I came to New Zealand in March 2020, just two weeks before the first pandemic Lockdown. Then I kicked start my education from home, without face to face teaching, without knowing any classmate. After one and a half years of study, I graduated from AUT with a Master of Engineering degree on 30th July of 2021. I thought I've been through the hardest time of pandemic. After graduating, I worked as a volunteer engineer to adapt myself to the workplace of New Zealand, while looking for a full-time engineer position. Unfortunately, the epidemic broke out and the entire New Zealand re-entered the level 4 lockdown. The Lockdown lasted an extraordinarily long time in Auckland. All companies have to suspend their normal work, which makes job-hunting more difficult for an electrical engineer. 

According to the one-off immigration policy, I got a work visa and have been in New Zealand before 29th Sep. But I didn't get a job with an over average wage due to a long time Lockdown. It's really frustrating. I'm an engineer with over 15 years of experience and a Master of Engineer degree. I might miss this opportunity to make New Zealand a home only because that I don't have enough time to meet the one-off immigration requirement. 

Sincerely, I hope that the Immigration Department will give some more consideration to people who graduated this winter and suffering from the longest lockdown in New Zealand history. We hope to settle in New Zealand and make this beautiful country home.  We are well educated and skilled to contribute to New Zealand. We suffered the same as all New Zealanders during the pandemic and did not abandon this country. We hope the government will not abandon us.