sky

We did our own application with my husband as principle applicant as he is a qualified bricky still had to get his qualifications assessed though by NZ, then just gathered together everything they asked for and went down to london and submitted. It took 6 weeks from submitting to getting the p.r. visas in our passports. Took a lot longer to gather info and medicals, we started getting it all together at the beginning of this year. If your application is uncomplicated ie no medical history or convictions I would say have a go at applying yourself it really is very simple, it had to be for me . Even if you have to ring NZIS a few times for advice it is surely cheaper than using an agent. They are very forgiving and if you dont provide everything they need to complete your application they will write to you and give you more time to get it to them

theguitardoctor

Hi there,

I think you'll find that wherever you go in the world, its fairly similar with regards to working to live etc. Over here in NZ, the general costs to live are higher than in the UK. You also only get 15 days holiday a year, as opposed to 25 in most places in the UK. Sure, you have access to the sea and some beautiful scenery, but you get that in Wales anyway. We've tried both sides of it, and to be honest, there's not much in it at all...you swap one set of problems or shortcomings for another....if you are used to a lot of consumer choice in the UK, you wont get that here, but then you may not care. Housing is cheaper here on the whole, but costs are rising too, and the buildings are not as robust as in the UK....it goes on. You may find Auckland fantastic...I hope you do...but it has all the problems of many UK cities with regards to crime and congestion etc...Still, you can always go back if you so choose.

Rich.

podgypossum

I agree with Guitardoctor

The only reason i went to live in Auckland was because my husband is a Kiwi.

I have to say that it really wasn't for me.

To be frank, i think that anyone who is used to living in a big city and likes their creature comforts close to hand, may find NZ hard to adapt to (unless its the city life you are looking to lose!!) I lived in a very nice part of Auckland which was very beautiful scenery wise. But in the end a view is a view and you dont notice it after a while. The lack of modern infastructure, and shoddy built homes makes it a less than appealing place to live.

But as most know in here, i dont like to be negative, so i would say, go try it and see if you like it...just because i didnt doesnt mean you won't.

antony.p

hi my job is in auckland but im going to find some where else 2 live as im not sure of the best places at the moment and how long would it take me to get to work and home only realy going 2 know when i get there i think

antony.p

thanks i have no medical history or cons just need a few pointers found a greate site have u tried *****.co.uk good luck your self

sofistek

Although SMC is still to be opened, I think all of the work visa policies are unchanged. I understand that you can get a work visa within a few hours, if you're prepared to get up early and your future employer has given you the right paperwork. Once you've got the visa, you can work there for up to 3 years, I think, and can probably apply for SMC or work to residence (or maybe both).

Auckland is a good place to live, if you can stand the rush period or work outside. There are many good places to live, around Auckland, but a few bad ones, too. It can be quite expensive housing, by New Zealand standards, depending on where you want to live.