How's life in NZ/Aus?

watna

I'm sure you will Crumble! Your qualifications will stand you in great stead.

It's especially bad when you try and take money back to Ireland/go home for a visit. I'm getting married in Dublin next year and thinking about the cost of it all when converted to NZD makes me feel sick!

doriansmith

watna wrote: »

Well done! Everyone says that when they get their first job in NZ. The wages really are shocking. It's only up from here though! I'm here three years now and have just got back up to the same pay I was on when I left Dublin (once you convert it)

Oh I'm gonna have to try not think about comparing it to my pay at home but it's definitely less than half once converted! It's only a 3 month contract but hopefully I'll get something permanent after that.

First day tomorrow, eek!

watna

doriansmith wrote: »

Oh I'm gonna have to try not think about comparing it to my pay at home but it's definitely less than half once converted! It's only a 3 month contract but hopefully I'll get something permanent after that.

First day tomorrow, eek!

Best of luck. You'll be fine. What kind of work is it?

My first 3 month contract when I got here was about half my pay from Ireland. I just tried not to think about it.

doriansmith

Thanks watna. It's an accounting role in a govt agency. In fairness it's a lot less responsibility than I had at home which is part of the reason the salary's a lot lower but hopefully it'll also be less stressful.

Will be happy once the first day's out of the way

watna

doriansmith wrote: »

Thanks watna. It's an accounting role in a govt agency. In fairness it's a lot less responsibility than I had at home which is part of the reason the salary's a lot lower but hopefully it'll also be less stressful.

Will be happy once the first day's out of the way

You'll be grand. Have you worked in government before? It was a bit of a culture shock for me at first but I'm actually really enjoying it.

doriansmith

No I've never worked in a govt job before. In fact this will only be my second full time post-college job. Was in my last job at home over four years.

I think I'm scared about the early starts more than anything. I've gotten used to getting up at about 10am every day!

kiwipower

watna wrote: »

Well done! Everyone says that when they get their first job in NZ. The wages really are shocking. It's only up from here though! I'm here three years now and have just got back up to the same pay I was on when I left Dublin (once you convert it)

Well if it helps you feel any better...
Im on a lot less now in Ireland than I was on three years ago in Ireland! And that includes two increaments since then!
The worst bit is I know in that time in NZ my profession has had pay rises!!

Crumble Froo

watna wrote: »

I'm sure you will Crumble! Your qualifications will stand you in great stead.

It's especially bad when you try and take money back to Ireland/go home for a visit. I'm getting married in Dublin next year and thinking about the cost of it all when converted to NZD makes me feel sick!

Nah, I won't, I was working an average of a 72hr shift a week, 3 days on, 4 days off, I'll never work that many hours or get that much pay, honestly, since getting to nz, for all I can get down about constantly being so broke, I don't think I'll ever be well enough to go back to working full time, so I'll never b able to just make up enough hours to get the good pay. BUT, I am generally quite employable for all the jobs I love doing, so as long as I'm having fun, I'm pretty happy


Oh, and by the way... heading home to Ireland for a few weeks in a week's time.....

*:D BOUNCE *

Mellor

Currently feel physicaly sick, just came to light that;

I "may" currently be without a visa by 4 days
I also "may" get immigration to overlook as i'm lodging 457

i'm not going to post too many details

Zambia

Best of luck with that Mellor

brendansmith

I think once you lodge a 457 you are automatically on a bridging visa until a decision is made.

Im in a similar situation, my nz visa runs out next wednesday and I am still waiting on the lazy pricks in the australian federal police to send me police check cert, they are taking their sweet fuking time about it.

Mellor

Fingers crossed and stomach in knots at the minute

Can't believe I let this happen. Smack, abnd in the middle of a grey area.
457 is going in now, just to get bridging status to feel safe

watna

Best of luck! It could be worse - in NZ there is no bridging visa. If your visa runs out and you have an application in for another one you have to leave the country. I was really worried it would happen to me but I ended up getting my residence with about 4 months to spare!

Mellor

brendansmith wrote: »

I think once you lodge a 457 you are automatically on a bridging visa until a decision is made.

