to-go-or-not-to-go

Hi

Thanks for reading this. We are a happy, healthy family of five + dog starting on this adventure. We have made the decision we want to go (double checked our reasoning) and now just need to get on with it. As with most I guess we would just like to click our fingers and be there.

We have a few initial worries. My husband is a surgeon and we should pretty much be able to get in but not until we get a job offer. Without a job offer we won't my husband is just over 50 so we don't get many points there. I really need to know if we should employ an agent. I know that we can't talk about individual businesses but I'm really worried of wasting time (feeling impatitient I guess). I want the best help and am happy to pay for it - but are they all just rip-off merchant? (positive stories would be welcome aswell as neg!) We can spend hours trawling through health authority vacancy lists but someone on the inside would be really helpful to us.

We are also scared to death of how to get everything tied up at the same time (impossible I know). We don't want to go without selling our house, but don't want to miss jobs because we can't leave the house. One of our children is in school so unfortunately we haven't got the option of taking a long holiday to find work as he has to be 'in school'.

My husband has a super annuation pension to come upon retirement, but we would want to keep it up at the same rate in order to reap the benefits that we worked for - can we do it? how do we transfer it? How does it get taxed? AAARgh help!! - I think we should employ an agent don't you?

I'm sure everyone can guess most of my worries as you've all been there, and I'm sure most of you have answered all of the questions loads of time so I apologise for the repetition in advance. I lokk forward to getting to know you and hope that this is a happy ever after story and next year I'll be helping others in my position now. Thanks x

happynz

If you have shed-loads of cash and you don't mind agents dicking you around and wasting your time and money, go ahead and use an immigration agent. Just be aware they are not authorised to do anything other than fill out your forms and perhaps offer some advice.

New Zealand needs medical personnel, full stop. Your husband's age is not a deterrent at his time. In fact if he sent out some feelers to the various district health boards you may find that they would want him here yesterday if not sooner. So yeah, his prospects at getting work as a surgeon should be good.

House selling? Geez...that's a tough nut to crack. It's a tough market for sellers nowadays, huh?

As far as pensions and what not, I'm not in any position to offer advice as I have no knowledge of the things and how they are administrated.

Schools start in late January or early February and go to the middle of December.

Sorry I can't help much. Good luck and all that.

to-go-or-not-to-go

Thanks for that I think we will send his CV and letter out all health authorities that are in an area we would like to live and see how we go. We are at the expo in the uk in a month so hopefully will get some more answers then. Thanks so much for your time.
Ps we've not got shed loads of money but if anyone thought it would really make a difference we could afford to do it but def don't want to be 'dicked' around as you put it! But don't want to waste any time making mistakes that a prof could stop us making. take care

happynz

Your first stop should be --> http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...nd_Immigration to get an idea how to immigrate here to New Zealand.

The forms themselves are not too onerous and if you are methodical you can do all of it yourself. Do allow time to start collecting all the information you will need as well as for getting police clearances and medical reports. The medicals have a 'shelf life' of three months before submission and the cop shop reports are valid for six months.

If you need to have your qualifications assessed by New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) you had better get cracking as they are notorious for being less than timely.

Short form, it's not that mysterious -- straightfoward if you're organised -- and it is doable on your own. Save the thousands you'd spend on an agent and get yourself a car or a nice lounge suite with the money saved.

Good luck -- and pardon my occasionally salty language.

j19fmm

Hi there, I reckon this site and all the very helpful people on here will be able to do stop you making any mistakes and save you a bundle too.
Try filling in the EOI on line at NZIS, costs nothing (until you submit it) and adds up points as you go.Good luck

BEVS

Go for an agent as a very last resort.

An agent is not going to be any more 'on the inside' than you or me. Approach each of the Health Boards direct & see what comes back.
Your husband may have to bite the bullet and fly to NZ to attend interviews.

That is a highly skilled man you have there and his services are on the long-term shortage list. New Zealand Immigration wants him ! OK, so he is a bit older . So were we & we have been here for nearly 4 years now. I arrived just before my 50th birthday & with PR.
My husband sorts plumbing in houses. Your husband sorts plumbing in people.
You should be able to do this yourselves & we will all help with the paperwork.

Medical Practioners require occupational registration.

Please check out The Medical Council of New Zealand website. [click the blue type]
It has a self-assessment, details of how to become registered and also a list of all the NZ health boards.

Contact them and get the ball rolling.

Here is the ANZSCO detail re Surgeons [again click the blue type]

From the NZIS - New Zealand Immigration Service - long term shortage list

General Surgeon ANZSCO code 253511

Requirements
This link for MCNZ is above.

Also to claim bonus points for absolute shortage
Here is a link to a previous thread which mentions NHS pensions. It is from nurses but if your husband works through the NHS system , it could be useful. In particular read This Post

Again, a link if it is the NHS

Also please read this from the UK Pension Advisory Service

It is quite comprehensive and better than a long tome of a post here.

Good luck with the house sale.

to-go-or-not-to-go

My husband and I are absolutley bowled over by the response and thank you all so much. Since I posted we an hour ago we have had a phone call from Hawkes Bay very interested in my husband all very exciting but won't get too carried away. With all the support from you guys maybe we should save our money and throw a big thank you party to you all if we manage to get there. I'll keep you informed and all further help much appreciated. thank you all x

spid

Now that is a very good idea - you'll be there before us - but what a way to celebrate and say thank you! Good on you!

Welcome to the board and good luck!

karonious

Welcome to the forum
Have some karma to start you off
Karen

to-go-or-not-to-go

Thanks Karen much appreciated - I know what Karma is in the 'real' world but in the world of this forum what is it all about (I'm asuming its nice to be given it hence the thankyou!!!) And should I start a new thread elsewhere as this is the intro section or am I ok to carry on here? Know wonder I was thinking about getting an agent - I can't even cope with the forum!! lol x

BEVS

Tell you what 'tgonto' ( I think I'll have to call you Tonto as your user name is that loooonnng ), I'll move this thread across to the main forum for you .

You can start another brief intro if you want & we'll say Hi again.

Karma is shown in the little blue boxes you can see to the left of your posts. It's for welcomes , support, good posts ... all that sort of stuff.

Below the blue boxes yu can see a button called Karma . This is where you can give karma to someone for whatever reason.

If you look in your profile, which is top left of the page, you will be able to see what karma you have received and why.

Hope that helps.

Archangel

I don't just think I know that your OH will be well sort after, so don't worry you will find that DHB will be very interested in him. I would also suggest that they would most likely be in a possition to offer him rental accommodation even something towards the flight. Good luck

bourbon-biscuit

Hawkes Bay- so you get to move to the best bit too

A surgeon and his family should live the good life in beautiful Havelock North with the very best schools etc Welcome to the forum and the madness that is moving to the other side of the world!

bourbon-biscuit

Hawkes Bay DHB offer a few weeks decent motel accommodation opposite the hospital plus cash toward flights and if you're lucky a few weeks hire car

SidNZ

Hi there,

You should be able to move your OH's pension over to NZ. We moved my two pensions using an agent and she was very good and the process happened very quickly. Her fee was also very reasonable whereas one company quoted me a flat fee of 5% of the sum transferred.

There are conditions such as the money has to be transferred direct between the two pension schemes, and the NZ scheme has to be an approved one.

If you would my agents email address you could PM me.

Cheers,

Sid