Sunnyferns15

My partner and I are currently living in the UK, (my partner is NZ citizen) and we are intending to emigrate to NZ at some point in the next few years. We would be applying under a partnership visa.

We wondering how much is good amount to have saved financially to come over to NZ but also to cover cost of flights, visas, removals, emigration agents, transferring pensions etc?.

I would be looking for work in the public sector and was wondering how easy it is to find work in the public sector.

The area we are thinking of moving to would be the Bay of Plenty and Tauranga area. Obviously, this is dependant on us finding jobs around that area.

We are thinking of renting to start with rather than committing ourselves to purchase a property straightaway in NZ.

Is there much in the way of tax and financial issues that I would need to do on entering NZ, i.e. registering with NZ Tax office etc, having bank accounts opened etc.

Any help and advice how much we should save up before we go would be helpful.

MrsFychan

as much as possible. Immigration agent I think you would not require as its fairly straight forward and most of us have done it ourself and it should be easier for you with a NZ partner. You just need to show that you are in a committed relationship and have been for x amount of time. So joint accounts, bills, invitations, holiday bookings,photos, FB chats, anything that links your day to day life together.

I would advise anyone to rent for at least a year to 18 months before even contemplating buying and to try different area's.

You can set up a bank account in the UK and pump some money in whilst you are there, to activate it when you are over to gain your cards is fairly straight forward, passport and evidence of address. As soon as you land you can contact IRD for a tax number, you are charged taxed on every cent you earn.
as for work that depends exactly what job you are looking for but check out sites like tradme and seek.

Pigdog

To date we have probably spent about £10,000. That includes flights, shipping contents of a 3 bed house, 2 dogs (vet bills included) motor bike (NZ MOT included) and visas. It is a lot of money but worth it.

LauraNotts

In retrospect I was extraordinarily lucky. I paid for my flights on a credit card, transferred £1500 from the UK to a Westpac account to cover 6 weeks until I got paid (oh how naive I was) and hopped on a plane with a working holiday visa, two suitcases and nothing else.

I am in no way suggesting that everyone can do what I did nor that anyone should just that it can be done on the cheap.

TommyLuck

I reckon £10k is a good rough starting point.

I also agree with Mrs F, whilst I understand why people feel safer using them an immigration lawyer is so unnecessary.

To my mind you're better off using your time and money to travel to NZ house and sit down with someone from Immigration and have a yarn. People do!

I waited for well over an hour one day while the people before me went through their application with a fine tooth comb with the Immigration official at the desk and quite right and all!!

It sounds painful in terms of time, but still better than forking out for something you can really do yourself.

Also, if you don't live there, you can treat yourself to a nice day out in our great capital city!

Hazelnut

That's useful to know, we're due down in the big smoke at some point soon so could visit NZ house.

Sunnyferns15

Thanks for the advice and information, very appreciated.