Barberella1973

Hi there. I have been in New Zealand now for 4 years and I dont think I can take it anymore. I think I want to move back and I know my son does who's 15, my husband doesn't but he said he will. I am just getting stressed and worried about everything, any info would be amazing!! Anyone know if there would be any hassles with getting my son back into a school? Also is it 5 years you need to be in NZ to get your citizenship? I am thinking about waiting another year until we get that, then we can come back later down the line. Anyone know if that is ok to do, will they let us back in? Would I be best to go to Immigration and talk to them? I don't want to say that I'm thinking of moving back in case they won't give us our citizenship. Sorry for all the questions but I've just started thinking about it and don't know where to start

If anyone could let me know where I start that would be amazing..... Thank you in advance!!

BritInParis

Generally speaking you will need five years residence in New Zealand in order to became eligible for citizenship. Once you became a New Zealand citizen then you can come and go to New Zealand as you please.

http://www.dia.govt.nz/web/cctool.ns...nship?OpenForm

As for the UK are you and your husband both British citizens?

Barberella1973

Yes we are all British Citizens

Spacecake799

Hi,
We moved to NZ in 2006 and finally left at the very end of 2012. We had residency for 5 years so could have gone for citizenship but decided not to put in for it as we couldn't guarantee when the ceremony would be and felt it would be a bit off leaving straight away.
That said we do have indefinite returning residency which means we can enter NZ anytime we want to and start working.
As for your son, that was a major reason for us leaving. Our son was about to start year 9 and we had put off leaving for 3 yrs prior we couldn't do it any longer. We didn't want him to start year 9 there so my husband returned to the UK in the July with our son ready for the new school year. We then decided to put him back a year into year 8 to give him an even better chance.
I would have to suggest getting your 15year old back sooner rather than later so he can start the GCSE work.

Good luck

janeyk

and the fact that you need to pay higher university fees if you have not been resident in UK for 3 years

Barberella1973

I didn't realise that the feed go up if you have not been living in the UK for 3 years. Thank you for the information. Do you know what happens with the inland revenue, all the tax we have paid. Are we intitled to claim that back, how does that work?

Spacecake799

To be fair the fees for international and home student are very similar now. The difference is you can't get financial assistance when your classed as an international student.
Therefore if your son intends on going to uni the sooner her returns the better. That's not to say if he had been back 2.5 years he would not get home fees.

davros1984

Good luck with the move back. Know exactly how you feel, r.e. having enough of NZ. Me and my partner fly back end of May. A good friend of ours on here - pippalonghorn is returning with her bloke and daughter at the start of May.

Feel free to expand on why you want to go back. The majority of people on the NZ forum seem to have the blinkers on in terms of how amazing NZ is. Its a great country, but not the paradise that people seem to think it is (unless you are very wealthy).

Barberella1973

Thanks for the replies, I'm off to work now so I'll get back on later � ���� what shipping company did you use?

davros1984

We used Conroys. So far - we're very impressed with their speed and service. I guess the real test comes when our stuff gets back to the UK - due end of May.

Pom_Chch

Easy there, Davros! Some of us in the NZ forum just have a great life out here. No blinkers, no rose tints and plenty of us know the problems NZ faces, but it still provides a good life. I would imagine the same could be said for many different countries. I would imagine the large majority of us are not wealthy either (we certainly aren't but there's always wishful thinking.... and the Lotto!)

Good luck with the move back, Barberella

davros1984

Pom - you are right, my bad. You can have a great life in NZ (as we have and continue to do so). I do believe though that there is an overwhelming number of people who refuse to accept that NZ (primarily in AKL) has its issues, especially affordability in Auckland and the difficulties faced when you have family issues on the other side of the world.

Stormer999

+1

ble

Hi
From memory when my OH did his citizenship a couple of years ago one of the requirements where that you intended to stay in NZ. But sometimes things crop up with elderly parents and the like and life changes rapidly ...

I was just looking at an old thread nz-uk (a few pages back) and there are lots if different options there for removal companies.

davros1984

One of the prime candidates.