[L-cube]

So here we are making our list and checking it twice... we are hoping to make the move sometime early next year. In the meantime, I would like to ask a few questions from folks who have taken the same (or different) experience. Just so I have an idea on what to expect.

I am the main bread winner of our family. My wife stays at home with the 3 kids. I work in the accounting field, mainly in private accounting for almost 15 years. I am currently in the real commercial field, where things are rather gloomy here in the United States. With the housing market coming to a complete stop, it has greatly affected its direct neighbor - the malls and shopping centers. Almost on a daily basis I see big name stores declaring bankruptcy or just closing shop because business is not there. I am hoping things are not that bad in New Zealand.

Anyway, here are some questions that I came up with. They are in no particular order or priority. Obviously, landing that first job is the most important. So here goes...

1. Job Market - We are leaning towards just looking for a job once we get to NZ. I figure I could try the internet and send in my resume, but from an employer's standpoint, they probably would entertain somebody who is available locally than somebody who is not present in the country at the moment. So how is the job market? Is it unrealistic to assume that I can find something within a few weeks? I have no CPA designation although I have 15 years worth of experience under my belt - from entry level all the way to upper management position. I feel like even with the CPA designation, I would still have to go through the conversion process to get the Chartered equivalent. Plus, this only applies if you are interested to go the public accounting route, which I am not.

2. Cost of Living - I keep seeing how the cost of living is insane over at NZ. From groceries to even clothing. I have seen post where pair of shoes cost over $300?

3. Permanent Resident Status - I figure this is tied to acquiring that first job. Once accepted, it seems like the process is routine. How long does it take to acquire said status after being accepted for employment? Do companies generally hire non-locals by looking at qualifications or do they cater to locals first?

4. Electronics - Do our electronic items over here work? I mean is it worth shipping our TVs and other gadgets when we move? I am sure the electronics are not cheap in NZ so we would like to take along what we can. I assume the voltage conversion is different so even if we bring our appliances, we would have to purchase a converter?

5. Car/Vehicle - I heard that NZ tries to promote public transportation, that having/using cars is not the preferred mode of transportation. Is it that efficient? My brother recently moved to Singapore and he told me that most of the people there commute. If you did have a vehicle, you would have to pay a certain road tax to drive it around. Is that the same in NZ?

6. Leisure/Recreation - What type of recreational activities does NZ have? I am into sports - basketball, baseball, football (pretty much American stuff). And I would like my kids to grow up being involved in sports activities as well. I am not really an outgoing person but would not mind the occasional movies and/or concerts. Love jazz music.

Sorry if this is a long post. I think I will pause for now - this is a good starting point for me. Any comments or suggestions would greatly be appreciated. It will certainly make the transition a much smoother one. At least, the shock value would not be as dramatic. :)

Thank you in advance for your responses.

[adkck]

Hi there and welcome fellow USA'er. :)

I can try to answer some of your questions.... Not sure how familiar you are with the whole process.

If you want to try to apply for permanent residency under a skilled migrant you need to fill out and pay like $300 US dollars for an Expression of Interest (EOI). You will need at least 100 points to be even drawn from the pool. A selection is done every forthnight, actually the selection is tomorrow. So, every other Wednesday.

Here is the link where you can find a ton of information....

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/

Once you are selected, you will know by letter or email (which ever you choose). Then NZIS will do preliminary checks to make sure you claimed your points accurately. If that all checks out, then you will get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and then you will be assigned a case officer, and will need to pay a large fee for that as well. :roll Once that all goes through, then you will get your PR. Meanwhile, you will have to a FBI background check on all those who are over 17 in your family, whom are emmigrating. Also, your whole family will need to do a medical, I mean the whole thing. Blood work, chest X-rays, the whole bit. Also, I have found a few folks here did not know they will need a passport for everyone, including little kids in the family because passport numbers are asked on the EOI, not sure about the ITA though. So make sure everyone in your family, even the kids have a valid passport.

Electronics, to my knowledge, no appliances from the US will work. However, some adapters for laptops will.

