Mr and Mrs Lane

Hi There,

We've just joined BE so still a little unsure if this is in the right place but here we go.... We are a married couple in our early 40's with 2 very young children (both under 2 years old). It has been our dream for many years to come to New Zealand to live and work, however, as many of you have probably already discovered, our jobs do not appear on any of the shortage lists. Hubby is a bus driver (over 14 years) and I have 20+ years clerical/customer service experience and a diploma in Customer Service. We are hardworking people, but just don't have the qualifications required. It would be our intention to sell our home and support ourselves financially that way, but we just need to know if this would be a sensible, viable thing to do. Is it possible to come on a holiday visa and look for work? If anybody can give us some pointers as to where to start we would be very grateful. We have scoured the internet looking for answers, but in reality it's people that truly have the answers!! Thank you for taking the time to read this, we look forward to any advice

To say moving to NZ is a dream really is an understatement, however we are realistic about it. We would have approximately £60k upon the sale of our house, so we could support ourselves financially for a good few months. Hopefully we could rent for 6 months whilst looking for permanent work, then buy a property once we are in a more stable position. Please keep any advice coming in, we are in need of a "positive lift"!!

Justcol

Hi, Sorry I cant give you any specifics, I'm sure someone will have all the info you need soon.
Can Hubby drive a truck, have never seen any bus driver jobs but I know there have been truck drivers on here
who have got visas
Good luck

SDDep

Hello.

For now you may want to start looking here for the different paths available.

Immigration, Citizenship and Visas - British Expats

And look in the Wiki under NZ.

Regards,
Chris

Persephone

Hello and welcome to BE

This is the official immigration site so have a look here if you haven't already:
Immigration New Zealand | Official Government website

With neither job being on any on the shortage lists it will be difficult to get a visa but not impossible.
Assuming you don't have millions to invest... one will need to find a job that fits into one of the visa categories and the other would get a visa as a partner of a visa holder. You would need residency to stay longterm

Your main options are [briefly]:
Essential Skills Work visa: Temporary only and no route to residency. Job first, visa second. Since neither of your jobs are in shortage then an employer must prove that no NZers are able to do the job.

Work to Residence Visa: the relevant stream is the Talent[accredited employer] visa. The job must be for an accredited employer earning at least $55K for a 40 hr week and be for at least two years. You are issued a 30 month work visa and can convert to residency after working for two years.

Skilled Migrant Category: points based, a direct application for residency. Many need a job offer to get enough points to be selected. Have a look at ANZSCO 1220.0 - ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2013, Version 1.2 to check what skill level your jobs are. Must be skill level 1,2 or 3 for this visa.

Hope this helps
P

Northern Henry

It would be worth concentrating on your route in ( i.e. Visa's ) before getting deeply involved. Although frustrating this is the most critical aspect of your ideas.

Justcol

$120000 isnt a lot, most mortgage places want a 20% deposit so your gonna have some serious saving to do to get on to the housing ladder down here.
Sorry for sounding negative, but I like to think I'm just being a realist, its not all milk n honey down here and sometimes we have to face harsh realities.
I certainly wouldnt be selling my home to fund a trip that might lead to nothing, if it all come down around your ears what are you going back to??
I would consider a move to another area of the uk rather than risk everything as you are suggesting

escapedtonz

Hi,
I'd agree with the last post. It's a heck of a risk to sell up in the UK and just land in another country with nothing other than a wedge of cash.
Other issues you will face if coming here on a visitor visa :-
You won't be able to ship anything due to your immigration status or at best it will be very difficult to do it.
How do you explain the transfer of $120 000 to immigration for a 6 month family holiday as that's what you'll be here for in their eyes.
Highly unlikely any mortgage company would touch you as you don't have the necessary immigration status and $120 000 won't get you much if you use it paying cash.
No financial institution would approve any finance due to your immigration status - i.e. for a car loan, car or house insurance.....anything that needs finance irrespective of how small...mobile phone contract, utility services etc etc.
That sum you speak of will be mullered through within a few months just setting yourself up to live here and getting from A-B. You'll be paying minimum $400 a week in rent then also have other bills on top. If you consider $600 a week rent & accommodation expenses you'll have spent nearly $16 000 just on that then there's food, transport etc.
You'll have issues with kids getting in to kindy if that's what you want, issues with medical services yada yada yada! It'll all cost more due to your immigration status. Really wouldn't be a bed of roses.

Being from the UK you can only come here as a visitor for 6 months and if asked by immigration on arrival you must provide evidence that you are going to be able to pay for your living costs whilst here and already have a ticket out of the country or at least have other funds to allow you to buy a ticket out of the country.
Coming here as a visitor with other intentions (in your case to never leave) is a breach of your visa conditions and if found out could land you with a deportation order and a lengthy ban...have you seen Border Patrol on UK TV ?

I'd say you are taking way too much of a risk, however moving to another part of the UK may just not cut it if ultimately this is where you want to be.

Sorry to be all doom and gloom but I too am a realist and speak the truth and try not to give the impression that people can just come here to live if they so decide.
If you aren't considered a skilled, educated person then coming here to live and work is really difficult and takes a tremendous amount of energy and dedication to make it happen.

Maybe the best course of action for you is to save up and come over on say a month long holiday as a family but whilst you're here have a cheeky look for work. If you get some interviews and an employer is keen to help you move here then that'll be your ticket so to speak. You can then go home and use the job offer to get a visa for you and the rest of the family. Most likely this will be a temporary visa but with some hard work it could well lead to something more permanent.
Leave the house and rent it out so at least you have something to come back to if it all goes wrong.

Shaz Crocker

Hi, I agree with the above post - all of the above regards costing is true & food is soo expensive here. We arrived here in Jan 2012 our route over was my husband applied for a job online, came for an interview all our expense and returned with a job offer. Being also over 40 this is the only route - job first then get a work visa, but there will be conditions on that. It was touch & go with immigration as the employer had to prove they couldn't employ any NZ people to do the job. This is really difficult. So I would say same as above come for a holiday & sneaky look, you have to be so carefull with visas or apply online for jobs. Last option is to retrain in a job that is on the list. Good luck

BEVS

My personal answer to that is a no. If you didn't have the kids it could possibly be something you could chance.

Certainly, although not strictly kosher. However that in itself would not mean you would be given leave to remain in New Zealand as residents.

If your hearts are truly set on New Zealand , then spend a few years retraining in a skill that NZ wants and needs. Even then it may not be too easy but at least you would have something to offer NZ.

Why NZ?

Snap Shot

Agree. It's what we did. Such fun

Although I was and still am married to a New Zealander. So, that's the visa sorted. I've got pr as well through my family category visa.

Job ? It took my husband five months and looking in 3 cities to get a job offer. First two cities he/we looked for work in were Auckland and Christchurch. Nuff said. (Other people have better or different luck to us. I only know our story.)

Finally, he got a job offer from an NZ Government Department working at an office in the small North Island of New Zealand town of Wanganui, population circa 48,000 people

I agree with what others have said about using the proceeds of the sale of the house to fund your move to NZ. As in, don't do it. Would you spend the equivalent money that emigrating to NZ will cost on a posh holiday ? No ? Couldn't afford it ? Enough said. Or will New Zealand turn out to be, you went on holiday you just took your furniture with you.

We sold our house in Britain and converted our money in to NZ dollars. We had a set sum of money i.e. savings to get by on whilst looking for work. We had spent that two weeks before my husband got his job offer. That's not to mention paying out money hand over fist to move e.g. such things as the cost of shipping our stuff, two one way tickets, rent, food, transport costs etc etc etc. The interview that resulted in a job offer was as much as a gamble as all the other job interviews he'd been for and been turned down i.e. we had no idea when the nightmare of our emigration/relocation to NZ was going to end and returning to Britain broke, homeless and unemployed was looking increasingly likely.

For the record, we flew from Christchurch to Wellington and back and stayed at a hotel at our own expense so my husband could attend a job interview. He got turned down for that. I accompanied him on the trip. Also, it gave us a break from Christchurch and all the earthquakes/aftershocks/earthquakes that had been happening in March to June 2011 when we were there. We were well aware of this prior to our arrival but it was to late to change our plans as far as we were concerned, as the fatal earthquake in Feb 2011 happened 48 hours prior to our departure for NZ and our stuff was in a ships container travelling as sea cargo.

Not that either of us was very relaxed, we had so much going on that needed to be settled/sorted as well as dealing with our regret about coming to NZ. Our backs were against the wall in certain respects. We couldn't go back to Britain. Even though we seriously considered it and even sketched out a plan. We would have had to have funded it out of our credit card/s but we'd have done it if we had to.

Please do not underestimate how scared and lost you will feel on arrival in NZ knowing it's a one way ticket you and your family are on. To many people, expatriate Brits, can't even afford to home to the UK for a visit.

Only people who gave gone through the process of emigrating (with a bit more than a suitcase and a holiday visa) really know what it's like.

Against the day we should ever return, I plan to do the whole thing in reverse. If it means, 're-emigrating' back to Britain, well, I'll just have to get as mentally prepared for that as I was/we were for coming to NZ in the first place.

Please do not underestimate how depressing and dissapointing New Zealand really is. Even for returning New Zealanders who need a dose of reality. That tick box excercise is nearing completion.

Good luck with your decision.

MrsGreen2013

Hi There

I agree with all of the posts above, I certainly would not use the funds from a house sale to pay for he move. However I know how it feels when you want something so badly. I also remember coming on this forum a year ago looking for advice and everyone offered their opinions, which were so very helpful but not completely what I wanted to hear. I wanted to move here so badly I put all the negatives to the back of my mind and forged ahead.

