Justcol

I've been in NZ now for 7 years and I do love living here but my sons (24 and 20) are now back in the UK and the feeling
of detachment from them is becoming unbearable so I have decided to start making plans to go home.

My wife is a kiwi and we have to look at what visas we need for her so she can work in the UK, the costs involved and timescales for getting them sorted
Any advice on that would be helpful.

The decision to leave NZ has been a hard one to make, but I feel a weight has been lifted now its actually been made.

WEBlue

Hi Justcol, if your wife's a Kiwi, she may need a spouse visa (which allows her to work, but has a financial requirement). Plain work visas (Tier 2 visas) are more difficult to acquire, but possible, depending on her field of work and other factors.

Here's a very helpful thread with info & resources for you to check:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/citiz...mation-830478/

Spacecake799

Hi,
I just wanted to wish you luck on your return, I know how difficult that decision is. I liked NZ but didn't love it at the time in our life we were there. That said we decided to leave as we weren't happy with the education in NZ. We really had researched it and were there for six years when we left 2 years ago. Sadly our lovely daughter stayed in Auckland and is at uni. I know that if she decided not to return to the UK we would ultimately go back at some stage. Its never easy trying to do the right thing for your children. Enjoy going home to your sons for however long they need you.

Sparkleydiva

I am so glad you've been able to make the decision Justcol. I really understand your situation as I too have been here for7-8 years and my eldest daugher (26) is back in the UK permanently and my youngest leaves here in 9 weeks permanently too. I know I cannot stay here and not be part of their lives in the way I am used to, and have had the privilege of being so until now.

I think sometimes even just knowing you will be back and part of their lives and not detached gives some peace. It does to me even though I cannot move back for another 18 months but do have a visit booked for Christmas as cannot even imagine not sharing Christmas..

Take care, good luck with the planning, I don't have any knowledge on visas, just an understanding of not being close to our children and I really don't like it.

BritInParis

You may wish to consider obtaining New Zealand citizenship before you leave in order to leave that door open for you and your wife in the future.

brits1

It must be very hard to leave a place you love living so I wish you all the best in your return home and hope you have many wonderful years with your "boys". Good luck

Justcol

One or two names I know from the NZ forum on here, and thank you
all for the replies.
As has been said, it does ease the pressure a little just having made
the decision.
There are still many things to work out before anything can happen
and finding work has to be top of the list.
I'm a prison officer and my wife is a nurse so once all her stuff is sorted
we should be better placed to get things moving.
We are considering just a two year stint which would maybe mean we
don't need to sell our place in NZ should we find its not the right move.
I don't think returning here would be a problem as I have had PR for 7 years
and the wife is a native.

BEVS

I'd still council that you gain citizenship first Col. You can never know what rules might be changed regarding a residency visa ,regardless of whether it states at the time it is permanent or not. Terminology changes which leaves changes to the conditions also open.

All the best to you, your wife and your sons Col. I know you have thought long and hard about this & if you could have your sons with you in NZ then your cup would be full.



ps. You are a smashin' Dad

Justcol

Thank you, I try

AceofSpades

We made a similar decision a few years ago and have never looked back. At the time living in NZ seemed ok but it was only after we'd left that we realised how much we'd been missing out on. We tried the UK for a couple of years and then ended up in Australia, talk about going the long way round! Good luck to you.

Justcol

The more I look into this the further away it seems to get.
Latest issue is finding a bank willing to give a 50+ couple a mortgage.
Due to an ex wife cleaning me out, I had to start again from scratch
four years ago, so we don't have the luxury of a lot of equity to
take with us. I would be going back with around a quarter of
what I left with 7 years ago

Spacecake799

Hi,
I think once you are back find a mortgage broker, you often find independent ones through the estate agents. If you have a job and some deposit im sure someone will lend to you. There are 95 and 100% mortgages out there it just means you wont get the really low rates.
We have only a small deposit since using all our house equity surviving in NZ before finally coming home. Its taken two years but as soon as we find a house we hope to finally be able to get a mortgage.
Good Luck

Justcol

I tried all the online mortgage calculators and couldn't find
one that would lend as we would be retirement age in 12 years
so that was the max term we could have

Not giving up yet !!

Spacecake799

Just a thought but could you maybe look for a loan not a mortgage? I think independent financial advice would still help.

LauraNotts

Good luck Col drop by the forum from time to time and don't leave us all behind.