ForestNew

Having an offer of employment in Canterbury as a carpenter, I have a few questions I’m wishing anyone can offer advice on. Can anyone help me with these?

1. Kiwi savings plan! Do I opt-out or join? Not sure of the benefits to me?

2. The company provides a free care cover with Southern Cross but it seems limited, not providing GP Consultations, prescriptions, dental and optical cover. Do I need more as I understand there is a free public heath scheme if I was to get a two year work visa?

3. Transport has two options with the company a)$4.500 for a vehicle to and from work or b)$9000 for all use which includes weekends. I thought this was an expensive option, if the company allowed me to purchase my own vehicle?

Private vehicle can anyone advise me about the insurance and had they been given any discount if they bought proof of their No Claims discount from the UK. Understanding NZ is another country to be driving in?

4. Not asked this question but costs of moving myself to New Zealand i.e. flights and temporary accommodation? Has any single guy been given any help with these from a company who they have been given an offer of work from?

Thanks for reading and the help which you may be able to offer me with my questions and any other comments which you believe would be good of myself in helping my move to NZ.

Regards
Nick

Snap Shot

Hello Nick,

Good luck with your plans. I'm gonna start this again but quote you because I can't remember your questions !

Snap Shot

1. Kiwi Saver - this is your pension scheme in NZ. Just bear in mind you can't access the money until you are of retirement age and you will need the money in the here and now for your living expenses. You will need to make it clear to your employer if you wish to opt out of kiwi saver at the beginning when you are filling out your forms at the very beginning of your employment. Two week's kiwi saver contributions will still be deducted from your pay but you will get this back within about four weeks, along with a letter confirming that you opted out of the scheme. I'm pretty sure you can opt in later. If it turns out you leave NZ before you reach retirement age and you've been paying kiwi saver contributions, that money is basically out of your reach until your retirement age falls due. BTW Kiwi Bank is the bank of NZ Post Office. Kiwi Bank is a totally separate entity to Kiwi Saver. Just as a btw, there is no National Insurance contributions to be made in NZ, woo hoo !

2. Southern Cross health insurance - we purchased extra cover i.e. optical and dental and as such my husband got a NZ$900 (450 quid) pair of glasses for about $NZ20 as Southern Cross and his employer covered the majority of the cost. Not designer frames I might add he just needs a stronger prescription.

3. Cars are ridiculously expensive here, even second hand. You could take a chance and buy a, 'crate' this is an old banger but I wouldn't. Not to say private sellers are shysters just the on road costs might outweigh the purchase price in the long run. Would you be expected to be on call at the weekend if you purchased a car with the larger amount of money ? Take your driving license with you when you buy a car, either UK or NZ license so they can register the car to your license.

A W.O.F. is a Warrant of Fitness, similar to an M.O.T. the cost is similar too, I think. There's a small sticker that goes on the corner of the inside of the windscreen of the car as a reminder of when the next one falls due, the certificate is given to you. Registration is shortened to the word, 'regio' and is similar to a tax disc, (despite being oblong) i.e. has to be purchased regularly and displayed on your vehicle.

Third party insurance is not compulsory in NZ. Insurers aren't particularly interested in your car insurance NCB. They just accept your verbal record of your insurance history, shrug their shoulders and sell you car insurance. Insurance of any sort in Canterbury and the rest of NZ is becoming a problem because of the cost of the earthquakes. It's not the big deal that it is in Britain i.e. there's not as many companies trying to sell car insurance because it is not compulsory in NZ. Fingers crossed you don't get hit by an uninsured driver. Anyway, moving right along.

You will need to get an NZ driving license. This can be done at the A.A. shop nearest to you in Canterbury, NZ. Just fill in the form when you visit, show them your UK driving license, pay the fee, have your photo taken, take the sight test that's done there and then. If all is ok, you will get a receipt slip with your NZ driving license number on it and your NZ license will arrive in the post in due course. You can keep your UK license. There is a, 'grace period' of one year on your UK license when you arrive in NZ i.e. your UK license is good enough initially. However, sometimes a photo i.d. driving license is useful i.d. for general purposes.

