MarkMcKeown

Hi there,

Some very kind people on this forum have offered me great advice in the past so I’m going to try and call on it again!

I’m from Scotland, and have been living in Auckland for one year now. I love it here, and the intention is to stay permanently. I have a long term work visa until April 2017 and I’m about to start the process for residency.

A couple of months after moving here, I met my partner, who is from Chile but was here studying at UoA. We were together and lived together for 7 or 8 months and then she had to move back to Chile in August last year. The terms of her scholarship here in NZ meant that she had to move back to Chile (for a minimum of 2 years) to contribute to her country. So effectively she cannot work or study in any other country until August 2016.

With that in mind, we were both determined to work hard on a long distance relationship until that time expires, because she is keen to move back to New Zealand, or perhaps we might both move to Canada as she has lived there in the past and I’ve always been keen to live there for some time.

The problem is that we’re both finding long distance much harder than expected. What can I say? We are very much in love and the distance hurts like hell. We’ve seen each other twice since she left, once when we went to Scotland together in September and then I spent Xmas and NY with her family in Chile.

So let me cut to the chase. I am thinking of working here for another 6 months, and then moving to Chile for 1 year and then returning to New Zealand with her. I am a professional in the construction industry and I’m looking to get a feeling for what NZ companies attitudes are towards long-term sabbaticals or remote working. I am a very valuable employee to my company and I have a great relationship with my boss. I’m thinking of approaching him with one of two options;

1. I work here for another 6 months. I then move to Chile for 12 months and my job is kept open for me for when I return.
2. I work here for another 6 months. I then move to Chile for 12 months and continue to work for the company remotely.

Option 1 might be a reach but I know that there are competitors here in NZ who want me working for them. I don’t think my employer would want to take the risk that I return to NZ and take a job with one of them. Also, the money I could save in 6 months would see me through a year in Chile easily. My girlfriend is based in the South of Chile in a small rural village where everything is obscenely cheap.

Option 2 would be my dream. I love my job, and all I need to do it is a computer and a printer. At the end of the day I suppose it all comes down to trust, and I’d be willing to propose a trial period.

Has anyone here had experiences with long term absences from work or working from home/remotely?

Additionally, has anyone here spent any long time in South America? As a UK passport holder, I can spend up to 90 days there without a visa. I’ve read on some websites that if you want to stay longer, all you have to do is take a quick hop across the Argentinian border and back to get another 90 days all over again. I’m sceptical as to how long this would work for. I get the feeling after the 3rd or 4th attempt they would start to ask some serious questions.

Anyway, I know that’s a lot to take in but I appreciate any help anyone can offer! Thanks.

neilcumming

Hi Mark,
Very interesting story.Im scottish too ,from Edinburgh.I emigrated to Canada in 2007 .I now live 6 months in Mexico and work 6 months in Canada doing long haul truck driving.I have bought a house in Mexico and live with my mexican gf,we are planning on marrying.Im thinking Chile would be similiar economy to Mexico as here its very cheap to live.Here in Mexico foreigners can stay for 180 days and people cross the border either in Belize or in the north to USA and get another 180 days visa with no problem.
Whatever you do make sure it wont affect your application for NZ residency.
Where in Canada did your gf live as the winters in certain provinces are freezing to say the least!

dfjordan

I've been living in Chile for 16 years with my wife and son. Firstly Chile is by no means a cheap place to live if you want to live to the same standards that you may be accustomed to say in the UK or US. Sure, if you go down south, you can get yourself a cheap wooden house, with a wood burning stove, but if you need to think about education or what you'd do if you need a good hospital, then the south is not for you. The climate is far worse than the UK. Living in Chile is nothing like Mexico. Just like in other parts of the world, property prices are lower in some places for a very good reason.
The construction industry is in a slowdown at the moment. Do you speak Spanish?
Having said all that; if you live and work in Santiago, then you have everything you could need, but in many respects, it's a lot more expensive than say UK or US, particularly utility bills. If you get a good salary, you will enjoy it, and the climate is wonderful. Getting a residence permit is very simple if you have a job and income taxes are lower than UK or New Zealand.
There are many expats that have been living in Chile for years doing the Argentina run every 3 months, but it would obviously be better just to get a residence permit. I understand the immigration people at the border arent interested in how many times you come in or out, as long as you can support yourself, nobody seems to care.

neilcumming

Hi,I found this website that maybe useful to someone.
Cost of Living in Chile. Prices in Chile. Updated Jan 2015
The food,drink and transport are pretty similiar to here in Mexico but as you said dfjordan the utility bills and property are more expensive.

neilcumming

Hi,I found this website that maybe useful to someone.
Cost of Living in Chile. Prices in Chile. Updated Jan 2015
The food,drink and transport are pretty similiar to here in Mexico but as you said dfjordan the utility bills and property are more expensive.

dfjordan

Neil, I would agree with a lot of the prices mentioned, but the rents given, I think were in the south part of Santiago, which is not where an expat would look to live. It's always difficult in any place to say what housing costs are as you know, there can be wide variations in the same suburb. One of my cousins for example has a tiny 70sqm, place in an eastern suburb and that costs just about US$1000 a month.
I havent been to Mexico for a while but would guess that a disadvantage compared with Chile would be the corruption, serious crime levels etc.

neilcumming

I dont know if it makes any difference but on that link there is a drop down box where you can change the city.I agree with you its not going to be completely accurate.$1000US a month for little apt ,thats alot! Here in Merida which is a fairly large city 800,000 pop. you can rent a small 2 bedroom house for as little a $300 a month.
Here in southern Mexico ,Yucatan ,there is very little crime and I have never seen any violence or shootings ,people dont have firearms .I havent even seen a fight in bar or in the street ,its very different from other parts of Mexico where there is alot of violence.
There is corruption of course mainly the politicos ,everybody see its,it seems to be part of the culture here.

dfjordan

It's good to read that there are still some safe places in Mexico. To be fair with rents, Santiago has over 7 million residents. If you go to the smaller towns, its cheaper but it still wouldnt be possible to get anything for the price you mention. Rather stay where you are!

neilcumming

7 mil wow ,I didnt know Santiago was such a large city.I was talking with the mrs ,she is from Mexico City and she tells me to rent an apt there is similiar to what your cousin pays,about $1000 US a month for 80 or 90sqm.
The northern cities are a bit dodgy although the violence has subsided recently.The same with Michoacan and Guerro .Mexico City is reasonably safe you just got to be careful like any other big city.
Why did you choose to live in Chile?.I came here because of the climate,near the beach and its very cheap to live here.I was fed up all my wage going to pay off bill,mortage etc.

dfjordan

I've lived in various parts of the world, and spent the last 10 years before moving to Chile, living in Houston. I have never liked the US and when our son reached 8 , we decided it was time to get out before he became too Americanised. My wife is Chilean but quite happy living anywhere else. The main reasons we chose Chile were the wonderful climate in the central valley,and the high standard of ( private) education at affordable prices. We are really glad we made that decision.

neilcumming

I know a english guy who lives here, Colin Gow plays guitar he lived in Houston for aso long time.I have been to Houston a few times ,as a truck driver I have been to almost all the states and large cities.I dont think I could live there ,americans can be a strange breed!
I emigrated to Canada in 2007 and as much as I love Canada and Canadians the winters are brutal.-40C and 3ft of snow are not my idea of fun,so I bought a small house here and I work only 6 months in Canada in summer and Im 6 months here in Mexico.I look after the dog,do the grocery shopping,cooking and cleaning while the wife is at work !