[icemaiden]

Hi everyone - just thought I'd post an introduction. My husband and I have more or less decided to go for the big move. We've considered it for years and now really have to start putting things in action. I'm a teacher and would be the principal applicant (secondary, English). We're probably thinking about the Auckland area. I'm in the process of collecting info for the NZQA verification process and we'll visit the expo in London in October this year. Our move is probably realistically for January 2010 or maybe even the summer of that year (because of school holidays the Jan date looks more feasible). I know the whole process can be quite daunting but would appreciate any general advice at all. BTW I'm 49 in a couple of months so will probably put in the application before my 50th birthday.

Also, our son is a snowboarder who has worked in Queenstown for three seasons now and is off again from the UK in a week's time for the winter season. He's 22 just now. Any advice on how to maneouvre him into the application would be great.

We're both really ,really excited by the prospect of this move and would love to get your comments.

[slider]

Hello, and welcome :)
You've made a great start by joining this forum. :nice1
Are you able to add your son to your application? This may depend on how much time and on what visa he has been staying in New Zealand.
Submitting before you lose those extra points is a good idea. I believe if you subsequently obtain a job offer (I'm assuming you don't already have one) you can amend your existing application. I'm sure if I'm mistaken someone who has actual experience of this will be along to set me straight :)

[AndyR]

Hey! welcome to the forum and good luck with everything.

To be honest, if he has been to New Zealand quiet regularly then he would already have a good idea of if he wants to move or not.

[JandM]

Hello, and welcome.:)

[icemaiden]

Son definitely wants to go. When I talked about maneouvring him onto the application, it was more about the process itself which is a little confusing. As a dependant adult child, will he automatically become entitled to work, etc. if our full visas are granted?

Also, any thoughts about using agencies?

[JandM]

On the NZIS site, it says this.
What about my partner or children?
Your partner and dependent children may be included in your Expression of Interest, and, if you are invited to do so, your application for residence. If we grant you residence, it extends to your partner and children. They must also meet our health, character, and English language requirements.

If you use the paper Expression of Interest form and want to include your children, you will also need an additional Expression of Interest form – Child Supplement (NZIS 1103) PDF for each dependant on the form.
When it says that 'residence' would extend to your partner and children, that includes the right to work, I BELIEVE. I've certainly been told that residence granted under the parent sponsorship system includes the right to work, and definitely people going in under the partner sponsorship model have the right to work, although work doesn't feature as a reason for their entry to the country.

Everybody on here who has already immigrated seems to say that you should save your money and NOT use an agency. You have to produce all the same documentation about your personal situation with or without one, and you can get answers to any queries you have from the threads on here without paying a penny.

[marybelle]

Hello and welcome to the house of fun :D

You will find all the information you could ever wish for on here and so there shouldn't be any need to use agencies.

Just keep posting and the folks on here will be along to help and advise :yes

Marybelle

[Leanne]

Hello and good luck with all of your plans!

:D

[dilanium]

Hello and welcome.

[lockstock]

Hi and welcome. I am a teacher and was 49 at the time of application last year. I waited for the January start point too. English teachers are in demand and I suggest you get on to the NZQA website to look at the NCEA format for Unit Standards and get as familiar with the system as you possibly can. It's hugely bureaucratic - but you'll be used to that.

My daughter was 19 at the time and still a student in the UK. We added her to our visa as a dependent and produced eveidence that she was largely supported by us even though she was living elsewhere. That included bank account with her 'allowance' - set one up now with your son's name on it so it shows up on the statements. I think you can add dependent children up to the age of 23 (may be 26 but I haven't checked. She was accepted on our PR visa and has just arrived to start work here. PM me if you need any more info.

[dusk]

hello :)

[Red Devil]

Hi icemaiden and welcome to the forum :)

I know you mention about possibly settling in Auckland, however if you can afford a 'recce' trip beforehand I'd highly recommend it... we had ours last month and it convinced us that NZ is worth a try and also made the decision of area location so much easier... no I'm not going to tell you where we've decided, because it appears every Tom, Dick and Harry are moving there at the moment ;) :D

Good luck with everything :nice1

[nippa&pippa]

... no I'm not going to tell you where we've decided, because it appears every Tom, Dick and Harry are moving there at the moment ;) :D

Good luck with everything :nice1

But you can see the clue where you are going on the bottom of your post :laugh

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

Hello and welcome.

There will be tons of help and advice from people in your field of expertise to from on in here.

[Moorf]

But you can see the clue where you are going on the bottom of your post :laugh

:laugh

[Red Devil]

But you can see the clue where you are going on the bottom of your post :laugh

Doh :D

[lockstock]

Christchurch eh? But that's just to throw us off the scent isn't it?

[Kiwi-In-Texas]

Hello and welcome.

[icemaiden]

Thank you all for your words of welcome and encouragement. Now for the really stupid question! - Lockstock - you mentioned to PM you (presumably a way of contacting you directly?) How do I do that on this forum?

[JandM]

Icemaiden, you don't have the PM facility until you've made five posts, that's why you can't do it yet, and it's not a stupid question at all! Just say 'post' on a couple more screens, and you will find that then, when you click on a member's name, a drop-down box appears, with sending a PM as one of the choices.

[icemaiden]

Thank you for that. I'm no technophobe but sometimes you just expect to see the obvious.