[wcape]

hi to everybody! i'm looking forward to hanging out here a bit more to pick your brains about the whole immigration process :) me & the bf have decided that we want to move to nz a few weeks ago, and since then i've been searching the internet high and low for a forum that deals with the subject. i'm very happy i found you guys!

o forgot to say where i'm from - yet another south african in search of greener (safer) pastures.

[Mickstim]

Welcome Wcape! You will find a heap of very friendly and helpful people here on the forum - it's an amazing mine of information and support.

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

And there's a few nutters hanging about too - but they're mainly harmless ;)

Welcome

[pinkpiggy]

And there's a few nutters hanging about too - but they're mainly harmless ;)

Welcome

I can vouch for that! (being BaldyBeardyBloke's OH). :p Welcome to the forum WCape.

[jent]

Welcome WCape! After a winter like we've had(Wcape too) we are also ready for anything!!! As longer as it is safer. This is a great forum to find info. Good luck. Where in the WCape?

[holland]

Welcome to the forum Wcape

and 'Hi'

J and G xx

[wcape]

Welcome WCape! After a winter like we've had(Wcape too) we are also ready for anything!!! As longer as it is safer. This is a great forum to find info. Good luck. Where in the WCape?

hi - we're from somerset west, and yourselves? are you guys going the process alone? we are meeting up with an agency for a consultation this weekend, getting pretty nervous about it :uhoh

thanks everybody else for the welcoming messages...

[Johnson]

Hey WCape,

I'm also a newbie here from SA. What agency are you going through?

[wcape]

we're going for an assessment with protea pacific - but i'm not sure if i want to use them for the whole process, they charge around 50 000 rand for everything, and only half of that's refundable. i'm just hoping to pick their brains in the interview & then try to go it alone if it doesn't seem to complex.

btw thanks pinkpiggy for putting your whole process timeline in your signature, i'm sorta looking for info on how long everything takes and what sort of points get selected :clap

[Steadybears]

Hi WCape
Welcome to you from another from SA - dont be scared to go this whole process alone - we had also thought of going through an agency - and when we heard how much they were going to charge we immediately changed our minds - better to use the extra rands to take over to put down on a new home. We have done the whole thing and can offer any advise - please PM and I can help with anything. We awaiting for our ITA hopefully anyday - so please let me know.

Regards
Jayne

[speckythecky]

Welcome to the forum wcape,

Can't help on the specifics of a move from SA but as you can see there are enough members here who are making the move, or who have done so.

If you can avoid an agency, do so, you can get a lot of info from this forum

[Steadybears]

All our info we have received from this forum has been great - never had a query left unanswered

Jayne

[jent]

Hi WCape
We are using an agency because we have a special needs child and this particular agent has dealt with this type of case before and knows all the 'players' in Wellington and London. She charges half of that, but if you have a fairly straightforward case, go it alone. We live in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town and only plan on leaving by the end of 2008. We own our own business and would like to build it up before selling it.
If you want more info about the agent, send me a private message.
Good luck.

[Mickstim]

Hi WCape

Just saw you are from Somerset West which was my home town before coming to the UK in 2000. Love it, miss it but know it isn't what it used to be!

Barbx

[Belmont Babes]

Hi wcape and big welcome. Hope you enjoy the journey and I'm sure you will gain lots of info from this forum....we certainly have

[debsandandy]

Hi WCape
We're also from Somerset West and are leaving for NZ next Friday... for the Big Move.
It's been 2 years in the making, and we didn't use an agent, but applied online and submitted an Expression of Interest on the NZ Immigration site. R50 000 sounds like an awful lot of money.
Let me know if you need some help re your application/removals/animals/do's/don't etc as I would be happy to help
Cheers
Debs

[Silverwing86]

Hi Wcape and welcome to the forum. It is indeed a great place for finding answers and support, a friendly bunch !

Good luck with the process and definitely try going it alone if you can. Many have done so successfully with the excellent help of the forumites on this forum. Never hesitate to ask any question you may have !

Silver

[benandclare]

Welcome aboard guys.

Can only speak from a UK perspective but dont waste your money on an agency, we managed fine without one as did loads of folks on here.

Good luck with everything

:cheers

[wcape]

thanks guys for all your responses! i will definitely take you up on the offer when we start with the whole process...