Yes, the cost of living is higher but I am under the impression the NZ $ is worth more than the US $. Plus, it is an island, everything is exported and imported, raising the cost of everything. Also, not sure if you know or not, the majority of NZ houses do not have central heating, insolation, or double glazed windows. Hubby and I are trying to be prepared for that. I heard somethings are much cheaper in NZ and some things are more expensive. Depends I guess.

Cars, I know they drive on the left over there. LOL But, I have read many folks here have bought cars. Some people opt to commute on foot or bus. I guess it is a personal choice.

Leisure-hubby and I watched SO MANY YouTube videos on the extreme sports that are done in NZ, plus much much more. Horseback riding, skiing, rafting, and a BIG BIG thing in NZ is RUGBY!! Rugby is a big deal in NZ as Football is in the US.

If you have pets, that is another issue. I am not familiar with that process but I know they have to be quarentined (sp) for 30 days and it is expensive to ship and quarentine.

With a job offer, you will most likely be selected and receive an ITA. If you have no job offer, there is no telling how long you will stay in the pool, and if you are selected with no job offer, you can wait as long 2-4 months to receive an ITA. It is a long process and a waiting game. :uhoh

Hope this helps you. Stick around these forums. Tons of information and awesome folks who can help and answer all your questions.

Welcome and good luck with your plans. :nice1

[Mrs Pony]

Job - You will get your ITA a whole lot faster with a job offer. If you submit your EOI with out one and then get one, you can update the EOI or your CO.

Cost of living - Yes it's more expensive but from what I've read you will most likely be getting paid more. The US$ is about $1.42NZ...last I heard minimum wage is $12NZ

Permanent Resident Status - You don't need a job offer to get this...just enough points... and clearing all the hurdles...

Electronics - US stuff won't work and probably not worth it to bring them over ...

Car/Vehicle - public transportation is LOADS better than here in the US...most people don't seem to need cars unless you live further away from work

Leisure/Recreation - TONS of things to do! You won't be bored.

[BkyMonster]

Some good responses already to get you started. Keep in mind I'm not there yet..

1. I am thinking as an accountant you would need to be registered with the relevant professional body to work in NZ or gain some kind of certification. Being in the country is a good way to get interviews, as is taking a trip there with the intent on doing interviews. However, it doesn't hurt to send out CVs, but you may not get a response at all. The US slowdown is certainly contributing to a global slowdown so there is a bit of a recession in NZ at the moment as well.

2. Cost of living. IMO it is easier in the states to live cheaply than in NZ. Housing is certainly more expensive than what I'm used to and some food prices are higher due to lack of factory farming and agricultural subsidies that we enjoy in the USA. Most stuff is shipped there and NZ isn't a mass market like the US so things will be more expensive. NZ did just sign a free trade agreement with China so some goods may be coming down in price?

3. Permanent residence. Best thing to do is go have a look around the immigration site linked in one of the above posts. Areas you may want to look at include skilled migrant category (SMC) and work to residence (WTR).

4. Electronics. TVs no, computers yes, monitors---eh maybe, maybe not, anything with a car charger yes, small portable electronics yes, pretty much everything else no. You'll also have to completely rewire lamps and don't even think about the fridge or other appliances. US is 115-120v and NZ is 220v. You can buy adapters/power converters if you have some things you are attached to.

5. Public transport. I've heard some places are better than others. I have a friend in Auckland and she says the bus takes too long. Much longer than driving. Look for places near train and bus lines and you'll be ok. I think most families do have a car though. As for car related fees... I'm not sure. There is a WOF (Warranty of Fitness I think?) and registration fees. Not sure what else. I did see someone say there were road fees for diesel cars.

6. From Google Earth nearly every town has a track of some kind and a baseball diamond. :laugh Rugby is HUUUUGE. There is a national (are there regional? I don't know) basketball team, concerts come to Auckland at the very least and there seems to be quite a lot of things to do.

I hope that helps some!

