How long does it take to emigrate to NZ and is this really bad timing?!

[juleypooly]

DP and myself are hoping to emigrate. I work in healthcare so we would be going based on some form of skill shortage list. We're open to most places but ideally Australia/NZ. My job is quite specific and doesn't really exist without taking on additional duties (which I'm not massively keen) on in Oz. Expecting things to take a while I've been casually job searching every so often. Yesterday the perfect job came up in NZ. Now the issue.. I'm 5 months pregnant. I'd like to make the most of at least some of my NHS mat leave as it's so good. What sort of time frames are we talking to get registration/visas sorted etc? Covid and closed borders could work in my favour also. Ideally the earliest I'd want to move would be Winter 2021.

This job feels like the perfect opportunity but I also don't want to burn my bridges by applying now and then it being the wrong time and withdrawing.

Why would they give you a job now to start in a year? (presuming you mean NZ winter?)

Has it crossed your mind that the ad may be ‘just for show’ you know the old trick of advertising a job you already have someone for.

No one can get into the country, skills shortage visas have really really long waits (unless you are making multi million dollar movies or sailing a boat) the PM has told everyone there is no sign of this changing in the foreseeable future.

So yeah the timing is dreadful!

@Notnowjo

Why would they give you a job now to start in a year? (presuming you mean NZ winter?)

Has it crossed your mind that the ad may be ‘just for show’ you know the old trick of advertising a job you already have someone for.

No one can get into the country, skills shortage visas have really really long waits (unless you are making multi million dollar movies or sailing a boat) the PM has told everyone there is no sign of this changing in the foreseeable future.

So yeah the timing is dreadful!

Most nursing jobs in the UK will hire a year in advance so I wouldn't use that as a reason to assume it's a no-go.

Why would you think the job was advertised 'for show'?

OP, I'm sure there's third party companies that can advise on this kind of move. I've got a friend that emigrated to NZ, I'll ask her.

Family member emigrated to NZ as a nurse about 10yrs ago. It was for a more general rolling position, but the whole process took about a year (you do have to jump through lots of hoops!). Although this may have changed in the interim with time/COVID. You may get even longer if you can't actually start the process yet, due to COVID restrictions.

Sorry 022828MAN I can't quote you so I'll do it like this

Most nursing jobs in the UK will hire a year in advance so I wouldn't use that as a reason to assume it's a no-go.

OK I didn't know that, 1/2 the medical ones seem to want you to start last week! The OP said healthcare not nurse though.

Why would you think the job was advertised 'for show'?

NZ is a small country with a small population, like other places huge numbers of healthcare staff are recruited from the Philippines and other places. There are massive numbers of young people returning from overseas all looking for work and the widely accepted view is that they should get first priority for jobs.

Additionally a lot of jobs actually go to Shane (from the rugby club) friends wife or cousin Arlo's sister there is no reason to assume this will be different because it is healthcare or because of coronavirus, indeed if you want to make sure that schoolfriend Gemma's sister can get the job it is a widely recognised recruitment tactic to write a very specific job ad in the hope that most phlebotomists who see the ad won't also be able to change a spark plug.
Lo and behold Susan from next door's daughter is the best fit and she gets the job what a surprise!!

As far as I'm aware you can start the process but just be aware that people are being placed in a perpetual holding pattern waiting for things to be processed.

The message locally is that the boarders will not open for the foreseeable future and the general feeling is that jobs should go to returning Kiwis.

Stuff is the local online news search there for sob stories about people who have visas waiting to be allowed back into the country and be cautious about paying money to immigration advisors.

There was a lady from the states allowed in to head a lab recently though if that's the kind of thing you're talking about (it's on stuff)

You can apply for visas and jobs simulateously but there is likely a backlog in approval unless it is a very urgent appointment.
Kiwi families stuck abroad have been waiting for months and months for spousal visas, adopted and biological child visas and passports as well as flights to NZ. Lots living in Australia are petitioning to return as any children born across the Tasman have to apply for exemption to relocate to NZ.
I think you will be competing for approval and jobs with locals but anything is worth a try .

As Notnowjo mentioned above nepotism is alive and well in NZ...saying that ...if I was you I would apply for any job that fit your skills.
The Visa will be attached to a job offer if you are applying for a skills shortage visa,it can take months at the best of times from application to moving date (now it is obviously longer).
One thing you have to aware of is that NZ is rather expensive especially if you want to live in Auckland or Wellington.
Lifestyle and quality of life is great if you can afford a mortgage and you have something left after bills.
We lived in Auckland a few years back and I miss it terribly but the reality is that we have been priced out and unless house prices get a reality check we won't be able to move back...which makes me very sad!

Currently NZ’s border is closed, except to NZ citizens.

However, there are exceptions, especially in the health sector - www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/covid-19/border-closures-and-exceptions

Whether a potential employer who would hire you without a visa and then have to wait for you to get here is another matter, especially if they can fill the position quickly.

But if it is a niche and specialist role, then they are perhaps expecting to fill it from overseas anyway, possibly with a returning NZer.

Having worked in the UK and NZ I’d say that networks and contacts, family or not are useful in both places.