4. Relocation costs - sorry mate, you're on your own ! We were when we relocated. Unless you can negotiate one from your future employer. We turned up in NZ 2 years ago without a job. We did our relocation on a D.I.Y. basis. SUCH fun.

lapsed kiwi

1. You may not get your whole remun package if you don't. The money is locked in until you're 65, with some exceptions such as if you leave the country for good. I'd join
2. There is a public health service, broadly comparable to the UK but some things cost more, inc GP visits. I'd assess how much you expect to spend on those and decide if you want further insurance

Snap Shot

Your I.R.D. number means Inland Revenue Department number. It's the equivalent of your National Insurance number. I got mine by filling in a form and handing it in at the post office. If you look up IRD online you will see the form to fill in. You can print it, fill it in as best you can then complete it once you get to NZ. Alternatively, you can get one from the post office here in nz and complete it.

These are Post Shops in New Zealand. If you ask for directions to the post office they might look at you quizzically unless you say Post Shop.

You will be given a receipt with your I.R.D. number on it straight away after handing in your completed form at the post office. Formal confirmation of your I.R.D. number will arrive in the post later.

Free health care dependant on your visa ? I don't know about that as I have a family category visa.

Emergency medical assistance is available to everyone in New Zealand, free of charge. The A.C.C. (Accident Compensation Corporation) will consider applications to fund medical care for everyone living in NZ irrespective of their visa status. E.g. my sister in law's husband (a kiwi) snapped his Achilles tendon a couple of years ago at a social sports match. His medical and convalescent requirements were funded by A.C.C. because it is government funded.

Woodlea

Hi Nick,
FYI with my company I paid $3000 for work use and to and from work, so your option is a bit pricey. For unlimited usage within 100km of my home I now pay $6,800, so if your's is unlimited kms for $9000 I would take it. I'm not on call at any time.
Good luck.

Catchafire

Great advice Snap Shot.

I would highly recommend getting fully comp insurance, if you are hit by an uninsured driver, your insurance company will cover you for the damage and pursue the uninsured driver through the courts if necessary to recoupe costs. Saving you a big headache.

Tom1983

Answered

moonie2011

My OH has been told by the HR dept of his new company that he cannot pay into Kiwisaver until he is a NZ resident, is this true?

MrsFychan

Once you have the Blueys in your passport then you can take one out as far as we're aware. hubby pays into

escapedtonz

Yes correct. Only residents can pay in to Kiwisaver.

ForestNew

Thanks to all who have aided me with my earlier questions, they have been a great help.

My final question!?

Now fully understanding about the NZ pension scheme and joining it when I feel the need too but requiring a visa!
Can you offer me advice on this issue?

I had been advised that I could sort a visa out in New Zealand and its costs would be a lot cheaper due to the medical being less than half the cost of what is in the UK but I am not sure about this and the time it also may take?
Which working visa would be correct for me and the company, I have had an offer of work from to go for and its time period?

Thanks again with your advice Snap Shot, lapsed Kiwi, Woodlea, Tom1983, Moonie 2011 and Catchafire.

Regards
Nick

Snap Shot

My answers are in red just to highlight them.

Persephone

.

This is the NZ Government immigration site: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/

Your only real options are:
Work visa- temporary only, carpenters are on the CSSL so you can get a work visa fairly easily as long as your details match the last column on the link I quoted in the box above
Work to Residence- you get a temp work visa and once you have worked for two years you can convert this to residency. Conditions apply as mentioned above.
Skilled Migrant Category- points based, you need to have a skilled profession and have over 100 points to be able to apply. The ability to apply does not guarantee success as it depends on what is being drawn out each fortnightly selection. How likely you are to be selected depends not only on your points total but also on how your points are calculated. It is not a random draw and those with lower points may be selected before those with higher points totals. It's more about how your total is calculated! This is a residency application.
Working Holiday Visa-not relevant if you have a permanent[?] job offer.

Have a read and come back to us with any questions.
P