PLEASE NOTE  :   

The New Zealand Police recently informed the representatives of all the foreign countries represented in New Zealand that they are exiting from taking fingerprints for Immigration purposes which consequently will include the identification of persons on the passport application forms and the certification of the photographs of applicants.

As an alternative, they introduced NZ Post to take over the task and will render the service at a fee.

The South African Identification Act and the South African Passport and Documents Act, 1994 (Act No. 4 of 1994)clearly describes that in foreign countries, only the South African High Commission staff may take the fingerprints and do the identification and certification of applicants and their photographs.  As an extension, it was granted that the Police in foreign countriesmay perform the task, but with the exiting of the New Zealand police, there is no alternative but that the South Africans will have to visit the SA High Commission in Wellington for assistance.

As per information on the SA Police Services (SAPS) website, the same rule applies that only the South African High Commission staff and Police in foreign countries may take fingerprints for the purpose of obtaining South African police clearance certificates.

******Obtaining approval from the Minister of Home Affairs that NZ Post may be authorized to perform the task for SA nationals is also not a possibility as NZ Post use an electronic system not acceptable or compliant for the uniquely barcoded application forms used.

NZ Post fingerprinting will go live in Auckland as from 22October 2013.  As from this date, the NZ Police in Auckland will no longer assist with fingerprinting for Immigration purposes. They will direct applicants for passports/identity documents and police clearances to contact the SA High Commission to make appointments to submit their applications in person at the South African High Commission.

NZ Post is gradually going to expand their fingerprinting Service to other centers after the Auckland project.  NZ Police will continue rendering fingerprint and identification services to Immigrants in the areas where NZ Post has not yet established these Services and once established in a specific center, the NZ Police will discontinue rendering the service.

We call on all applicants not to engage in arguments regarding this matter with the SA High Commission staff as this is situation which was created beyond their control.  It is further counter-productive where they already have limited staff and must now manage the increased work load.

For the sake of order and planning, applicants must please book appointments for fingerprinting with the Office of the South African High Commission.  To save costs for the South Africans, Special arrangements have been made regarding applicants for passports under the age of fifteen years and 4 months.  Please enquire from the staff regarding this when contacting the Mission.

Please note:
It is crucial that appointments are made prior to arriving at the SA High Commission to assist the public as orderly and efficiently as possible.  Merit cases where proof is submitted will be accommodated without appointments.  However,   South Africans are encouraged to ensure that they always have a valid passport.  This is a daily phenomenon that South Africans, under extreme emotional stress when there is death or severe illness with family in South Africa have to rush to apply for emergency and temporary passports as their passports had expired years ago.

Contact details:
Tel :  04 815 84 84
e-mail :[email protected]
Address:  South African High Commission, 1 Willis Street, State Insurance Towers, Level 7, Wellington 6146

Looking forward to meeting fellow-South Africans!

Finding a job in New Zealand is not as easy as it sounds. Firstly, most employers want the potential job applicants to have work visas before he will interview a candidate. Most Recruitment Agencies are the same. You will see jobs advertised in the local newspaper or the job websites saying ‘Applicants with permanent residence/work visa only may apply’. So how do you get a job? To get a job you need a Work Visa and to get a Work Visa you need a job. It’s a catch 22 situation. Many South Africans have come to New Zealand, encountered these situations and often have to go back to SA. That is why it is very important to take legal/immigration advice from a licensed adviser who will help you to overcome these objections. You can look on the skills shortage list on the INZ website to see if you qualify to immigrate to New Zealand.

With the Christchurch rebuild there are more and more jobs coming on stream. I urgently need 10 electricians, quantity surveyors, civil engineers and tradesmen. There are jobs in Auckland too and as long as you’re qualified in your skill level there are positions for you.

Send your CV to Peter at [email protected].

Civil Engineers with 10 years experience
Farm Managers
Heavy duty truck drivers with a minimum of 10 years driving experience
Carpenters/builders. NZ builds wooden houses
Electricians
Plumbers
Auto Mechanics
Diesel Mechanics
IT Personnel with 10 years experience.

