[Bridgett]

What a great website!
We are looking at options for our child's future as South Africa is not looking particularly secure at the moment. We are saddened at just the thought of leaving this beautiful country and if we make the move dont know how we will manage to leave family behind! New Zealand looks like the best option for us (although we have a British passport). We are just at the beginning of research regarding immigration to New Zealand so if there are any South Africans (or others!) with advice we'de appreciate it.
Bridgett and Cam

[andrewp]

Hi Bridgett and Cam,

We are in the same boat as you guys. We are tired of worring about our safety and our kids' futures. We have just done our medicals and are waiting for the results before we submit our ITA. Our plan is to be in Auckland in January.

From the research we have done, NZ appear to be the best match to our lifestyle. Also it seems to suit families really well. They just seem to have so much to offer kids.

Good luck with your decision. If you'd like to chat on the phone or skype PM me and we can make a plan to get together. We have been planning this move for a few years now and have collected a bunch of info.

Cheers,

Andrew and Sue

[beater]

Hi Bridgett
Same boat here, only its the leaving of Cape Town that saddens me. Sure there are much that you will miss when you leave here, but then again think of all the exciting new things you will grow to love in NZ.

I think of it this way... it is not what NZ have, but what they don't have that gets me excited. I mean off course the high crime rate, useless politicians etc etc. My biggest single motivation for wanting to leave is my two pretty little girls. The mere thought of them becoming just another rape statistic number sends shivers up my spine. I know I can afford a nicer house here and eat better food because of the lower prices. But what good is that if our children can not even play outside our own front yard! I might change my mind if SA politicians decide that ordinary tax contributing citizens are more important than criminal thugs, but we all know that is not going to happen anytime soon.

Congratulations ofntaking one of the most important decision of your life. I'm sure you will not regret it. Emigration is not easy, but just stick to your plans and take it one day at a time. :nice1

[slider]

Hello, and welcome to the forum :)

[Kiwi-In-Texas]

Hello and welcome. Good luck with your plans.

[Leanne]

Hello
:)

[Bridgett]

Thanks for all your replies and welcomes!
We are wondering if other South Africans used immigration consultants or did the process themselves? Any advice or suggestions on this would be welcome.
Also a ballpark figure of what the move is going to cost. ie. application (with or without immigration consultants), moving belongings, flights and any other large expenses?
Bridgett and Cam

[Steadybears]

We have abreak DHL, NZQA, flights, removals etc - can PM you with them if you interested. We did not use a consultant - done on our own without much trouble.

Jayne

[Bridgett]

Thanks Jayne, that would be great - what is PM? New to this site, so not completely sure of all the lingo!

[tea drinker]

hello and welcome :)

pm is private messages

you need to post a certain number of messages before you are able to pm someone

people pm if they want to ask a more personal question that they dont want the 1,000s on the forum to read or simply to send a more personal message

click on a persons username and there is a dropdown box which gives you the option of a pm

hope that helps
looking forward to hearing how you get on with your bees :yes

[tea drinker]

Brigett
I've pm'd you so you can try it out :D

[dusk]

hello and best of luck with your plans :)

[Tentun]

Hello and welcome

Fellow South Africans here (although we left SA for the UK 8 years ago). We are looking to move to NZ for a better lifestyle - we have been seeking that lifestyle in the UK for the past 8 years and it hasn't come close to what we had in SA - so hopefully NZ will offer us something better.

Good luck with everything

[smitjo]

Welcome - pretty much the same as Tentun really! Grew up in PMB and then moved back to the UK around 7 years ago. Realised that I really miss the lifestyle of South Africa and decided that NZ would be our best option to hopefully recreate a little part of what I love. The UK just doesn't 'do it' for me anymore!!!!

[Plymgirl]

Hello, Welcome to the Roll-a-coaster Ride
We are pretty much the same as SMITJO AND TENTUN originally from S.A. living in the WestCountry in the U.K. BUT it isn't doing it for us so we too are planning on the BIG TREK to the other side of the world.
Regards

[kzn2nz]

Hi - another SAfrican here.

Welcome to the site, and the best move you can make.

We moved 3 months ago, and have not looked back. We did not use a consultant - and we got residence before coming out. Just read, read, read! If you use a consultant, it will cost in the region of R22000. What I would recommend is that you get an in-depth interview, which costs a few hundred Rand, and take it from there, if you really have no idea. The better option is to just throw your questions out to the forum and get answers here. Good luck, and look forward to you getting over here! Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions!

[Werner]

We are from KZN wanting to move in October 2008 - our house is on the market. We have done our EOI but only have 110 points without job offer and going over to find jobs - A GIANT LEAP OF FAITH!!! (Husband's trade is on the skills shortages) Steady Bears - Jayne please can you be so kind and PM the info you have as well.

[Philip10]

Hello and welcome to the forum :cheers

[Bridgett]

Hi again Jayne
Would love that breakdown regarding your move to NZ if you are able to send it to us. A few other South Africans saw your reply and asked if they could also have the info if I got it from you, so let me know if this is ok? I think immigration is particularly expensive for us SA's with our Rand and certainly a bit of a concern for us?!
Thanks again
Bridgett



We have abreak DHL, NZQA, flights, removals etc - can PM you with them if you interested. We did not use a consultant - done on our own without much trouble.

Jayne