Hello from Scotland

Hi All

I am a serving cop in Aberdeen, Scotland just now, with coming up for 6 years service (I'm 35).

I am seriously considering NZ as a career option, and am interested if anyone has, or has knowledge of anyone who has successfully transferred from the UK.

The procedure seems to be dependent on gaining immigration clearance first, prior to any application to the Police, and I am also interested in average timescales for these procedures.

Finally (I'll leave it at this for now!) is my current service in the UK recognised in any way?

Thanks in advance for any replies

Jon

We've had a program for fast tracking UK cops in. Not sure f it's still going, but UK cops are welcomed with their experience generally.

Contact NZ Police http://www.newcops.co.nz/Contact [from main site http://www.police.govt.nz/ ]

Nah they have axed the fast track scheme. Too many guys were using it as a fast track to residency and then just leaving the force, once they got here.

Current police policy is you have to get new zealand residency before you can apply, but that could change. No doubt your experience would put you in good stead next to other applicants. But under the current rules you would have to find another employer to sponsor you to NZ and then apply to the NZ police later. Keep an eye on the police websites though, because the policy could change as time moves on.

What a nunber of poms I worked with did, was have a wife who worked in one of the preferred fields. Nurse, for instance - get residency [nurses just walk in, all they require is a job offer and thats a given] then join.

I dont suppose you would be that fortunate?

Thanks for the replies so far. My wife unfortunately does not fall into the teacher/nurse etc category, so that's not an avenue I can explore.

You also need to speak english...not scottish

chch.3rdWatch wrote:You also need to speak english...not scottish

lol I am ahead of you there - I am actually English, but have lived in Scotland for 12 years - so you could say I am bi-lingual!

Fair call!

sect172 wrote: I am actually English, but have lived in Scotland for 12 years

I bet an angry drunk Scotsman would be real happy to be arrested by an Englishman!

They do keep saying they aren't doing anymore conversion courses, but then come out with another one. Spoke to a bloke who was on the very last one, and he was told prior that there wasn't going to be anymore courses.

He did suggest that if you have a degree that could help raise your points?

There is a guy on wing 264 who is a ex UK cop and he had to do the full 19 week course. He was told no more conversions for UK cops

This forum is all but defunct now, but theres stuff there you might find interesting. There do seem to be a lot of UK cops there who found that NZ was not all beer & skittles and went back to Britain.
http://www.police-forum.com/