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I've lived in Nz since 2004. Since i have chose to leave my homeland, Argentina, I've been bombarded with all of sort of questions: why Nz?, how is life here?, could it be easy to adapt?, what is the cost of living?, ....and also the [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] list goes on. This short article promises to answer some of the people questions. I'll leave the economical, geographical, political and other characteristics for your own research. You don't have to create concerning the beauty of america, there is plenty documented about it, in articles, books and films.

Before you decide to continue, I wish to make one point clear. The following lines might sound a little harsh, particularly if you really are a Kiwi. It's not my intention. I really like this country; I do not regret choosing Nz as my adoptive home. But sometimes immigration agencies are [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] a bit too positive. I'm attempting to become more realistic.

Don't think in all you read within the brochures

As occur in many other countries it can be difficult to find a place in the professional world. So, my first advice will be realistic. Ignore any document that promises sort of "New American Dream" (well Nz dream regardless). You could discover yourself returning home with an unfair look at the nation. Immigration consultants and governmental agencies are to a great extent accountable for it.

Although the unemployment rate is in an all time low - when i write this article it's among the lowest within the planet - that doesn't mean that you'll easily obtain a similar professional position to the one you've now. This is particularly difficult for those whose native language is not English. I will go back to this time later.

Do your homework

Most countries in the world have requirements to allow people to work permanently and temporally. Nz is no exception. You are required to have a work permit or to be resident. Let us take a brief look at a few of the permits the Nz immigration service concedes:

* Visitor visa: purely for tourism. Working under this permit is illegal. However, there are illegal workers in Nz, it's not worth the risk, particularly if you come with an IT qualification. You are able to still come [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] as visitor and obtain a work permit when you are in the country so long as you are not actually working. We will discuss this situation later.
* Working holiday visa: this really is granted to people from certain countries aged between 18 and 30 to come to Nz to travel and undertake temporary work. The duration and conditions of this visa vary with the nationality from the applicant. It's normally granted to a limited number of individuals per country. Hispanic countries which are granted this visa are: Argentina, Chile and Mexico.
* Visas for seasonal operate in horticulture and viniculture: you are able to make an application for this visa once in Nz. It allows working in tasks such as pruning and fruit picking for a maximum duration of six weeks. You are not permitted to extend this permit. Holders of this permit are just permitted to operate in specific parts of the nation in the activities mentioned previously.
* Student permits: you are eligible to operate no more than 20 hours per week. To be granted this enable you need to be a fulltime student of a Nz institution. Since fees aren't cheap for international students, to be able to pay your fees and your expenses you are likely to need more than 20 hours of work.
* Work Permit: this is the kind of visa that is needed to operate generally. It allows working fulltime for any limited period of time. There are several categories, requirements and limitations They are always changing. However, as IT professionals we're only thinking about the Immediate Skill Shortage List category. It's in high demand and almost all the streams of IT skills are contained in the Shortage List. Nevertheless, you need to have an employment offer from a valid employer (here lies one of the greatest problems of this system). Also, if you quit your job, you need to leave the country, if you don't have another legitimate job offer.
* Residence - Skilled Migrant Category: the real difference from the Visa is that is not tied to a specific employer. Not only [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] does it give freedom of choice, it also opens doors towards the same possibilities that citizens have: bank credits, student fees at local rates (under any of the other schemes students pay international fees), student education loans, business credits, mortgages, etc. This permit is granted through a pool system by which a job candidate fills an application called expression of great interest (EOI). The applicant claims a score according with age, English level, expertise, etc. This score can be used within the pool. If the applicant claimed 100 points or more, the EOI adopts the Pool. Every fortnight, all EOIs over 140 points are automatically selected to have an invitation to apply for residence. Following this, lower scoring EOIs with certain things, such as skilled employment in Nz, are selected. Therefore the time that it takes to become invited to use varies considerably from situation to situation.

* Other permits: there are many other [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] ways to stay in Nz to work. Immigration laws change rapidly.

As you can see, it can be difficult. I suggest reading the brand new Zealand immigration service website carefully before making a choice. If I had done that before visiting the country I possibly could have saved a lot of money and time. I took my chances and came under a functional Holiday Scheme. Things were neither easy nor cheap for me personally.

My recommendation

Being an IT professional I wouldn't consider coming with a Visitor, Seasonal or Working Holiday Visa. When i mentioned before, there is a catch. While there is no law that stops you against looking for a job offer under these visas, the reality is that local businesses don't wish to deal with the paper work that the proper work permit involves. For a short turn to any job search site from Nz (for instance, you will find that most the advertisments state "Only individuals with the authority to work in New Zealand may make an application for this position". The industry polite method of saying: "Hey mate, don't bother if you're not resident, citizen or have a work permit"

So you would wonder, how do I obtain a job basically need a work permit and to obtain a visa I want an agreement? Also, a lot of companies require you to maintain Nz for the interviews (even though some are beginning to make use of videoconferencing).

You are able to still come and make use of a WHV (assuming you adhere to the requirements) or perhaps a seasonal permit. In the case of seasonal permits, you are [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] likely to be granted a permit around the condition of working from the main cities (where the majority of IT work are available). The primary problem with both permits is that you will expend your hard earned money and energy working in alternative activities not related with your area of expert knowledge. You will need to possess a strong mind and be very patient. Oftentimes people lie within their first connection with a prospective employer, letting them know they have an effective visa and then trying to get it once they have a contract. Unfortunately for them, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] Kiwis are not as naive because they use to stay in this regard, many employers require you to show your passport in the first interview or check your details with immigration.

