ecalperif

hi..we wanted to emigrate to new zealand 18 months ago but some family issues stopped us..are we too old now im 40 hgv driver and my partner is 36 qualified chef and pregnant.if we did throw caution to the wind and went we would have about 50k to take.are there any hgv jobs avail and are we still legally able to settle there.any replys appreciated...

Wilester

I hope your not too bloody Old lol

I think i saw somewhere that you have to be under 53 to be able to gain PR i may be wrong

nelsonpom

Def not to old you should have a look on Essential Skills in Demand Lists (just google it) I know Chefs are on it just depends on experience and qualifications. Nz is desperately short of chefs and with the world cup coming up even more so. Good luck

JohnThePom

The primary applicant has to be 55 or younger when you apply. If your partner is the primary applicant you've got another 19 years yet....

I think you're too old for the Working Holiday visa. But that's only one type specially designed for young people.

WP

Wilester

Snap Shot

Google that question as I think they are bringing in new immigration laws to allow people to retire to NZ as it's considered discriminatory these days to decline on the basis of age.

simonsi

There are new (NZ) rules for prospective retirees to NZ but the changes are of a financial requirements nature.

NZ is not duty bound to take anyone and they are quite entitled to select on skills/age/finance etc etc - they aren´t part of Europe you know

Who is the "they" you are referring to??

simonsi

Just watch that aspect, a primary applicant who can´t work for a period may be less attarctive to NZIS, may just be in the timing.... run the points indicator both/all ways and see what comes out best, certainlky you aren´t too old

bdclayton

pretty sure you have to take another H G V test to be able to drive here
To old ?
I came to live here last year at the very young age of 55
you are never to old
age is just a number

Stormer999

Deepseamark

You can transfer a car or motorcycle driving licence with no test needed at all, pay your money show your UK licence and you get a NZ licence. For a HGV licence it is slightly different, you have to take the theory test part of the driving test, multiple choice, 30 mins long and so easy it is not a problem.
You can drive on your UK licence for 12 months before you have to change it but not as a professional driver.

My wife and I are older than you, we have been here nine months and love it.

nukiwi

You are definitely NOT too old..... We came out in 2008 at the ages of 47 and 53 on a Temporary Work Visa until we gained PR in March this year

Go for it, we love it here.

BEVS

I remember you

Good news is that ruck driving still appears on the NZIS immediate shortage list. As you know this means that if you are offered a job you can apply for a temporary work visa. Your wife would apply for an open work visa on the back of that & a student visa for your child.

If you do gain another truck driving job offer , one thing to check with NZIS is just how long they will issue the temporary work visa for. If NZIS are now only offering temp work visas on a year by year basis , you will need to factor in the annual renewal costs.

I'm sure you remember that you cannot gain PR through trucking unless the work is through an NZIS accredited employer and the base salary is $55K per year.

Your wife is a fully qualified chef I believe but doesn't have the 5 years of experience under her belt. As Nelsonpom states though, we have a rugby world cup coming here next year. Chefs are bound to be needed.

Perhaps a possible scenario would be that you arrive to start work as a truck driver. You know that you need to renew your temporary work permit annually but take this on the chin .Your wife finds a way to take up work as a chef & in due course you apply for PR with her as prime applicant .

Too old !
I was 50 & himself was 45.

ecalperif

hi thanks for all your replys..feel abit younger..because we didnt take the plunge a while back we bought another house but hoping to sell now to go the upside of that though is it has given us a bit more money to take there..we have no family here to be home sick about but have a couple of friends though. what i was going to do if i sold the house was to rent for 6 m onths paying it up front then go out to new zealand to find work and if i found any then set up a home there for us.i know it would be a challenge but there is some fun in that i suppose.as for here i dont think i would be home sick but everybody is i suppose after a while.where we live i just find it a bit overcrowded and materialistic..im the kind of person who drives the old battered car works the hours and just likes open space and being laid back..i know that living there would be just like here skint most the time but got a yearning in my heart to go..i said to my partner that if it dont work out then we come home with maybe 30k left and carry on..my other worry is partners daughter has criminal conviction 19yo i dont think she would be able to go if we did..thanks for replys

simonsi

Check the NZIS website, it has a lot of information on which convictions and sentences cause problems.