Getting a Job Offer - Eligibility Assessments

People wishing to migrate to New Zealand often come up against resistance from recruiters and employers, who require applicants to be on valid work visas in order to be hired. Options are very limited for people who want to work in New Zealand but do not have a job offer, as almost every work visa category requires current employment or an offer of current employment. The exceptions are generally open work visas for partners and Working Holiday visas.

Applicants who have highly sought-after skills can navigate this by undergoing a Skype interview with interested employers. For those with widely available skills however, there are few viable options. Many applicants with skills on the Long Term Skill Shortage List are also rejected based on their immigration status.

Potential migrants are often told by recruitment agencies that they need to organise a trip to New Zealand so they can show up for interviews in person. That is an expensive job-seeking exercise, and does not solve the issue of not having a valid working visa - recruiters are not the ones having to pay for flights, visas and accommodation, and they are hired by the employer, whose bests interests they have at heart, not the person having to fly half-way around the world. Again, I would point out that Skype interviews are a perfectly legitimate method of hiring employees.

One way to circumvent what some migrants term the "Catch-22" situation is for an eligibility assessment to be drafted. Some companies use a template form, padded with 15-30 pages of copied and pasted nonsense and irrelevant, publicly available information about the benefits of moving to New Zealand, or how many Skilled Migrant Category points you might have (these assessments can be incorrect). Very little actual work has gone into these assessments, which provide a general overview how you would fare if you did apply for a visa through them, including how much you would have to pay.

My eligibility assessments are much shorter and precise. I don't advise whether you fit 20 different irrelevant visa categories, but I set out how you meet the particular legal requirements of one visa that is the most appropriate in your situation. This includes a discussion around health, character, bona fides, sponsorship, and other generic entry requirements.

The next part of the assessment looks at the type of job you are trying to get. I match that up with the data you have provided me, and your CV, and set out how and why you are qualified (whether by experience, qualification, or both) for a particular occupation under its relevant ANZSCO code.

I then state that I am willing to act on your behalf to obtain the visa that you are eligible for (I won't draft an assessment for someone who is not eligible). I am able to tweak these assessments for a small price ($10.00 to $30.00) for different occupations if you change your job focus. The total set price of an eligibility assessment is $200.00 USD ($300.00 NZD).

While this assessment won't guarantee you a job (nothing can do that), it is a leg up for people who are not able to get a work visa without an offer of employment. It is double-checked by my supervisor, and is generally ready within 3-4 days.