Moving to a new country is a big undertaking. It’s hard to know if it will be right for you and your family, if you will fit in and enjoy living there. There are also the questions of “How much will it cost? What can I expect to earn and what’s the cost of living like?” Coupled with “how long will it take, am I eligible and how do I go about it?” This can be a stressful time.
Having just moved to New Zealand myself I thought I’d share some of the information I found most useful. I hope this will help you with your big decisions.
1. Common Misconceptions People Have About New Zealand
The Weather:
As a Brit looking to immigrate for a better future for myself and my children, I knew New Zealand would offer me a safer more secure place to live, but I was concerned the weather would be just like home.
Every time I spoke about moving to New Zealand friends and family would say things like “the weather is not much better than England you know!” I didn’t want to trade the UK’s long cold winters, grey skies and rain for even more depressing weather.
I’ve found New Zealand is a big country (1,600 km North to South) stretching from around latitude 35° to 47° South. So it’s colder in some places and warmer in others, similar to the difference between Northern France and Southern Spain.
I’d call the climate “healthy”. Average summer temperatures range between 20°C and 30°C and winter temperatures range between 10°C and 18°C.
In the far north, where the latitude in the Bay of Islands is similar to that of the South of Spain, it is sub tropical. It gets really hot in summer, great for the beach but watch the UV, and is mild in winter.
Interestingly, the pretty Nelson – Blenheim region (top of the South Island), has its own microclimate, boasting the most sunshine (2,400 hours) anywhere in New Zealand.
If it is crisp, cold, snow capped mountains and skiing or snowboarding you live for, the South Island is spectacular and offers a climate similar to northern and central Europe.
I think that because New Zealand is so diverse, there is “somewhere for everyone”. Most importantly I have found that because New Zealand is a long skinny country (only 450km at the widest point) the weather systems seem to pass over very quickly so that if it is rainy, it probably won’t be for long.
Wages and the Cost of Living
I never expected to come to New Zealand to make my fortune, although I expected that it wouldn’t take much to financially to live a good life, which is true, but I have been surprised at how much things cost and how little one earns.
I’ve found that it pays to work in the big cities. In Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, middle / senior executives in finance and, marketing / sales and engineering can command salaries in excess of NZ $80k, experienced teachers / nurses can earn NZ $44-55K and people in the trades can expect NZ $50 -60K.
Groceries are not cheap (a loaf of white bread / litre of milk costs around $1.80) but the farmers markets are a great place to buy quality, organically grown food at affordable prices and to support the local community.
House prices have fallen off slightly. An average house in Auckland costs NZ $360K but you are more likely to pay NZ $450 – 500K to find something you really like.
The saying goes: “the further south, the cheaper the cost of living (and the lower the wages!), the further north, the more expensive the cost of living.” Despite low wages and high cost of living it is interesting to note that 1 in 10 Kiwis own a boat. Can’t be doing too badly! Furthermore, the state provides good healthcare and education and security, so you’ll probably find you can enjoy a pretty good life in New Zealand.
2. What Looks Easy But Is Actually Quite Difficult To Achieve
If you are looking at moving to New Zealand under the Skilled Migrant category, as the majority of people do, it is the age old chicken and egg story. To get a job, you need a work permit and to get a work permit you need a job offer.
The good news is that New Zealand only has about 3.6% unemployment, so you’ll probably find a high demand for your skills. UK and US qualifications are generally accepted, as are most South Africans qualifications.
Immigration New Zealand constantly updates the “skills shortage” and “recognised qualification list”. It is the immigration advisers job to stay abreast of these changes and how they might affect potential clients.
Some immigration advisers offer job placement as well as immigration services. Others simply work closely with recruitment companies to assist with employment. We found that employers will consider offering you a job if you have the right skills, meet all the criteria for immigration (which can be verified by an immigration adviser) and are using an immigration adviser to handle your paperwork.
3. What Appears Difficult But Is Actually Quite Easy
Whilst it may seem hard to get a job offer without a work permit, it is really easy to simply come to New Zealand as a tourist and to seek employment once here.
On arrival a British citizen is given a 6 month visitor visa and it is perfectly acceptable to openly look for work and business opportunities whilst visiting. During this time, you can explore the country to get a feel for whether New Zealand is the right place for you, where you might like to live and what your employment and business prospects are.
4. What’s The Simplest Thing You Can Do To Make Moving Easier?
2 things really...
Check to see if you are eligible for immigration. This way you can put your mind at rest knowing you have a good chance of success. You can do this by having an immigration adviser take you through an assessment of your eligibility. Some immigration advisers offer this service as part of a free initial consultation, others charge for it. I found it invaluable.
Start getting all your paperwork together as soon as you’ve made the decision to move. There is a huge amount of paperwork to collect such as original, unabridged birth certificates, police records, qualifications, references etc. This takes time. It can also be frustrating and even hold things up with Immigration New Zealand. It helps to know what you need and to get started right away. Most immigration advisers will give you a list of what’s required.
5. A Lot Of People Ask If They Should Use An Immigration Adviser
You really don’t have to, but I did. I decided immigrating was too big a decision to attempt on my own. I really wanted to know that if I was going to embark on this journey I had a good chance of succeeding. I felt that an immigration adviser, who deals with these matters everyday, would be best able to advise me on my chance of success and to guide me on how best to go about it.
A Few Things To Consider If You Are Choosing To Use An Immigration Adviser
Are the licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority? Insure your adviser is licensed by the IAA, if they are not they cannot legally represent you. IAA members undergo constant training and are required to prove experience and knowledge while adhering to a strict code of conduct. Don’t take a risk, look for the IAA logo and license number.
Do you speak with the principals of the company? I found it really useful to work with a smaller company where I spoke with the principals. I felt they cared more and that I was an individual rather than a number. I didn’t have my questions related, and I didn’t have to wait for a call back. I got quick, straight answers which gave me confidence.
What To Do Next...Here’s how I got here
After lots of research my husband and I felt we had a good chance of being eligible for immigration and that we would like New Zealand, so we flew here. We loved New Zealand the moment we arrived. We found it breathtakingly beautiful, un-crowded and friendly.
Initially we thought we might like to buy a small business. In the process of negotiating with sellers we were advised to contact Care Immigration Ltd. We met them and they advised us we might be better off applying to move to New Zealand under the Skilled Migrant Category. We completed their free initial consultation online (http://www.careimmigration.co.nz/contact-us/) and this confirmed that they felt we had a good chance of success under this category. Consequently we went job hunting. We found employment and Care submitted work permit and residency applications on our behalf. The work permit came through fairly quickly and we hope to be granted residency in a few months.
So here I am living and working in New Zealand, dreaming of buying a lifestyle plot and building a home together with my husband...