I like you thought that being a PA/Office Manager I couldnt get skilled migrancy, but I was wrong - if you look on the ANZCO occupation lists 1220.0 - ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2013, Version 1.2

you may infact qualify, you would need to have over a certain amount of years experience and you will need a job offer over $45k per annum (I think)

I played about with the points indictor on the NZ immigration website to work out all variables. I was lucky and got a 1 year work visa through Bunac (I am 35) then that meant I was able to apply for a job as I was legally entitled to work.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have -im not an expert but having lived it 24/7 for the last year I may be able to offer advice.

now for my 10pence worth on the rest........

NZ has proven to be so much more expensive than we ever dreamed, we did online food comparisons, looked at the cost of many things before we came over, have visited here many many times and I even lived here for 10 months when i was 23 but nothing prepares you for the day to day differences. I wish I had listened to everyone on here more before I came.

I would adivse that you rent out your home in the UK, or if you are dead set on the move then try to lock the funds away - they are your safety net, to help you buy a home or god forbid, to you help you return if you decide it isnt for you.

Property wise you dont get much for your money any more, we live in mid-canterbury in a town that is nothing special and we are looking at on average about $400k upwards for a house that probably has no heating, no insulation and a kitchen from the 70's. There are other areas that are slightly more affordable. have a look at Real Estate, Houses for Sale, Rentals, Commercial and Businesses for sale at Realestate.co.nz - Realestate.co.nz and Buy online and sell with NZ's #1 auction & classifieds site | Trade Me for ideas.

New Zealand is a wonderful place but it has a very high cost of living. I cant remember the last time I ate a tomato, at $10 a punnet of toms I am eagerly awaiting the better weather where I can get planting!

I wish you all the luck in the workd and if you really want something then follow your dreams just make sure that you have researched it 100% first.

moonie2011

Hi Mr & Mrs Lane,
We too were in the same position as you, in our 40's with two kids under 10, we were desperate to move but despite having 50yrs experience, between us, as police officers, we had no qualifications, so no chance of a visa. Immigration don't really want to know if you have money, it's all about qualification and skills
It took us three years of searching and applying for jobs until hubby secured a job which allowed us to get a WTR visa. We are here but have to apply next year for residency, so it is still uncertain times for us. Although none of the circumstances have changed we have been told that even getting speeding tickets can affect a residency application, hubby has 2
We also had a large sum of money which we bought over but after buying cars, stuff you need to re settle (the list of stuff is endless) we have bought a house, there is not even enough left for us to buy flights back home.
So my advice is keep looking and applying for jobs, if you can find one with an accredited company, and your skills and experience beat the other candidates you should be ok for a WTR. The only other thing we would have considered was a long holiday here, to look at and speak to people about jobs.
Selling up is not something I would have done, no matter how desperate I was. The children's security has to come first. Good luck, we really know what your going through and PM if you want to chat

outback sunset

Hi Mr and Mrs Lane

What is it that's making you dream of living in NZ? I'm just asking as there may be a few places that would meet the same requirements if you're looking for wide open spaces, adventure etc. NZ is amazing but definitely has some down sides as you would have seen if you've spent much time reading the threads here. That's not to put you off but just saying keep an open mind about all the places that may offer the same experience or close.

I think Mrs Lane with the customer service roles may have more success as the primary visa applicant. As someone said above you'd need to look at the job titles on skills in demand lists. I think you may find it difficult though to get a skilled visa. However, you could come on holiday and look for work whilst here, lots of people do that. Just don't make it obvious as you're not supposed to do it on a tourist visa. Hopefully you could enjoy an amazing holiday and accept that it may not lead to a permanent move.

As others have said, it would be terrible to sell your house in UK to fund anything at this stage, unless you're settled here with a job. The money is better for you in the longer term left invested in UK property unless you've been here for a while, have work and then feel you're ready to settle.

NZ is amazing but not many people get to live the real dream. I think often you just end up in another suburb of another city, like in the UK but with much better weather and much worse financial prospects in the long term. I know that's not everyone's experience but wages are low here, and accommodation costs are high in the cities where most immigrants end up.

So, hope we haven't put you off. Totally go for a new adventure if you want to, but keep an open mind about places, e.g. somewhere else in UK, maybe Aus for example. If it has to be NZ go for a long holiday but don't spend all your assets on such a gamble until at least one of you has a job and you've tried it out for a while.

Rural Kiwi

Hi, I agree with many of the comments here .... however if you have a valid Truck License you will stand a great chance of securing a job. Trucking companies here are actively looking overseas for drivers as their is a big shortage here.
If you would like any more help just PC me Good Luck on your venture.

Persephone

Just make sure you look into how you will/can get residency via truck driving. It is possible but you have to know how, many have found it difficult.