Advice Needed.....
 

Hi Guys

I'm new to the forum and was wondering if some of you nice people can give me some advice?

Myself and hubby are considering moving to NZ - Our jobs are on the shortage lists so there shouldn't be any problems with work - however, we would like to try working in NZ for a year or so before committing ourselves fully.

Does anyone have any advice on the best way to go about this (and the easist way!) :thumbsup:

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

Hi Molly,
what is it you both do?

You can either come over on your passports, get yourselves a job when over here and apply for your work permit over here, less than 12 months does not require police certs and less of a medical, no Xrays or what we did was to handle it as though we were coming to stay...sort of.

We got a job offer for hubby whilst still in the UK, got the police certs and meds done then submitted our application for a work visa and was granted a 3year visa whilst still in the UK, then packed up and came over.

Debbie

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

Good day Molley

If you and hubby are under 31, you can apply for a WHV (Working Holiday Visa).

Alternatively, there are a work permits available ranging from 1-3 years, some have different conditions to others. But if you are on the short list, then you should be able to score a three year permit.

You will need to pass the meds and have some proof of experience/qualifications.

BTW, you can do all of this from inside NZ, if you want to come here on a visitors visa, plenty of people here have done the same.

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

Hi Debbie

The job I will be looking for is in mental health as a social worker - that was on the skills shortage the last time I looked.

So if we decided to come over to NZ, we could just come as a holiday, find somewhere to live/job THEN apply for the working visa thingy? IS that right?

Oh and Phil, unfortunately I am the wrong side of 30!!!:(

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

Yes, you can come for 6 months on your passport and sort it all over here. Only drawback if you do not have a visa before you come into the country you must have a return ticket or an onward travel ticket to somewhere like Oz.

We did it the other way got everything before we came over so had the visa but plenty of people do just come on their passports, get a job over here and then apply for their visas whilst over here.

Good luck,
Debbie

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

My approach would be slightly different, if you have sufficient points then I would advise you go the whole way and get your full residency visas, come and stay for your 2 years (then you get the indefinite right to return stamp on your british passports), then if you choose to go back to the uk you can, but you will allways have the right to return to live and work in NZ without having to apply for anything again - likewise for any children you may have. This just (in my mind) leaves you and your family with many more options further down the line regardless of whether you actually choose to settle permanently in the country. Incidentally this way also provides you with other avenues into Oz further down the line also.

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

AFIK - you only need *3 months* of F/T work to get your PR completed and have full rights, also having PR is advantageous - some employers require PR as a minimum, medical costs are lower, etc.
We have PR (not yet fully confimred) but according to the stamps on the passport have indefinite rights to return after the qualifying period!
Cost is an issue as the work visa is much cheaper (and if you are not going to stay too long there is no need for a medical and x-ray) - having to apply for several visas (eg kids/partners) can be a pain because you have to make more than one application and supply lots of docs. For one reason or another we got 2 work visas, 1 student, 1 visitor and PR applications for the family.......mmmm more expensive but worth it.
Also bear in mind that the points level for automatic selection for the pool can go up as well as down, but if you are sure of getting a job in NZ and are on the skills shortage lsit then that should not be a problem.
Worth noting is that if you want to use a job offer or work up your PR into full rights then the principal applicant will require a full-time job, there is a minimum number of hours per week and I forget what it is....
Good luck!!

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

Thanks guys for all your advice - hopefully will be in ChCh by this time next year just in time for the glorious winter!

Oh, can anyone give me a run down of the areas to steer clear from and the 'nice' areas of ChCh?

ta v much :D

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

There isn't anything too iffy in Chch, not like a dodgy inner city area in the UK, but the not so good bits would be Aranui and Linwood, and the posher bits would be Fendalton, Merivale, and the Hill areas.

House price wise, there was an article in the local paper about it last week, and average prices for the cheaper bits were $220k upwards I think, and the posher suburbs average prices were $500 - $550k. You could obviously spend a lot more than that though.

Re: Advice Needed.....
 

if it is of ANY help at all we sold our house on the lower cashmere slopes (still had a great view though but was classed as lower slopes) in 2005 for nearly $600. It was a reasonable sized section, had 4 good size bedrooms, huge living space. We did a LOT of work to it and it was a pretty stunning house. I liked the actual area of Cashmere. Lovely cafe's, The Cup, which is just great with AMAZING views and then a place we used to walk to and stagger and fall back from was Jack Flash at the bottom of Dyers Pass (the main street to the top of the cashmere hills). Well serviced area, little shops etc and not far from city centre.

Our best friends just sold their house last month, brand new, they designed and built, really really great place and it went for 680K. Four bed, LARGE living space.
That area is quite expensive.....as are the other more expensive areas that the previous poster mentioned....