work in the country. Without one of these visas to your name, you won’t be able to legally take up a job.

The visas are unique in that each visa:

• Offers either immediate residency, a pathway to residency or permission to work in New Zealand for a set period of time; and
• Has its own set of requirements.

To find out which visa you qualify for, you’d have to do an emigration assessment with a licensed agent.

Just before we tell you how to do that, let’s have a quick look at the different New Zealand work visas.

Immediate residency

1. Skilled Migrant visa

The Skilled Migrant visa is a residency application. It takes into consideration a number of factors, such as your:

• Occupation
• Age
• Experience; and
• Qualifications.

You’ll also need to meet a minimum points score in order to submit an Expression of Interest and receive an Invitation to Apply.

2. New Zealand Partner Work visa

The New Zealand Partner Work visa applies to legal marriages or a civil unions (opposite or same sex) as well as de facto relationships.

• Your partner must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• You must also be able to prove that the relationship is stable and committed.

If the visa is granted, you’ll be able to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely.

Pathway to residency

3. Essential Skills Work visa

The Essential Skills Work visa is a temporary residency application. You’ll need a written full-time job offer from a New Zealand employer in order to apply. That’s not all though:

• Your occupation must appear on the Essential Skills list.
• You must have the necessary skills and experience to perform the job functions.
• Your remuneration must be according to the ANZSCO level of your occupation.

Equally important as all this, is that Immigration New Zealand must be satisfied that there are no suitable New Zealanders for the position offered to you.

4. Partner of a New Zealand Work Visa Holder

You can apply for this visa when your partner has:

• Secured a job in New Zealand; or
• Already received a work visa.

Once granted the visa, you’ll be able to work in New Zealand with any employer in any role.

5. Entrepreneur visa

This is the visa for you if you want to work in your own business in New Zealand. This means:

• Starting a business; or
• Buying into an existing business.

Once you’ve reached either 6 months or 2 years of residency, you’ll be able to apply under the Entrepreneur Residence category for permanent residency.

Permission to work in New Zealand for a set period of time

6. Specific Purpose Work visa

This visa offers a number of options for specific tasks or events in New Zealand. These include:

• Short-term assignments for your company.
• Longer term secondments.
• Specific events.

Please note that you are not allowed to conduct any work in New Zealand that attracts any form of benefit without a visa.

Doing an eligibility assessment for New Zealand work visas

Now that we’ve covered the visas, let’s chat about getting an assessment done.

You have to ensure that it’s done by an immigration adviser licensed by the New Zealand Immigration Adviser Authority (IAA). Only licensed, or exempt, advisers are permitted to give advice on emigration to New Zealand.

Intergate’s advisers

Intergate has not one, but three licensed advisers. Not only that, our initial assessment is free and highlights any migration options open to you.

Let’s recap…

New Zealand offers 6 work visas which give you immediate residency, a pathway to residency or permission to work in country for a set period of time, depending on the visa you qualify for.

Each of the New Zealand work visas has its own set of requirements and you’ll only know if you qualify for a visa, and which one you qualify for, once you’ve done an immigration assessment.

To ensure you get the correct advice, only deal with licensed advisers. It could mean the difference between actually getting to work in Australia and simply spending money on a dream that’s not possible.

New Zealand is experiencing a critical teacher shortage. The situation is expected to worsen in 2018, which means qualified teachers are needed in New Zealand urgently.

The background

The situation in New Zealand has been described as ‘alarming’. A survey of secondary school teachers have revealed that 570 jobs are vacant and 700 positions are filled by unqualified staff.

A high school principal told New Zealand’s 1 NEWS NOW, “We are needing to appoint people to positions with qualifications that are outside of their area of expertise or outside the level that they are used to teaching at as well.”

Book an assessment with us immediately if you are a teacher

The teacher shortage opens up opportunities to teachers from abroad who wants to work in New Zealand. If this is you, we want to hear from you!

How can we help make your dream come true?

The first step is doing an immigration eligibility assessment to find out if you qualify to live and teach in New Zealand.

Should the result be positive, our advisers can explain the way forward and assist you with your visa application. We’ll also assess the rest of your family and help with their visas too.

Why do we start with an assessment?

It’s because we have to find out if you qualify for a visa. You cannot work in New Zealand without a visa.

The assessment also protects you from spending money on a dream that’s not possible. People have lost thousands in savings in applying for visas they do not qualify for.

These people usually dealt with unqualified or fraudelent immigration advisers or attempted to do points score calculations on their own.

Here’s how you book your assessment

It’s so simple. All you have to do is submit your details here or contact us by calling +21 (0) 20 28 200.

You’ll speak to one of advisers directly, who’ll first do a pre-assessment to reveal any migration options open to you. From here you can decide if you’d like to proceed with a comprehensive assessment.

Our advice?

Do the pre-assessment as soon as possible. As mentioned, the teacher shortage is acute and teachers are needed in New Zealand urgently. The sooner you get an application in, the better. You may have a bigger chance of success now than you would have at any other time.

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.