Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Hey my names Jess.
Emigrating to New Zealand has been a long wish of mine since I was a teenager. I visited twice as a child and again with my husband, returning home only yesterday.
My husband fell in love with New Zealand and within a week of our month trip he managed to get a job offer with an accredited company.
So currently it's all systems go!
We've just told our family and friends of what may happen and it hasn't gone down too well.
We are applying for the work to residency at the moment as the process is quicker then a skilled migrant visa.
Currently trying to figure what to take where to rent. (My husbands work is based in Lower Hutt in Wellington)
We are hoping if passing the medical assessment that we will be in New Zealand in the next 3-6 months! I have ankylosing spondylitis so we are a bit concerned with that. So here's hoping all goes smoothly 😁

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Hi and welcome to the world of the British Expats

New Zealand is a popular place for many Brits to immigrate to. We have a lovely forum dedicated to NZ and the kind people there who have walked in your shoes will be delighted to off any assistance they can to make your transition easier. May I suggest after a read of our site rules, you venture into the NZ forum found here New Zealand - British Expats for your many questions.

Good luck with your move and again, welcome.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Good luck with the medical referral for that rather painful & debilitating auto-immune condition.

It is something I know about as my Mum had Rheumatoid Arthritis & over the many years we got to know several with spondylitis.

As you will know you will have to prove that your condition will be of no future excessive financial burden to the NZ health service. It has probably already been suggested to you but in case - ensure you have a detailed & complete specialist consultant report re the condition as this makes the medical assessors life easier and you want to help them with this .

Spondylitis as you know is a progressive auto-immune disease so work hard to show the evidence that this will not cost the NZ health service excessive amounts of $$ in the future . For chronic the costs are pegged at $41000 . For acute it is $41000 over 5 years.
Show the condition is stable . If you are on meds , double check before submitting your evidence as some meds for severe auto-immune conditions are a no-no here as they cost a lot.

Not wishing to scare you. I want you to be well prepared is all.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Hi! Welcome to the site and good luck with your application! We just arrived here last week.

Our visa applications took just 4 weeks (residence, skilled migrant) to be approved from the point they were submitted. But it took us about 6 weeks to get all the medicals, references, other documents etc together and that was with no referrals. We also applied for work visas as we were told this would be quicker and actually they were all issued in our passports the same day. A waste of money on the work visas to be honest....

Still not bad though, 12 weeks from accepting the job offer and we we here. Good luck and if you need any recommendations on removals etc please feel free to PM me as I have just been through all this.

Good luck with your medical

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Crikey! I've never heard of that happening . That's amazing TBH and you are right , an annoying waste of money

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

that is ridiculous, temp work visa so you can show commitment to the company if they want you to start as soon as possible. then gives you a while to see if you like the job/area before you then apply for a more permanent visa.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Hi there,

A residency visa is advantageous for superannuation payments. Like you I opted for a work visa (WTR) as it seemed quicker but then found I could not make superannuation payments until I became a resident 2 years later.

In the UK there is easier access to a wider array of treatments for AS. In NZ the requirements are tougher for getting a biologic. Beware.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Here is the ops manual requirements about health. ankylosing spondylitis is not specifically mentioned.

A4.10 Acceptable standard of health (applicants for residence)

Personally I would get an up to date report on the condition now, what is likely to occur in the next 5 years and treatments, medications required. Include that in your application. It will go for assessment but with the information already in the application should not take up to much time unless the medical assessor requires more.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

What do you mean by this?

Although WalfordNZ will be needing her medical notes to show she will not be availing herself of any expensive treatment within the NZ health service you do make a very good and important point.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Thanks guys.
I am planning on getting a note from my gp for my assessment for what care I'm under and how it's managed. My condition is curently well managed and I only have a yearly check up with physiotherapy. The only medication I take for it is over the counter ibuprofen. So i wouldn't cost NZ money in on going health care. I wouldn't need surgery or anything as that's pretty rare to have with this condition. But I will get notes on it all to hopefully make the process slightly quicker and easier for them.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Good one. :thumbup:
Remember, the immy officer may not be familiar with this so anything and everything you give to reassure is going to help you and the officer.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

You can only join KiwiSaver if you are a permanent resident entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely; you can't join if on any sort of temporary visa.

Re: Hi 👋🏻 Emigrating to New Zealand
 

Ah !
Kiwisaver.

It's a gift :rolleyes: