Pinoys seeking New Zealand jobs told to get student visa

CEBU, Philippines – Filipinos wanting to work in New Zealand to cash in on the high demand for skilled workers there should get a student visa as it is the easiest and quickest way to enter the country, an immigration lawyer advises.

Lawyer Fershen Llanes issued this advice after the NZ government expressed interest to attract more students into the country.

Llanes was in Cebu the other day as one of the speakers at the launching of “Lipat Bayan,” a program of Cebu-based visa consultancy firm PinoyCare Visa Center aimed to present new immigration pathways to Filipinos who wish to work in New Zealand.

“NZ wants more migrants and the easiest way is to apply via student visa,” said Llanes who is a solicitor for Regent Law, one of the firms offering sound, practical and efficient legal services in NZ.

A student applicant who has completed the required documents can enter New Zealand in a month after going through the application process. Once accepted to study there, the visa holder can work part time while earning the degree or certificates needed in order to work there.

Although this pathway is a bit costly than getting an employer there and applying through work visa, this is a lot faster, Llanes reiterated.

New Zealand continues to attract skilled migrants, specifically blue-collar workers like farmers, carpenters, hair dressers, bakers, chefs, as well as professionals in the field of medical expertise, “diversional therapists,” and even those who have call center job backgrounds.

The demand for Filipino nurses, however, has stagnated as New Zealand has produced its own nurses in the recent years.

With a total population of only 4.5 million, New Zealand is  opening its doors widely to foreign nationals like Filipinos to work in their promising industries like healthcare, Information Technology, Culinary, and Engineering, among others.

New Zealand is an island country in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean. In 2009 to 2010, an annual target of 45,000 to 50,000 permanent residence approvals was set by the New Zealand Immigration Service.

PinoyCare Visa Center president and chief executive officer Prisca Niña Mabatid noted that there is now an increasing interest from Filipinos to work and live in New Zealand.

Mabatid said that following the slackening of immigration requirements imposed by the New Zealand government, Filipinos, even those that do not have bachelor degrees and job experiences,  can easily enter New Zealand and find promising career.

According to Mabatid, Pinoy Care Visa Center Inc., which has been in the business for 16 years, is constantly updating its partnership and connections in New Zealand in order to properly facilitate the processing of immigration applications, as well as guiding the applicants with rich opportunities to pursue in New Zealand.

At present, Filipinos are the third largest immigrants in New Zealand, closely catching up with Indians and Chinese as the top two immigrants to the country. (FREEMAN)