I [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] suggest to ignore these options and to go for a Work Permit or a Residence. It will save you the strain and humiliation of infinite number of applications and interviews with no results, and from your own country.

We're down to three options: Student, Working and Resident permit.

A student permit is just ideal for those with good incomes in their own individual countries. Or maybe you're willing to bend the guidelines and work beyond the 20 hours allowed through the permit. The problem is that you are required to be fulltime student, so institutions conserve the attendance numbers. You are also likely to fail any study that you simply undertake due to lack of preparation. Not to mention that you can get in danger with Immigration. Like a lecturer, I've seen this a [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] handful of times.

The job permit option requires of plenty of patience and perseverance. However, there are employers prepared to interview through Skype or similar technologies, this isn't common yet. The trick is to avoid the intermediary: human recruitment agencies and human resources departments. I would advise a few of the following: make contacts through forums or social media (Linkedin, Facebook, etc.) or offer to complete some work with them out of your own country to showcase your talent (this really is easier if you are associated with the introduction of web solutions).

Finally, your best option on my small view: trying to get residence from your own country. It's not easy nor a cheap option but it's cheaper than travelling without any results. If you possess the right qualifications [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] and experience in IT along with a good degree of English based on an EILTS or TOEFL exam, you may gain enough points to get into the pool. Then you need to wait to become invited to apply for residence. Once you are granted residence your chances of obtaining a job will multiply, even though you apply from outside Nz.

Paper work you might need

This can be a list of paperwork that you are apt to be asked if you apply for a Visa or perhaps a Residence Permit:

* Passport and certified copies
* Certified copy of birth certificate
* Certified copies of qualifications (and certified translation if it's not in English)
* Proof of your level of English (if you're not an English speaker): TOEFL, EILTS, etc.
* In some cases you might be necessary to have your qualifications evaluated through NZQA (New Zealand Qualification Authority)
* Any evidence of your work experience.
* Medical certificate (this requirement radically changes according with nationality of applicant)
* Police declaration of good conduct. No convictions

The documentation will be different on your particular situation. I suggest you read the Nz Immigration Service website at length.

English skills

So far we hardly spoke about one extremely important issue: communication skills. If English is your native language you are able to skip this.

Many people believe that it is possible to understand a language on the streets. That's absolute nonsense, especially if you are intending to work in IT. When searching for a professional role explore only [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] the US, the Latin community is very small. The IT community of Spanish speakers even smaller. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] I can count using the fingers of one hand the number of IT professionals from Hispanic origins. You would not be able to find a Hispanic IT company, as if you could, for example, in Miami or La.

My point is, that any language - English is no exception - ought to be formally learned. You can still get it done in New Zealand though. It really is one way to be granted students permit as long the course you take is intensive (around 20 hours a week).

Having good English skills doesn't warrant success either. My experience (and that of numerous other immigrants that I know), is that local employers prefer to hire professionals whose native language is English. It makes sense to employ somebody that shares your culture, doesn't it? A strong accent could be a barrier when searching for jobs. Besides, Kiwis speak fast and have a very peculiar accent.

Be ready to do any kind of work

For those travelling with no employment offer, anticipate to work doing anything: cleaning, picking fruits, painting, barista, etc. Improve other skills which you may have discovered or which are your hobby. Good carpenters, electricians or [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] mechanics earn good money in Nz. In some instances they earn the same or even more than white collar professionals.

Some professionals studied IT within their native countries since it was a method of earning better money than working as a tradesman. But they maybe would have preferred to operate as a carpenter, mechanic, hairdresser...whatever. For example, I met a Russian programmer that would rather work as builder in New Zealand. He's still cutting software just like a spare time activity.

IT skills sought after - what business say and what they actually do

Each year, the New Zealand Immigration Service writes lists of Immediate and Long-term shortage skills. These lists are based on surveys completed in collaboration with local businesses. However, the things they say and what they actually look for differs or changes rapidly. For instance, businesses could say [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] today they need ABAP programmers but then they could advertise for .NET programmers.

The majority of New Zealand employers are very selective (even picky). They complain concerning the shortage of IT professionals but they're not willing to give a prospective employee the chance to meet up with a specific technology. It is not enough to become a Software Engineer, you have to be an application Engineer with knowledge in X, Z, N and M technologies. Ah, and with at least Three years of expertise!

There's a reason for this selectiveness. Kiwis are used to changing jobs and moving homes often. Many of them "cross the ditch" to Australia. Then employers don't want to take the risk of hiring someone who spends a couple of months to understand a technology and after only annually moves to the next company. Also the local economy is small, businesses are smaller, companies can't or don't want to put money into this type of "on the task training".

The Jack-of-all-trades approach doesn't pay off in New Zealand. You have to be specialist inside a particular technology. My experience as an IT professional in South America was quite different. I wasn't an expert most of the languages I was hired to work with. I learned the ins and outs of these on the job.

Your final comment

Immigrating into any country isn't easy. No matter what degrees, qualification or experiences you've had, the more different the culture of the nation you are choosing as the new home is from your own culture, greater it is to locate a job and to integrate generally.