TIPS FOR CREATING A NZ-STYLE CV 

You may already have a CV but its style, length and content may be quite different from CVs in New Zealand. These tips will help you write your CV in a style that New Zealand employers prefer.

CONTENTS:

• 1. Keep it short – 2 pages or 3 max
• 2. Give examples of your skills
• 3. Make sure your CV is up to date
• 4. Get it checked
• 5. Sell yourself
• 6. Bring your referees
• 7. Write a cover letter

1.     KEEP IT SHORT

You may be used to having a CV that includes information about every job or course you’ve ever done. But in New Zealand, CVs are generally short – two to three pages long. Employers want to know about how suitable you are for their vacancy, not all that you have ever done. It’s still important though so if you have worked at many places use one liners – company name, occupation, dates to and from.

Your CV should include:

• Your contact details
• Work experience that is relevant to the job you want or applying for
• Key skills you have learned or developed that would be useful for the position.

New Zealand employers like a short CV with impact. They do not like to read a long story.

2.     GIVE EXAMPLES OF YOUR SKILLS

Employers use CVs to decide which candidates they will invite for an interview. Writing about skills may be different from what you’re used to. Don’t just list your skills – make sure that you give an example of how you’ve used each skill.

Identify what you did, the setting in which the activity was carried out and what happened as a result.

Example:

Customer Service skills – managed a busy bookstore and twice achieved a 95% grading during the annual mystery shopper survey.

To get more examples of this, see our page about putting transferable skills in your CV. (Transferable skills are skills that you have that are useful in many types of jobs, for example, communication or being able to work well under pressure.

3.     MAKE SURE YOUR CV IS UP TO DATE

If you want an employer to contact you, you need to keep your CV up to date with your latest address and telephone number.

Tips:

• If you don’t have a phone at home, think about getting a mobile phone so that employers can contact you
• Put your email address on your CV. If you don’t have an email address, you can set up a free account with providers such as Yahoo or Gmail.

 4.     GET IT CHECKED

Sometimes CVs are difficult to translate clearly. Get an English speaker to read your CV to check for errors. Some translation services can do this for free.

5.     SELL YOURSELF

Don’t be afraid to write about your strengths (what you do well). Use your CV to tell an employer why they should employ you.

6.     BRING YOUR REFEREES (references)

Most New Zealander employers will ask for two referees about who they can contact to ask about your work. You should check that the telephone numbers and email addresses of your referees are current.

Some New Zealand employers prefer you to have New Zealand work experience. If you are having trouble finding work, consider taking an entry-level job or doing voluntary work. This can also be a source of referees.

7.     WRITE A COVER LETTER

When you send your CV to an employer, make sure you include a cover letter. Your cover letter should:

• Explain why you want the job
• Explain what you can offer the employer
• Highlight skills, qualifications and experiences that you have that match that job.

8.     THINGS NOT TO PUT ON YOUR CV

• Your school results – no one wants to know you got an A in Geography
• Afrikaans – employers may think you do not have proficiency in English
• Your race
• If you do not have residency or a work visa do not put in your legal status or you will not get an interview
• ID Number
• Negative comments about your previous boss or acrimonious divorce!!

What do the famous Blue Stickers look like ?

We are all working so hard to get our New Zealand Visa, but do you know what it looks like?
Below are examples of some of the visas, along with a brief explanation of each.

You can click on each picture to have it enlarged in a new window.

Residence Visa

This is the famous PR Visa which allows you to stay in New Zealand permanently.
With this visa you are however not allowed to leave the country and return again. To leave the country and come back again you need a Returning Residents Visa (shown below) which allows you to come and go.

Leaving the country without a RRV would mean that you cannot re-enter New Zealand and would have to go through the whole process of applying for PR again.

To obtain a PR Visa, you need to apply to immigrate to New Zealand.
More info on how to go about applying to immigrate to New Zealand can be found HERE.

