How to get a Job in New Zealand

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Jobs Abroad

Only a lucky few people get a job offer in New Zealand without physically being there. They do this by having highly sought after skills. The majority of people only get job offers if they have stepped on an airplane and made themselves available for interview in New Zealand.

The prospect of living and working in New Zealand seems to draw in an unusually large number of dreamers. In the past, employers in New Zealand found they spent too much time talking to and interviewing people overseas, only for these people to change their minds after being offered a job.

The result of so many time wasters applying from overseas to work in New Zealand is that businesses in New Zealand are sceptical of Resumes or CVs arriving in the email or in the post from applicants who don’t have permission to work in New Zealand and who are not in New Zealand.

Often, though, the only way you can get a visa to live or work in New Zealand is by having a job offer.

Some people don’t need a job offer. They apply for permanent residence, and through a combination of their age, tertiary qualifications, job experience, fluent English, a highly qualified spouse, and savings, they earn enough immigration points to qualify for permanent residence in New Zealand.

A job offer in New Zealand adds a lot of points to an application for residence, and most people need one.

What if you would like to work in New Zealand, but you don’t qualify for permanent residence and can’t get a job offer?

The only solution is to go to New Zealand.

If you are 30 years old (this means people who are aged 30, but not 31) or younger, there’s a good chance your country has a working holiday arrangement with the New Zealand government.

The scheme is different for different countries.

People from the UK are particularly well treated, with unlimited places available for a stay of up to 23 months.

Other countries with unlimited places (but with a 12 month stay) are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the USA.

Currently, the following countries are eligible to apply for a working holiday in New Zealand.

Click a link to get specific details for your country:

Argentina,
Belgium,
Brazil,
Canada,
Chile,
China,
Czech,
Denmark,
Estonia,
Finland,
France,
Germany,
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,
Ireland,
Israel,
Italy,
Japan,
Korea,
Latvia,
Malaysia,
Malta,
Mexico,
Netherlands,
Norway,
Peru,
Poland,
Singapore (work exchange programme),
Slovenia,
Spain,
Sweden,
Taiwan,
Thailand,
Turkey,
United Kingdom,
United States of America,
Uruguay

If while on a working holiday you obtain a legitimate offer of full-time work, for a skilled job that has been advertised but has not attracted a suitable candidate in New Zealand, you will be eligible for a visa to work in New Zealand.

Lots of people have followed this route to a job and then permanent residence in New Zealand.

The other main way to get a job offer in New Zealand is simply to turn up and try to find one.

Obviously, it makes sense to make sure your skills are in demand first. For example, New Zealand has no car manufacturing plants, so if your skills are in this area, and are not especially transferable, it would be very unwise to turn up hoping to get a job offer.

Check to make sure there is a genuine demand for your skills.

Visitors from the following countries don’t need a visa to enter New Zealand for three months or less:

Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, and Vatican City.

For visitors from the UK, a six-month stay is possible without a visa, and from Australia a permanent stay is possible without a visa.

Again, many people have been able to get job offers in this way and ultimately have been able to obtain permanent residence in New Zealand.

It’s certainly not recommended for the faint-hearted, particularly if you resign from a good job to go to New Zealand, hoping to get a job.

Some words of caution: a lot of people who look for jobs in New Zealand never get an offer. It’s one of these things that you do entirely at your own risk!

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