Nic1978

Thanks for your advice and views regarding NZ. Lots of points made but I am not going in blind NZ would give my children a better life I know that but most of all closer to my family . My family would come as much as I would go to them, cost would not be a problem for people that are worth it I my opinion I would rather be 4 or 5 hours away the 24+ hrs. I would just go where the work is for me so proberly chch but would prefer north island like Wellington has it looks so nice there but hey am open minded on this. I don't plan to go out thinking am going to live in a large house and brag back home of what I have i plan to play it safe for awhile.

Justcol

For what its worth, Chch is a much nicer place than Wellington which is to hilly and bloody windy
Just my opinion, good luck where ever you decide to go, NZ is a great place

carcajou

I am not sure you realise what you are getting into, emotionally or financially.

For instance why are you so sure NZ will give your children a "better life," when you have never been there, are asking a blind Internet forum about the schools and seem to have very limited knowledge about the country?

You may not care about things like a decent-sized house and are prepared to sacrifice right now but you may not - and likely will not - feel the same way 1, 2, 3 years from now . . . and your family may not feel that way either. You will begin to care about the exorbitant cost of a peak-time trip to Queensland. It may not be registering to you right now that closer doesn't mean cheaper, but it doesn't matter if the family members are "worth it" if you don't have the cash to back that up.

Migrations based on emotion or just wanting to get out of the UK don't often end up well.

Good luck. But I encourage you to put a lot more research into this, before making a decision.

Bo-Jangles

I think we've probably all been there and been suckered in with dreamy ideas of weekends away to Aussie and the Pacific islands. The reality is very different when you live here.

Besides the cost, it's simply not practical and the logistics mean you can't simply make a last minute decision to hop on a plane on a Friday night after work and be back in time for work on Monday morning, unless of course it was for a very special occasion.

Whilst a four hour flight seems doable, it will take at least 8 hours all up, with travel to and from the airport, arrival two hours before check-in and an hour to collect bags and clear customs at each end. You do get two hours of your life back on the way due to time difference but that's not much use really as you just get over tired and fractious after that journey.

Mishclark

Great post and this is so true! i am from Australia, lived in Nz and am going back in August, and although it's only a 3 hour flight, it's a big day.

I always say it's not necessarily a better life in Oz or NZ, just a different experience. I am going back as I like it there, not because it is better than Oz, they are both good countries to live in.

Good luck with your move

MIchelle

BEVS

I actually don't understand this comment . I know what the words say but don't get the meaning at all.

Perhaps there needs to be a back to basics thing going on here.

I live in New Zealand Nic1978. I have done for 14 years. I am surrounded by people and families all living here. Either of the home grown kiwi variety and also immigrants. Many, many if not most of them, have some sort of family in Oz.

Instead of us with our boots and lives firmly in NZ telling you what will be , perhaps you can tell me how you see visiting your Oz family panning out?
How often and for how long you will see them in Oz & how often you think they will come stay with you and your family. This is not to lead you in so I can blast your hopes & thoughts in any way but rather to get a real grip of what you feel could actually be.

Lifestyle? Who the heck knows. One man's heaven is another person's hell.
However you can only speak for you. The kids may have different ideas and I speak as a child that was uprooted at the age of 9. Again, this depends where you come from and what you go to.
If you are inner city , north of England at the present time, then a developing city on a rural island may be very welcome.

BEVS

Getting back on to a more practical track.

Just had a re-read of your opening post. You are a tradie.
Is your wife going to work full time?
Will you be mortgage and rent free ?

Carpenters are in immediate shortage and also the Canterbury shortage list.
These lists are solely to help employers fill labour gaps.

You are unlikely to be doing 'renovation ' work & you will be an employee, certainly at the start.

Carpenters and joiners out here are normally builders. Having said that , those are usually home grown NZ trained , registerd, licensed who are very familiar with the rules , regs and trade standards.

Pay will be somewhere between $25/$35 per hour. $35 being tops . Average being $28 for a fully NZ qualified tradie.
Paid leave is usually 4 weeks with 2 of those weeks being compulsory shut-down over the Xmas /New Year period.

Please note that even since we have been here , 14 yrs, the cost of living has risen somewhat but wages have not kept pace. House prices and rents have also risen. I am writing this bearing in mind you have 3 kids to fund.

As I wrote in a previous post, most of those here with fmaily and adult children in Oz are not even making it annually to see their families . May once every two years or so on average. Those in Oz also don't seem to be in any hurry to spend holiday time across the pond in NZ.

It is a bit like those promises one gets from family and friends when one emigrates. Everyone says they will but when push comes to shove , it doesn't really happen.

Anyway. That's to start back on a practical track. Come back with your thoughts on costs , work, housing etc.

BEVS

Interesting point. Will ping some of the Oz lot.

carcajou

OP needs to have a skills assessment done and needs to submit virtually immediately as those sometimes can take a few months. He needs a positive skills assessment to submit an EoI. Points get locked when/if the EoI gets drawn from the pool.

mrsgreenstar76

I don't see why he couldn't apply for Australia. Having just looked at all of the state sponsorship websites, carpenter is on most of them. It's certainly on the MLTSSL, so he should have some options there.

BEVS

Skates on Nic1978 and stop messin about with NZ. It is not where your heart is.

old.sparkles

See this post in Oz forums - http://britishexpats.com/forum/austr...esment-911171/

It's unclear whether or not OP has 5 years of skilled experience but at 39, age points would be 25; trade qualification is worth another 10, and if OP does have 5 years of skilled experience post qualification this would be a further 10 points giving a total of 45 points for a Oz skilled visa.

Therefore, if OP can get skills assessment, and IELTS (or similar) max score, before turning 40 they would have 65 points, and still may not get an invite. Once they turn 40 they would lose a further 10 points which brings if down to 55. This may be enough if they get state sponsored, so it all depends on if OP has skilled experience, and being able to max IELTS.

If they only started retraining 5 years ago, then without points for skilled experience they would not be able to meet points requirement for an Australian visa

mrsgreenstar76

If he can get the skills assessment, IELTS, etc., I think state sponsorship would be the way to go. Plenty of states have included it on their lists. Obviously, it'll depend on his scores, etc.

Justcol

Well that told him didn't it... !!

The nerve of the fella wanting to do what the rest of us did and migrate for the chance of a better life. Well done done chaps,

BEVS

I am not at all sure what you mean Col.

Nic wants to go to Oz really but will try for NZ as he thinks he will perhaps see more of his Oz family. He doesn't say about his wife's family.
Ultimately though, their eyes are/were set to oz.

He is a tradie with 3 kids . He will be on tradie wages with tradie paid hols. He needs to do his sums to make sure that he will be able to see the family in Oz.

It won't be a better life if the reality is he sees his Oz family less not more.

No one is raining on his parade here Col. However these years the move to NZ with its trade wage rates and its high cost of living needs carefully thinking . Especially with 3 children to bring up.

Yes. They can go camping and enjoy beaches etc if that is what they are into. Find less people about . All the stuff that is usually peddled BUT he stated he wants to see & be with his family in Oz. He is affording this now from what he has written.
Will he realistically afford that once living and working in NZ?

Much there depends on what money he can bring over + start up.

BTW. We don't all move here thinking we will somehow have a 'better life'. Not sure what that means really. Some of us move simply to make a change in our own perfectly OK lives, rather than stagnate wishing we had tried something new.