[walshy]

I initially put this in introductions, but maybe this place is more appropriate, aplogies for duplicating

Hi, my name is Brendan, my wife and I travelled all over NZ and AUZ five years ago before we settled down and absoluteley fell in love with New Zealand, we always swore we would move to nz one day and have decided now ( or in the next year or two is the time)

Im 31, and am a partner in a small chain of estate agents, my wife is 25 and a recruitment agent, we have a two year old girl Lily and James is due to be born in May.

Are we living in cuckoo land? we know we dont have the trades that NZ want, i am also a half qualified electrician, but im sure even this is no good, and its not something i could even remember to do now.

We have property here though, which if we sold along with my share in my business, going on current conversion rates we reckon we could arrive with $850,000 nz.

How realistic is it to get a business visa?? ( i think thats what some one told me i may qualify for) and come to nz, buy a house with cash for around $500,000 and then buy a business? We are dead set on the hibiscus coast area, Orewa or red beach and have checked out house prices, we have also looked at business for sale and there is a real selection of business for sale from a water delivery business for as low as $40,000 to a salad /smooothie bar for as much as $150,000, we are not too fussed what sort of business we buy/get in to, we just want a better life for us and the kids, a bit less pressure mortgage wise etc.

If we had no mortgage, sureley the early pressure im sure people feel when first arriving would be somewhat easier?? And is this type of visa even real?

Is this realistic, or are dreaming??

Would really appreciate any feedback

Regards

edit:whoops, forgot to say, in england but with both british and irish citizenship

[Moorf]

Hi and welcome ;)

Veronica here on the forum is the person to speak to regarding coming on a business visa - they've been through the entire process for their backpacker and ski/snowboard businesses.

I believe that for a business visa you must purchase/run a business that you already have experience in - worth checking before you go looking for irrelevant opportunities.

With recruitment and real estate experience how about a business to help new immigrants find jobs and houses? :D

I'm sure someone will be along with sensible answers!

Cheers
Moorf

[Smiler]

With recruitment and real estate experience how about a business to help new immigrants find jobs and houses? :D

I'm sure someone will be along with sensible answers!

Cheers
Moorf


Sounds like a brilliant idea to me. Please hurry up and get here ..... ;)

Welcome to the forum Walshy :cheers

[Nick88]

I wouldn't worry too much about the relevant experience bit, apparently they are not too fussy at the moment (they are desperately looking for young people who can run businesses). I have read about people who were told that their visa was not going to be approved on that basis, and they called the NZISs' bluff and told them they would go to Aus instead. They got their visa.

I will be looking to sell my business to immigrants in the not too distant future, so I have been trying to keep a weather eye on things like that. I have been in touch with Robandkaren who posted a while ago about buying a business. Their choice isn't even remotely like their 'day jobs' and they are here now.

If you would like more info or advice please feel free to PM me.

[Edit] Nearly forgot, try this forum for some answers, too.
http://benz1.com/ltbv/
It is not nearly as busy as this forum, but some of the older posts could well answer some of your questions.

[walshy]

Thanks for your reply, so do we have to have aqquired a business before applying, or can we apply on the basis that we will just be arriving with the money to buy a business??

How long does the whole process take, should we start the ball rolling now if we intend on being their in 2 years time, also what sort of checks do they make, for instance would my business partner find out while the application was in process, thus leaving me in a sticky situation if i was turned down and had to stay here?

Where do we get application forms etc?

thanks for your help.

[walshy]

sorry, just seen the link, thanks very much for that

[Nick88]

Did your questions get answered?

[walshy]

yeah, kind of, thanks very much

[JandM]

So - being nosy - will you be going for it?

[walshy]

100% yeah , just not sure exactly when yet, we want to be there max 3 years from now, maybe sooner

[JandM]

Good for you, and all the best.:nice1

[walshy]

ok, i have a question, so far im getting the feeling that even though my best chance to get in is on the business visa, that it is a lot harder than on the skilled migrant visa.

So for the skilled migrant visa ....I have completed two years of a 4 year electrician apprentischip, when i was younger, is this any good? probably not. i have just qualified as a domestic energy assesor, any good? or I have 10 years experience running an estate agency, which i am the owner of, running all 3 offices, so management experience. Would any of these things get me enough points on the skilled visa? if not, what course could i or my wife do quickly to give us the trade needed?

Thanks

[Red Devil]

... I would have thought running an estate agents business between 3 offices for 10 years has given you plenty of management experience to land a similar role in one of the big city's... or maybe branching out and setting up some sort of house letting agency and utilising your recent qualification in domestic energy assessing, who knows... the worlds your oyster :)

Unless you're at a crossroads where you want a career change, I'd personally stick with the estate agents role... although it can be a tough business to be in at times, especially going off how the UK housing market has slowed down recently.

Good luck with whatever you decide to pursue :nice1

[Nick88]

For the skilled migrant visa I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that to get the points for qualifications you need to have finished the tertiary course. I have personal experience of helping someone who did 2 years of a 3 year carpentry course. He ended up being an instructor for those courses due to his experience, despite not finishing when he was younger. He had to go back and do the final year to get the City & Guilds level 3 before he could get PR. So without formal qualifications you will find it hard to use the SM route. There is the WTR visa as an option for those who have experience and can find work.

Somehow I don't think Estate Agent is on the Skills list, so that won't get you points. I do think you were right the first time and the LTBV is the best option, though it isn't easy. You need to acquire a business (you have a few months to find one after you arrive) and show that by running it you have benefited NZ. A terrible, woolly way to assess something, but that is the wording.

You have to increase employment, and improve the business. So you have to very carefully choose the business, and make sure that it will be the sort of thing that NZIS will approve before you throw too much energy at it. They look at the business before you buy it and give you an opinion on whether it would fit their criteria. To use your examples, the water delivery round would not be suitable as you are essentially buying yourself a job, the ability to employ people and grow the business is very limited when you buy an area franchise like that. The other example you gave was the juice bar, this would be more likely to work, especially if you knew enough about the business to grow it, and employing people is a given.

It is the improving of the business that is the real crux of the matter, you can't just buy a business and run it for two years and get the blue sticker. You have to actually and materially improve it. My personal example is a motel (horrible job). We (the family) bought the worst motel on the best street, one that we knew we could turn around. After the two years we had redecorated and painted the whole place, relandscaped and doubled the number of staff. We also increased turnover by 70% in those two years, NZIS had nothing they could pick holes in. It was really hard work, we worked 90-95 hours a week, and the relaxing family time was just something we had to look forward to after we got the PR and sold up.

We have since set up another business, that we are going to market as suitable for LTBV, cos we know what is being looked for by NZIS and have anticipated the requirements. We have also started the growth phase that needs to be shown, so that the new owners can make it within the two year period. All this has taken quite careful planning, and timing. The LTBV is not as simple as it may seem at first.

[walshy]

Nick88, your posts are a great help thanks, what is the business that you will be selling? another hotel?