I basicaly need this to be the case, truely automatic, DONOTREPLY email from immi
then find case officer and start correspondance to finish it off

brendansmith

Mellor wrote: »

I basicaly need this to be the case, truely automatic, DONOTREPLY email from immi
then find case officer and start correspondance to finish it off

Im pretty sure it is the case.
Ring immigration and ask if your worried. Itll let you know one wat or the other and if they have changed it and you dont have a bridging visa take a 4 day holiday to nz

ArseBurger

Mellor wrote: »

Currently feel physicaly sick, just came to light that;

I "may" currently be without a visa by 4 days
I also "may" get immigration to overlook as i'm lodging 457

i'm not going to post too many details

How did that happen? They usually ok with bridging in these cases.

hussey

Mellor wrote: »

I basicaly need this to be the case, truely automatic, DONOTREPLY email from immi
then find case officer and start correspondance to finish it off

I'm pretty certain this is the case.

Mellor

Well, trying to lodge the visa application online and it won't allow it from "this location"
What ever the **** that means, I don't have time for a postal application

Claasman

watna wrote: »

Best of luck! It could be worse - in NZ there is no bridging visa. If your visa runs out and you have an application in for another one you have to leave the country. I was really worried it would happen to me but I ended up getting my residence with about 4 months to spare!

nz is now the same as oz regarding the bridging visa (called a interm visa inn nz). effective as of the 2nd of feb. of course, I applied before then

kiwipower

watna wrote: »

Best of luck! It could be worse - in NZ there is no bridging visa. If your visa runs out and you have an application in for another one you have to leave the country. I was really worried it would happen to me but I ended up getting my residence with about 4 months to spare!

I could be wrong...
But I think I heard somewhere that visas for NZ have had an automatic 6month extention due to the quake?

Im not a visa user so dont follow it to closely.

Zambia

Happy Patricks day people!

brendansmith

Mellor wrote: »

Well, trying to lodge the visa application online and it won't allow it from "this location"
What ever the **** that means, I don't have time for a postal application

Post it in, when I was doing it, my employer and myself could not get that online thing to work for love nor money.

Post it in and ring the next day to make sure its there. Youre stressing out unecessarily tbh.

mandrake04

Zambia wrote: »

Happy Patricks day people!

Damn have to work and am on call til midnight.

hussey

Mellor wrote: »

Well, trying to lodge the visa application online and it won't allow it from "this location"
What ever the **** that means, I don't have time for a postal application

How are you lodging - are you going via a proxy or firewall ?

Mellor

Nope, the sponsorship and nomination went fine.

tbh, I know the reason now. My visa has run out.
I thought it was next week.

My 2WHV was granted on 23rd, and there is a note under that says
"if you were on a WHV it expires 24months afer arriving"
"if you were a different visa, it expires 12 months after grant"

As I was on a bridging visa, I took it as option 2
But I now fear that it refers to visa you were on at time of applying, not visa you were on previous to grant

If I am over, its only a few days, so I hoping immi will have a bit of compassion and realise this was a genuine mistake and allow me to lodge and stay.
If I go home for 3 months or so, I don't know if the job will still be here.

Mellor

Turns out I am illegally in the country since saturday, but as its only just ran over I can still lodge a new application.
I'll get a bridging visa. But its a bridging visa C, not A
Still a far better outcome than I was expecting, and staying here is a huge plus, surviving will be tricky but i'll manage

mandrake04

As discussed recently in another thread there is a grace period of 28 days for cirumstances such as yours.

Mellor

Yeah, I remembered that.
but wasn't sure if it was a 28 day grace for a ban or visa application.
Had it in my head that i'd be allowed to apply, and wouldn't be banned but i'd have to go home to wait it out

mandrake04

Think of it this way if you are sponsored and you lose your job you have 28 days to find a new sponsor or leave, but when does your visa actually end?

The day you lose your job or 28 days later?

Mellor

Yeah, makes sense. But clear level headed thinking ins't too easy when you realise you messed up are illegal.
Last night I was a bit of a wreck, had to get a get one of the girls over to distract me.

Anyway, its ok now, although not perfect.
Thanks for the support here everyone