Returning Resident’s Visa

You are issued a Returning Resident’s Visa along with your PR permit. You need this visa when you leave New Zealand to visit family outside New Zealand, or leave the country temporarily for any reason.
If you have a PR Visa and don’t have a RRV, please apply for one immediately. The form is HERE.

The RRV is only valid for a certain period of time so you need to ensure that you are back in New Zealand before the expiry date.

Also never leave New Zealand without a RRV otherwise your PR Visa will expire
Also ensure that your passport is valid for the duration of your visit too .

Once your RRV has expired and you apply for a new one, they will in all likelyhood issue one for an indefinite period, which means that you can now come and go with the same ease as a natural citizen.

Work Visa – Closed

If you have a job offer in New Zealand and apply for a Work Visa, you will be issued with a closed work visa. This means that the visa only allows you to work in a specified capacity at a specified employer for a certain amount of time. You must leave New Zealand BEFORE your work visa expires or you will be deported. If this happens your chances of being accepted into any other country is as good as zero.

If you are in New Zealand on a closed work visa and you get a better job offer or your circumstances have changed and you want to change jobs, you must speak to your Immigration Case Officer BEFORE changing jobs. South Africans have been kicked out of New Zealand before because of this, so don’t take chances.

The Closed Work Visa is normally issued to the Principle Applicant, ie., the person applying for the permit.

Work Visa – Open

An open work visa allows you to work in New Zealand at any employer in any capacity for the period specified on the visa. As with the Closed Work Visa, it is important to leave the country BEFORE your visa expires.

An open work visa is usually issued to the partner of the principle applicant.

If you have a different visa and would like to share how it looks, then please Contact Us. Your personal details will be blanked out to protect your identity.

The New Zealand Immigration Family Category can be used to bring your loved ones over to New Zealand. There are however strict criteria that need to be met.

The business and investor category can be used by businessmen and investors to immigrate to New Zealand.

The Business and Investor category has two distinct streams under which you can apply. The first is the Business stream, the next is the Investor stream. Each have their own requirements you would need to fulfill before being accepted. Let’s look at these in more detail.

Business Stream

This stream is available to those that have business and / or management experience and would either like to buy an existing business or start a new business in New Zealand. If you are successful with your application you are issued a Long Term Business Visa, basically a Work Permit tied to the business, which allows you to travel to New Zealand and establish / run the business. If after two years you have succeeded, you are issued your Permanent Residence. What makes this option attractive to some is the fact that there is no specific dollar amount attached to the business, so a small / micro business may be enough to obtain a Long Term Business Visa.

Although there is no specific dollar value that the business you buy or start must be there are however some deciding factors which New Zealand Immigration Service use to determine whether your Long Term Business Visa application will be successful. These are :

1) You must be of good health and character
2) have a reasonable standard of English
3) have enough money to support yourself and your family for the length of your visa
4) and have a decent business plan.
5) be registered of your occupation requires registration in New Zealand.

Your business plan will be assessed on the following criteria :

i) You have enough money to buy / start the business
ii) it contains realistic financial forecasts
iii) the amount of previous business / management experience you have in the type of business you intend running in New Zealand
iv) you have a clean record as far as your business life is concerned, ie., haven’t declared bankrupt, been convicted of fraud, etc.
v) the business will be a benefit to New Zealand, this is proven by showing :

• the introduction of new or enhanced existing technology, management or technical skills
• the introduction of new or enhanced products or services or export markets
• the creation of new or expansion of existing export markets
• the creation of new job opportunities
• the revitalising of an existing business – the business must be trading at the time you apply and must clearly have the potential to become profitable within 12 months.

You can get more info on the Long Term Business Visa HERE

The second part of the Business and Investor category is the Investor stream, let’s have a look at the requirements there.

Investor Stream

Anywhere in the world money talks and if you have heaps of it, then doors swing open. New Zealand is no exception to that rule. If you have money that you can invest in New Zealand, then it may just be your ticket to immigrate here. There are two “levels” of investment which will enable you to obtain Permanent Residence, the more money you have, the easier it becomes. Below is a breakdown of these levels :

The funds must legally belong to you or jointly by you or your dependent family. The money must not already be used for security, etc. on anything else and you must transfer the investment money to New Zealand through the banking system.

