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I am a civil engineer and want to move to NZ. Need advice.

Last activity 20 January 2018 by schaz

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Queenika07

Hi. I want to develop my skills and knowledge in the construction industry. I have 10 years experience as a civil engineer in Indonesia. I've been working at consultants and NGOs in different areas. I just finished my master degree in Queensland, Australia. I applied for more than 25 jobs in NZ last year, but no one gives me a call for the interview. I updated my CV following NZ style already. I almost give up. Should I apply for a skilled immigrant visa first (my occupation is on the shortage list), but this visa including stage to be a permanent resident, which I want to think about it later after I found a job. And should I be registered at Engineer NZ (IPENZ) to get a job there? Please anyone who has been through this condition or any suggestion about this matter? Thank you in advance.

stumpy

Register with IPENZ.

Queenika07

Thanks, Stumpy. I registered for Engineer Australia in 2016, is it recognized in NZ?

stumpy

You still need to register in NZ as well.

Queenika07

Thank you. Just got approval of my IPENZ application today. I am working for another step for visa application now.

schaz

IPENZ (Engineers NZ) generally approves your engineering qualifications with the equivalency of WAS (Washington Accord). However, for getting the status of an approved engineer, you need CPENG (Certified Professional Engineer). Trust this would help.

Queenika07

Hi Schaz. Thank you for your advice. To obtain CPENG is my final goal actually. I am working on that as well.  Hopefully, it will work smoothly.

schaz

Queenika07 wrote:

Hi Schaz. Thank you for your advice. To obtain CPENG is my final goal actually. I am working on that as well.  Hopefully, it will work smoothly.


Best of luck! That basically certifies you officially as an Engineer in your respected field. Let me know in case if you need any assistance as I had undergone these processes.

Queenika07

Hi Schaz, thank you in advance. As the process to obtain CPENG and visa application takes time, what do you think if I keep applying for jobs that suitable with my background (based on the requirement of course)? Hopefully I can get a job offer. But,  There is a friend (taking PhD) there said it is hard to find professional job for his wive, even they are already there for a year (his wive has dependent visa). Sometimes things like that made me unsure about what I do now to achieve my dream. One more, my CV is 5 pages long. As I read from NZ website, it should be 2 pages long. The problem is I don’t know which experience that should I cut off, as all of my experience related to my background. Do you have any advice?

schaz

A few following things I would advise you at this stage.

1-  You can only get an Industrial engineering based job if you are a certified engineer. Few of the cases are exempted with it like IT, S/W systems and Networks, however, when it comes to Industrial engineering like mechanical, Electrical/Electronics, Civil and Mechatronics etc, you need to be firm with NZ engineering standards. Since the NZ standards (ANZSCO) differ from the ones in your country, practically you won't find it easy to get along into a relevant job. if you're in New Zealand and has some experience of the country's general civil infrastructure, you may be considered.

2-  Yes, It is a hard nut to crack to find an employer prior to your arrival. Practically, it is almost impossible without having a residency. The preference is ideally given to the original kiwis, then the citizens, then the permanent residents, then the residents and at the end for work visa holders. Few things mark a negative impact, however, I wouldn't comment on it.

3-  Your CV should be strictly 2 pages (Maximum of 3 pages). Remember that mention your experience which is relevant to your field of education only. Any extra stuff would not be considered. Instead of mentioning your soft skills, mention your core technical expertise like surveying and stuff like that particularly in your case. Refer the following web link.
https://www.careers.govt.nz/job-hunting … templates/

Best of lucK!

Queenika07

Thank you so much Schaz. It’s really helpful!!!

ssabbas

Thanks that was very informative. I got a slot in Silver fern visa application and currently gathering all the documents. My application is due till 28 Feb and i applied for my IQA assessment on 22 Dec. Currently my process is on Allocation stage and its been a week since its been there. I have a few questions.

1. You mentioned IT network professionals are exempt from IPENZ. I am a telecommunication Engineer by profession. My experience is in Telecommunication Networking Service provider. Would i qualify for exemption.?

2. For IQA, i applied for default assessment option (not the fast track option). It stated that the application will be completed in 35 working days which goes till 22 or 23 February. I wanted to know if the process is completed on time or does it usually have delay. I'm worried that i don't miss my timeline.

schaz

Hi ssabbas!

If your engineering degree is from a university that is WAS (Washington accord)accredited, then you're exempted from IPENZ. Please make sure that IPENZ has nothing to with engineering approval or registration. IPENZ is a body that recognize your engineering degree as equivalent to NZ acceptable standards.

Secondly, these days, as per my information, things are getting a little delayed as compared to the usual time. However, if the delay is unexpectedly long, you can call the immigration NZ at +64099144100 and inquire about your application and other information.

Regards,
Schaz!

ssabbas

Thanks for the prompt reply.
I suppose IPENZ has a process that takes more than 2 months so even if i apply right now i can't make it within the deadline. Should i wait till IQA assessment? i think they don't require IPENZ for silver fern visa. Later on for the immigration points i will have to get IPENZ for claiming the LTSSL points.

Following are the instructions i received by email form the office for silver fern visa.

* A qualification equivalent to a New Zealand Bachelor's degree (level 7) or higher OR

* A trade qualification equivalent to a New Zealand National Certificate (level 4) AND evidence of two years of relevant work experience in that trade.

Note that if your qualification is not on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (LQEA), an International Qualification Assessment from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is required. If you require an NZQA assessment for your qualification(s), clearly state on your application to NZQA, that the assessment is for an INZ Silver Fern application.

* Evidence of holding, or being able to obtain, New Zealand registration if your qualification is relevant to an occupation that requires registration by law in New Zealand.

schaz

What I could see is that you're quite mixing the IPENZ with NZQA.

These are totally different bodies and they have no connection to each other. In simple words, you can just understand that IPENZ will be required only if your degree is not WAS accredited. And as what I had stated earlier, NZQA level is based on your engineering qualification.  Level 7 for B.Engineering is generally granted. Trust this would suffice.

Have a look at   https://www.engineeringnz.org/   and you will get answers for every query.

ssabbas

Thankyou for your help schaz :)

schaz

most welcome!

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