Cook's work visa granted after a COVID-era challenge

[Applicant A] is a South Korean national living in Christchurch. He had been offered a job as a cook at a local hospitality business and applied for an Essential Skills work visa on 1 April 2020, just days after New Zealand went into its first COVID-19 lockdown. His application was assessed during the lockdown and the months that followed, while the hospitality industry was going through major upheaval.

We responded by the deadline, dealing with each concern in turn. To show he was qualified, we provided his Korean employment and income records, with certified translations, proving more than three years of relevant experience in place of a formal qualification. To address the job market, we gave fresh evidence of the employer’s recruitment efforts after lockdown. And we provided the employment agreement along with the employer’s signed answers to all nine of Immigration’s questions about the job’s security.

The work visa was granted. A clear, evidence-based response to each of Immigration’s concerns, including the employer’s commitment to the role, carried the application through a difficult period for the industry.

For a cook’s work visa, relevant work experience can stand in for a formal qualification. The key is to evidence it properly. Here, [Applicant A]’s Korean employment and income records, with certified translations, showed more than three years of experience and answered the qualification concern.

During COVID-19, Immigration wanted to know whether the job market had changed. Advertising done before the lockdown was no longer enough on its own, so we provided fresh evidence of the employer’s recruitment efforts after restrictions eased, showing the role still could not be filled locally.

Documents in another language carry the same weight as English ones when a certified translation is attached. We made sure the Korean records were translated by a recognised service and filed alongside the originals.

When Immigration questions whether a job is secure, the employer’s input matters most. We obtained clear written answers from the employer to each of Immigration’s questions about the role’s terms, hours, and future, which removed the doubt about whether the job would last.