You may also not invest the money for personal use, eg to buy a house in NZ. For a list of what NZIS considers an acceptable investment you can go HERE

For more info regarding the Investor Category you can visit the NZIS website HERE

The Skilled Migrant category was created to assist New Zealand in filling their employment gaps. Candidates are chosen for their value they can add to the New Zealand work force. This is also the category that most South Africans qualify under.

The Skilled Migrant category was created to assist New Zealand in filling their employment gaps. Candidates are chosen for their value they can add to the New Zealand work force. This is also the category that most South Africans qualify under.

The Skilled Migrant Category has been broken down into different “boxes”, these are :

a) Residence
b) Work to Residence
c) Residence from Work

Confusing I know, but let’s look at each box in turn and then it will make a bit more sense :

Permanent Residence

This box is for those people that immediately qualify for full permanent residence to New Zealand and the route that most South Africans take to get here. Your residence will generally be granted on the strength of your qualifications or work experience, but can also be granted on the strength of a job offer in New Zealand. You are however required to be under 55 at the time of your application.

The big advantage of gaining your permanent residence before you land in New Zealand is that you can then immediately take up employment in any capacity which makes the initial job hunt a lot less stressful. Your immediate family is also included in this application, so they gain residence as part of your application. Click the link to read more about the Permanent Residence Application Process.

Work to Residence

This box is for those that don’t immediately qualify for full permanent residence and is basically a fancy word for a work permit which after two years can be converted to Permanent Residence.

Work to Residence permits are issued if :
i) You have applied for and qualify for full permanent residence, but NZIS have concerns about your . They then issue you with a Work to Residence permit in order for you to prove that you have the ability to settle successfully.
or
you also apply for a Work to Residence permit under the following categories if you do not qualify under the Residence box :

ii) Long Term Skills Shortage – if you have a jof offer from a New Zealand employer and that job is listed on the Long Term Skills Shortage list, you can apply for a Work to Residence permit. You can find the Long Term Skills Shortage list HERE You need to be 53 or under to apply under this category. You can read more about these conditions HERE .

iii) Talent (Accredited Employer) – Some of New Zealand’s businesses have been approved to employ staff from overseas. If you receive an offer of skilled employment from one of these employers, then you can apply for a Work to Residence permit. You can find a list of Accredited Employers HERE There are also minimum wage conditions applied to this category. You can read more about these conditions HERE

iv) Talent (Arts, Culture and Sports) – If you have recognised talents and abilities in the arts, culture or sports fields, and your time in New Zealand will enhance the country’s reputation, then you can apply for a Work to Residence permit. Obviously this category is not available to you if you player first team soccer at school. You need to already be internationally recognised, for example somebody like Ernie Els would be able to apply under this category. The person needs a sponsorship from a New Zealand organisation of national repute. You can read about this option HERE

IMPORTANT – it is important to note that not all jobs are created equal in the eyes of NZIS. NZIS regards some jobs unworthy of a WP, others worthy of a WP only but not PR, others will qualify you for PR.

NOTE – Some occupation require registration before you can work in those fields. New Zealand Immigration Service will require you to register / obtain provisional registration before they will grant and visa / permit under the Skilled Migrant category. You can find out more about which occupations these are HERE

The Work to Residence category is only open to persons under the age of 55.

A Work to Residence permit is only issued to you and does not include the members of your immediate family. They need to apply for their own visitor, work or student permit. Read more about this HERE

For more info about Work to Residence permits visit the INZ site

The third Skilled Migrant box is the Residence from Work box

Residence from Work

This box is only available to persons that have been working in New Zealand for two years or more already. More often than not it is folks that have been issued Work to Residence permits and now want to “claim” their full Permanent Residence or folks that have been working here on Work Permits for more than two years in order to gain extra points towards their Permanent Residence application. This option is also limited to persons under 55.

For more info about Work to Residence permits visit the INZ site

The next category is the Business and Investor category.