[Susan&Dennis]

Hi--My husband & I have just completed the process that begin in April 2007, when I first completed the EOI. Ours seems to have taken a little longer than most, but we did have a few little glitches.

We had, I think, 115 points, but were denied 10, so we basically had about 105 points and no job offer when sent our EOI. It was pulled from the pool at the next drawing--could it have been because we're from the US and they want to up that percentage--or that I'm a teacher and he's an x-ray tech? I don't know. But I don't think they go just on points.

Yes, if you can substantiate/document the claims you make in the EOI, the ITA should go fine.

Where we messed up, and thus dragging things out, was that we didn't send off my qualifications early enough to the NZQA (Qualifications Authority). We expedited them, and it still took a few months (I guess because of no job)....their assessment then had to go to the NZ Teachers Council, where I had to register in order to teach in NZ....so we had to file for an ITA extension and chew our fingernails down to our elbows.

Worked out, though. I'm flying out Aug. 28.

The process can look confusing (and it does) and daunting (if you're a weenie like me), but it's doable. The NZ Immigration folks ought to have a flow chart or something explaining how the process works. There's a great deal of conflicting/confusing info on their website.

Just keep coming back to the forum with questions, and it should be okay. It probably helps that you're an accountant--you're used to details and crossing i's and dotting t's!

Good luck!
Susan

[JoHnH]

Just one point about cars (you can live/commute without one, but not very easily in many areas.)
One reason NZ has such a high per capita car ratio is that a large proportion of the vehicle fleet are actually second-hand imports from Japan. Because they also drive on the left, Jap cars don't need any conversion here, and because of their very stringent Warrant rules they tend to replace their cars frequently, so the imports here are often barely run-in, and ridiculously cheap for their condition. Generally, about $NZ10,000 will get you say a five-year-old vehicle with at up to 10 years of hassle-free driving left in it.
That's if you don't mind driving a Mitsi. If you insist on a Beemer, think again.

[L-cube]

That's if you don't mind driving a Mitsi. If you insist on a Beemer, think again.

not a beemer person.

[L-cube]

That's if you don't mind driving a Mitsi. If you insist on a Beemer, think again.

Not a beemer person.

Thanks for all the replies. I may not be clear on question #1. What I was trying to get at was if I were to just pack up and go to NZ and look for a position there, what are the chances on landing a job right away? I am basically looking for folks who took that route - trying to get an idea as to how long or how frustrating... however you want to put it.

Sorry for the confusion. But thanks again for the quick responses.

[BkyMonster]

As for packing up and going to look for a job, quite a few people have done it. I'd say first check that you don't need any professional registrations that will delay you getting a job offer.
If you do this the best way is to contact some potential employers and recruiters before hand with your arrival dates to schedule interviews.
As for how long, I don't know for your employment background. I'd imagine it could be very different depending on how in demand the job is.
For example, my OH is in IT (programming) and we are about a month out from going. He applied for about 15 jobs over 3 weeks and has had 2 phone interviews with different companies with 1 in person interview scheduled for when we arrive, and a second interview with the other company over skype this week, as well as a brief interview with a recruiter via skype. Some of the other jobs haven't replied, a few had enough applicants and several have said to contact them when he arrives.

[nate]

Hey L,

I came over from Denver without a job. I'm not in the same position as you for a couple reasons: I brought no family with me, and I'm a structural engineer, not an accountant. But I lined up job interviews before I came (recruiter was VERY helpful) and sussed out a place to live. As an American, you can come over for up to 3 months without a visa, which I did. I'll be getting my work permit through the talent visa process - employers set up a fast-track system with immigration and you can skip the whole EOI/points/ITA system. You should DEFINITELY check out the licensing requirements ASAP. I bought and read a couple books about living and working in NZ that have proven to be very accurate and helpful. If you want the names of those, I can provide them.

Good luck!

:: nate ::

[Janey]

Hi L Cube
if you are not a chartered Accountant then no you do not need professional registration, employers and agencies do like to meet you in person and a week recce trip has worked for me (CIMA qualified) good luck